Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Shima Kobayashi interview

• Neil Warren • Season 1 • Episode 124

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Shima Kobayashi joins me on episode 124.
Shima is a classical chromatic player originally from Japan, who has been  living in the UK since 2004.
After winning the World Harmonica Championship in 1995 she was awarded a bursary by the Japanese government to study with the great Tommy Reilly over a twelve month period. 
Shima has two albums to her name. The first has a number of pieces composed for chromatic harmonica. Her second album, Chromatic!, contains some pieces written for Shima by Japanese composers.
After taking a sabbatical for a few years Shima is now back teaching and performing in duos, harmonica ensembles and orchestras in both the UK and Japan.

Links:
Shima's website:
https://shimaharmonica.com/

Tommy Reilly In His Own Words (The Archivist):
http://www.the-archivist.co.uk/tommy-reilly-in-his-own-words/

Videos:
Spivakovsky concerto at Harmonica UK 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjtK_r0BchE

Playing Genevieve with the MSO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QavqmWBhUPM

Harmonica and Harp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjV8iGugpjY

Shima practise video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkDAiAUE_Z4

The Third Orchestra:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsE8C2gGsA



Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

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SPEAKER_04:

Shima Kobayashi joins me on episode 124. Shima is a classical chromatic player originally from Japan, who has been living in the UK since 2004. After winning the World Harmonica Championship in 1995, she was awarded a bursary by the Japanese government to study with the great Tommy Riley over a 12-month period. Shima has two albums to her name. The first has a number of pieces composed for Chromatic Harmonica. Her second album, Chromatic, contains some pieces written for Shima by Japanese composers. After taking a sabbatical for a few years, Shima is now back teaching and performing in duos, harmonic ensembles and orchestras in both the UK and Japan. This podcast is sponsored by Zeidel Harmonicas. Visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.zidel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at Zidel Harmonicas. Hello, Shima Kobayashi, and welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_01:

Hello, Neil. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04:

Thanks so much for joining, Shima. So we have met, of course, in person. You're based in the UK, but you're originally from Japan, yeah?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_04:

So tell us how you got started playing the harmonica in Japan.

SPEAKER_01:

So I was playing different instruments as a child. Electric organ was the instrument I was given first from my parents. I had lessons. And then I think I went to listen to a concert, which was a classical guitar. And then I saw this chromatic harmonica player was playing one of the original pieces written for chromatic harmonica and classical guitar. So that was a introduction to the chromatic harmonic music. I think I was about 12 years old.

SPEAKER_04:

Great, so you're playing the electric organ?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, one of the trendiest back in time. My siblings all play musical instrument, piano, and my brother used to play violin. And I thought I was maybe given something like a flute or something alongside with this classical music. But I think being a third and a youngest child, I think the parents has less expectation. And I think she wanted me to try more vast So at the time, I don't know why she got this idea of this Yamaha electric organ, like two manuals with a pedal. So I was given that instrument, which was quite unexpected. And to be honest, I didn't quite like the electric sound.

SPEAKER_04:

So you learn this in the same way that you learn the piano, though, I assume. It's just a different sound.

SPEAKER_01:

That's where I learned how to read music notation in the usual way, plus a bit of a pen. thing on the on the footwork. Yes, so I think probably I learned how to know the keyboard instrument, but I used to sneak into my sister's piano room and using this idea, but the key is really, really different. The organ has a much lighter, stickier feel to it, whereas piano has really heavy keys.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, how long were you playing keyboard before you started playing the chromatic?

SPEAKER_01:

I started about five, six years old. I started And up until, you know, about 12, you know, I started to, and I was singing in a choir. So, yes, I mean, I did not carry on with the electric organ, but by then I was playing piano in my own way. So that's kind of gradual transition.

SPEAKER_04:

So you had a good grounding in music before you started on the chromatic harmonica. So were you doing grades on keyboard, piano before you started? the chromatic?

SPEAKER_01:

In Japan there's things such as grading so I don't know probably I could be equivalent of grade four or five by then and I just kind of shifted to piano and I kept on playing. Funnily enough the first grade I did was when I came to England so I wasn't sure what grade I was and I think I did like seven, eight when I came so that's the kind of my official thing but as a child I growing up I wasn't really doing this exam structure.

SPEAKER_04:

Sure. So when you started playing chromatic, did you start playing age of 12 after you saw this concert?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. So the harmonica player had a connection through the guitarist. So he introduced me to the actual person who was playing at the concert. So he became my teacher. I think the arrangement was made probably about six months later. I think I was about 13 years old. even 14, yeah, around junior high school time.

