A trip to Hiroshima and Tokyo, a special meeting with Keiko Abe.
On Thursday, April 12, 2018, we (my mother, Ramon Lormans, and I) arrived in Hiroshima after a long journey. We were picked up by a mother of one of the ensemble members of the Hiroshima Junior Marimba Ensemble. The people from the organization were very attentive, sweet and wanted everything to go according to plan.

On Friday we were taken to a famous island Miyajima. We went there with the other Marimbist who was invited: Benjamin Hellert, a very friendly and smart boy from the USA. In the temple we received a special tour and were treated to a real Japanese concert with authentic Japanese instruments. I was also allowed to play on one of the drums myself. After this visit to Miyajima we went back to the city where we met everyone from the ensemble for the first time. Marimbas were immediately brought in so that we could get to know the ensemble while playing. It was great fun to see all the different ways of playing. The members of the ensemble were very active, they were almost dancing on the marimba. The culture there is also incredibly different than in the West, there is much (more) respect for each other and for the teacher.

Our hotel was ideally located. It was a 2-minute walk to the concert hall where all concerts and rehearsals were scheduled. Saturday was a rehearsal day where the ensemble rehearsed and the soloists (Ben and I) performed. We also rehearsed with Keiko herself. The rehearsal day was very intensive and also very cool.

I had the opportunity to play the beautiful marimbas in the gigantic and extremely acoustic hall. What I found most impressive was meeting the legend Keiko Abe again, rehearsing with her and speaking to her. During the concert I was allowed to play two pieces solo: Marimba d'amore by Keiko Abe and Lied by Louis Andriessen. I spoke about that last piece in Dutch to the audience. Fortunately for the audience, there was an interpreter in the room! After the break I was allowed to play the beautiful piece Wind across Mountains with Keiko and Ramon. At the end of the concert, Ben and I played the piece Fiddle Faddle together with the ensemble and Keiko. Keiko has played this piece many times and improvised on it. A very special and unforgettable experience!

After the concert we visited the Hiroshima monument. At the end of the day there was a farewell party with delicious sushi! I received a very nice photo album of the ensemble. I hope the ensemble was happy with our presents: cheese, cookies and Old Dutch candy from the Netherlands. What was also very funny to notice was that the Japanese were quite modest, but at the end when they said goodbye they suddenly became completely loose. The farewell was very pleasant and we had a chat afterwards (my mother, Ramon and I). So much for Hiroshima.

The coolest thing about the whole trip was Tokyo. We arrived there in a slightly inferior hotel, but immediately went into the center.

We went to the Yamaha Ginza shop in the Ginza district in the heart of Tokyo. Where there were 2 fantastic marimbas with almost the best sticks and all the sheet music. The next day we were invited by Keiko to attend her masterclass on her birthday! Ramon also gave a masterclass there which was very impressive. Keiko also asked me to play something for her birthday.

When my mother told Keiko that my trip was made possible by a contribution from the Jan Pustjens Foundation, she was surprised and also moved. “I enjoyed playing with Steije very much”. 

In the evening we went to dinner with Keiko which I found very special. I asked her where she gets all that inspiration from and I expected: "nature" but to my surprise she said that she was very inspired by Shostakovich who I am also completely crazy about. I actually have no words for this incredibly special trip to Japan. A trip never to forget.

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