Musical Nourishment in Okinawa

Each spring, the Toyota Youth Orchestra Camp gathers young musicians from across Japan who are selected primarily from organizations belonging to the JAO (Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras Corporation). Talent is not the only condition in the application process, however, as this is a camp that focuses on far more than music. Applicants are required to fill out a brief description of their history and aspirations, and successful applicants will have demonstrated a potential for leadership. In fact, personal growth and cultural experience are major components of the four-day camp, which is held in a two-year set.

In 2015, the 31st camp took place in the island paradise of Okinawa for the first time, and students who participated this year will be returning for the second installation in 2016. While sampling delicious local dishes, the students (and family members volunteering to support and oversee the camp activities) were treated to performances of unique local music and dance forms. Additionally, they were party to a special story-telling session. The events of the camp are chosen by an organizational committee of student leaders who are also participants, and those of 2015 requested the opportunity to hold a session of war-time storytelling from local war survivors, deepening their understanding of Okinawan history and the impact of war on contemporary Okinawan culture.

The 150 students chosen to participate, between 15 and 22 years of age, are usually recommended by leaders of various JAO organizations, though members of school orchestras or non-JAO orchestras are encouraged to apply. Indeed, several students from across the seas in Asia and Europe are participants in the 2015-2016 series of camps. The concept of the camp is to nurture not only the musical skills but also leadership capabilities of members of the orchestral community who may go on to become leaders in their various orchestras in future, in the hope that the benefit of their learning will trickle through wider community circles.

The expertise of the Japanese orchestra professionals attending the camp as instructors is not limited only to camp participants. Members of a local Okinawan school orchestra had the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the 2015 instructors through a workshop held as part of the Toyota Musical Instrument Friends Conference. Furthermore, local residents  were treated to a free pre-concert, showcasing the progress of the 2015 rehearsal sessions on the road to the final 2016 public performance.

Conducted in 2015-2016 by Masahiko Enkoji who is the resident conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, the pre-concert of 2015 was a new addition to the schedule, giving the students a chance to test their progress so far on a real audience who were able to attend free-of-charge. In addition to the open rehearsal and performance by the students, the instructors—including members of the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, among others—showcased their own talent and youthful souls with small ensemble performances of their own. Among these was a spirited rendition of Kouhei Tanaka’s “124” from the Japanese anime One Piece. Meanwhile, the students put their minds to the dramatic strains of Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5” which was one of the pieces focused on in preparation for the 2016 concert, as well as the rousing brass band tones of composer Holst.

A year of self-improvement and solo rehearsal lies ahead as the camp will re-convene for four days in the spring of 2016. Putting their accumulated skills together, the youth orchestra will perform a highly anticipated ticketed concert to complete this installment of the camp—but the experiences they have gained will surely stay with them for years to come.