SPEAKER_04:

So how were you taught to play the chromatic harmonica over there in Japan?

SPEAKER_01:

You know, I think because I probably, I was already able to read the music, so I think notation was just like as I would learn the instrument, probably same way as violin or piano, flute. I remember my tutor book, had an introduction to, you know, how the mechanics of the harmonica works using, you know, like numbers. And I remember my teacher started off with the middle range and the whole number, five, six, seven. So I started off that and then quite easily transferring that idea onto the music.

SPEAKER_04:

So did you learn the chromatic, you know, learning classical music mainly? That's mainly what you're playing, you know, you were sort of classical trained Yeah,

SPEAKER_01:

I think so. My teacher was, you know, classically trained and that's the repertoire he was playing and that was the piece I had listened to. So it was gradual. Of course, you know, we just start from simple pieces to start with popular, like an American folk tune and things like that, but then gradually move on to it. But I think it's pretty similar to how you learn instrumenta.

UNKNOWN:

Bye.

SPEAKER_04:

So what about the scene in Japan for harmonicas and chromatic harmonicas particularly? What was that like learning the harmonica there? Were there other players around?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, so my teacher had a lot of pupils. And so although my lesson was always individuals, I had to go to his house and then have an hour lesson. weekly I think so that's how he started and I know he had a lot of people so I had a chance to play like there was a once a year annual concert where everybody get together so I had a chance to play solo piece as well as ensemble piece and listening to you know what other people doing there was a I think it was about 20 regular players in this annual concert myself and then I had I have another same age harmonica player who was also learning from my teacher and we used to be one of the youngest people and there was also an accordion player who was also in this group but he also started like online tutorials in today's equivalent there was no internet then but he devised this mailing system of learning harmonica so He had this book, textbook. So, and then anybody in Japan can have this course. I think it's about a year course or two. And so they would record their practice and send to the teacher. He would make a comment. Everything was done by post. And so his network got very big. And we also had summer camp.

SPEAKER_04:

So distance learning, that sounds great. So you were playing in ensembles. And was everyone a chromatic player or did you have... orchestral harmonicas and any diatonics?

SPEAKER_01:

I think it was only a chromatic harmonica. And to give the wider register, there was an accordion player. Often also we had a piano player to accompany us to make. So I remember playing Bach's double concerto and Vivaldi, all this orchestral arrangement arranged for the harmonica.

SPEAKER_04:

Fantastic. So that's a great grounding in the education in chromatic harmonica

SPEAKER_01:

does

SPEAKER_04:

that still exist in japan now is that quite widespread or were you in a good time to learn in that way it

SPEAKER_01:

seemed to be there's a lot of you know people playing and certainly my teachers still play and now he has to restrict people to play this annual concert and so i think that's still strong and also i know a lot of japanese player who based in else you know outside of Japan, but back to Japan and then creating. I think there's quite a lot of activities happening in Japan.

SPEAKER_04:

Great. So is your original teachers still teaching, are they? Yes,

SPEAKER_01:

yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, fantastic. And what is their name? Joe Sakimoto. So that's great. So again, fantastic grounding and great education there for harmonica. That'd be great if that existed in other countries. So was this tied into your schooling or anything? Did you play it in school or was it outside school, these lessons and performances?

SPEAKER_01:

The lessons were... Outside, I think when I started like an equivalent of sixth form, I remember I belonged to two clubs. One was the rock band where I tried to play guitar, which I was terrible about it. Other club I belong to is a chamber music club. So it's like a really different genre of music, but at the time I loved both genres or any genre of music, which I think is good. So I did go to play like a Japanese rock or quite lively music. And then another time I would go to the music room and play Bach's Trio Sonata or something. There was three people and I was playing the keyboard part because my senior member, she was doing a flute. There was a cellist, so it's like a trio. I was so desperate to play her flute part on the harmonica So I was always longing to play, but I couldn't really say that. So that was the kind of music activity. Then I went to America as an exchange and spent a year and a half. So I took my harmonica and playing all the pieces I've learned. Actually, I went into a local competition and kind of won a fast prize and things. So I quite like enjoy doing these things. Not kind of sort of high-level stuff, but I always carried my instrument.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, great. So you went back home to Japan after you'd spent some time in America, did you?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. And then so two exceptionally notable things that you did. So first thing you did is you won the World Championships in 1995. So where was that held?

