NATC 2025 Phoenix

Participants who learned a part for WAISSHO Ondo in another workshop come together to play and dance to WAISSHO Ondo in a full ensemble arrangement. Participants in this workshop are invited to perform WAISSHO Ondo for the closing ceremony of NATC Phoenix!

Prerequisites: Participants should have taken one of the following classes before this workshop.
- Learn Vocals for WAISSHO Ondo, a New Bon Odori Song (Sumie Kaneko)
- Learn Shamisen for WAISSHO Ondo, a New Bon Odori Song (Sumie Kaneko)
- Learn Shinobue and Narimono for WAISSHO Ondo, a New Bon Odori Song (David Wells)
- Learn Drum and Dance for WAISSHO Ondo, a New Bon Odori Song (Isaku Kageyama)

Series Description:
Join Sumie Kaneko, David Wells, and Isaku Kageyama in a workshop series where participants will be the first to learn WAISSHO Ondo ・ 和一緒 (ワイッショ) 音頭 ・an original song written by Sumie in the style of Bon Odori. This series will focus on learning the taiko, fue, and vocal parts of the song, giving participants a unique opportunity to be the first to bring this new composition to life at their local Obon Festival.

By the end of the series, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to perform a newly crafted song that honors the spirit of Obon. Recordings and practice tracks will be provided. This workshop is open to all experience levels and is designed to foster a sense of community through the shared joy of creating and performing music.