SPEAKER_01:

It was held in Japan, in Yokohama.

SPEAKER_04:

Was that the Honu one?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, that's right, yes.

SPEAKER_04:

So at that time, they didn't hold it always in Trossingen, did they not?

SPEAKER_01:

I think it's like every three or four years. I think it took place in a different country.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay. So what piece did you play to win the world championship?

SPEAKER_01:

It was Spivakovsky's First Movement, Spivakovsky's harmonica concerto.

UNKNOWN:

piano plays softly you

SPEAKER_04:

Fantastic, yeah. So that was in 1995. Did that get you some recognition? Anything happen after you won that first place?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, because I don't like going to competitions. Prior to this 1995, I had a national competition, which is also Japanese Horna that organize. So I did that before, like in 1993, I won that national thing. Because if you wanted to be a harmonica player professionally, if you don't have anything to prove, Apart from, of course, the performance comes first. So only for that reason, I did this national one and then the World Championship. Two reasons, because it's held in Japan, so I don't have to travel outside. And it was just the right timing. And the Japanese Horner, gave me the automatic sort of entrance for me to enter because of the 1993 national thing. So, yeah, I like to play music, but I don't like the atmosphere of people competing over something.

SPEAKER_04:

Music's not a competition, is it, Ashima? That's good to hear.

UNKNOWN:

MUSIC PLAYS

SPEAKER_04:

so after well I don't know after this so another fantastic thing that you did is you studied with the you know the great Tommy Riley did that come after you won this world championship or

SPEAKER_01:

yeah main motivation for me to do this world championship was that would give me more chance that I could then come over to study with Tommy so that that would have the right kind of things for me to apply for a grant that I wanted to apply for.

SPEAKER_04:

Right. So you knew that there was an opportunity to study with Tommy and it was a case of getting your credentials up to apply, you mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Not quite. So first time I met him was before World Championship in 1995. I went to Tommy's place was 1994. I had two weeks of studying. That was purely I wrote to him and asked him if you know he could give me lessons so then you know he he said yes so I went and for two I think is it a week but so at the end of my stay he said he can't teach everything in in in this short time so he said to me you need to come back for longer so that's how I came back and then I thought about how can I go back and study longer so then there was a this grant guarantee this 12 months of a stay in your chosen country as like a part of artist so that's what I went for but the chance of me getting something like that was very very slim already because there's very fierce competition across the instrument there's a music that's the kind of only possibility so that I could just present something so

SPEAKER_04:

yeah so you had one week with Tommy and then then you had 12 months what a a short while later yeah yeah and uh so what was tommy riley like to study with

SPEAKER_01:

um well what do you think do you think uh what do you imagine that listen with tommy like

SPEAKER_04:

um i imagine he's probably quite strict and uh you know and formal with technique and i know i've seen him he's up and keeping his arm raised onto the side when you're playing and you know it's all uh you know i imagine it to be like that yeah i'm sure he's a lovely guy yeah

SPEAKER_01:

I think everything you said, I'm sure there might be some recordings of him teaching. So, yeah, it's all true. But it's really funny. He's very funny.

SPEAKER_04:

When you stayed in the UK for 12 months studying with him, I mean, how regular were the lessons then?

SPEAKER_01:

So lesson was sort of a set up twice a week. so in between days so like i think it was lessons was tuesday and thursday so monday i would prepare for a piece that i'm going to be bringing to him on the following day so i will have a lesson on a tuesday wednesday i will reflect on it but at the same time preparing for my next piece to for me to bring on thursday and in the friday you reflect on the lesson on Thursday and then because of part of this bursary it was like I was sent by the Japanese government so I have a monthly report to write exactly what you're

SPEAKER_03:

doing

SPEAKER_01:

so I'll do that maybe on Friday weekend and then same cycle starts because every lesson I would learn a different piece so he would have his archive there and so I will pick one piece and so one thing we Bosnian sounds like a lot of time but it's not a long time to like keep going on the same piece as you would in a normal lesson so part of my purpose that I got the grant for is to like almost like a document the repertoire you know he has and then learn about it not just photocopying the music but learn the technique go behind it learn how the piece is made all of these things so that was my main purpose to be spending time with them so all the actual acquiring the technique and performing that just come after for the rest of my life so during this day we are so focused on just going through as many pieces as possible. So on the first lesson I had, I would go to his room and he would open the cupboard full of music and he said, you can pick any music you want to play. So that's what I did. But he always had a recommendation. He always had the pieces that he really wanted to pass on, his knowledge and information. But every lesson was different. different so you know you have to be very quick to pick up the information to have the music ready to to play so you would have a piece of music so that you will just kind of read and you know see it's like a basic basic idea to have but you have to be able to play and then on the then you bring to the lesson and tommy would go probably one note by note, every bar sort of thing, then go through the piece. And then I listen to the recording.

SPEAKER_04:

Fantastic. So what year was this that you spent the 12 months with Tommy?

SPEAKER_01:

So it was 96 September to August 97.

SPEAKER_04:

Fantastic. So what an opportunity. Was he teaching many other pupils at this time?

SPEAKER_01:

No. Wow.

SPEAKER_04:

so an amazing education over there with

SPEAKER_01:

uh it was the best education i've ever had I didn't remember making decisions, so after coming back from America, I knew I wanted to play. harmonic and to be a musician so Joe Sakimoto my Japanese I went to him to talk and my natural thinking then was people around me as well was okay if you wanted to learn this well less established music probably you know go to music university and then like I take composition as a major then learn this instrument alongside with it and I thought probably that's what I do but Joe Sakimoto was kind of saying just you go to university and a music degree doesn't automatically make you musician to perform and so there was two ways and I don't know at the time I kind of thought about it but I think at the time I couldn't imagine myself learning about music in like a square classroom with lots of different people I think now I would enjoy that but at the time music was much more really personal thing for me so I just kind of went to just throw myself and to establish so I didn't have that formal sort of university sort of education so it's the equivalent so I think the time I had was really like intense You

SPEAKER_04:

had one of the best chromatic players ever teaching you for a year so that's pretty amazing you can't get much better than that

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04:

Did you see Tommy play, you know, perform when you were over for the year? You know, did you able to sort of see his life as a harmonica player and he's doing recording sessions?

SPEAKER_01:

I think he was just stopping all this, you know, playing. Apparently, he started to have a limitation in, you know, his hands. So, I think, again, I was lucky because if he was very busy traveling and performing himself, probably I didn't have so much of his attention for that. for the lesson.

SPEAKER_04:

yeah so I think he died in the year 2000 didn't he so yeah just four years after so yeah he was obviously more aged at this time but yeah so yeah he got in a great time and picked up so many lessons from him I'm sure so yeah great that he was able to pass that on

SPEAKER_01:

I think he was sort of sometimes time to time frustrated that he cannot demonstrate as he was very good player at the time but he was very frustrated that exactly how you know he wanted to so that's why he had lots of recording that at the end of the lesson, you know, oh, let's listen to this. And then he would show lots of recording to explain or to demonstrate what he meant was in each, you know. So that was really enjoyable. And then we would listen to his old performances. And then he would maybe that reminds of something and he would talk about it. And so I recorded all the lessons. That's something he allowed me to do. that so that I can reflect on and learn.

SPEAKER_04:

Have you still got those and still listen to them sometimes?

SPEAKER_01:

Of course. Well, I mean, that's something, you know, I must do something. It's very precious and it needs to be... you know do something

SPEAKER_04:

about digitize them and maybe make them available yeah

SPEAKER_01:

you know I think if he lived in today's world he'd be glued to computer all the time like making a playlist and then all this amazing thing you know he he used to when I went to his for 1994 he was already you know like a cassette tape

SPEAKER_03:

yeah

SPEAKER_01:

in a I'm sure you made a playlist and in a in a favorite order and this he did just that and so he would have lots of little selection of music for me to listen to so that was the thing I was given even 1994 so that because these sort you know music wasn't available in Japan at the time at all yes so he does have the similar sort of selection of cassettes or CDs but the thing is he can't quite remember which side it is so now I kind of yeah Tommy that's this side and you know he would keep pressing seeing this button and it's quite a bit of a Lauren Hardy moment in this and yeah so summer CDs lots of you know recordings of radio show or somebody made a live recording and so very interesting to listen to

SPEAKER_04:

yeah fantastic so yeah amazing time that you've had learning with Tommy Riley there so so what did you do after this you went back to Japan and you recorded two albums I think in Japan didn't you did you do them and during that time?

SPEAKER_01:

So I returned to Japan in 1997 and so then a couple of years I was kind of back and forth between Japan and UK and then this CD was made during 1999. Recording was made in 1999 and then released in 2000.

SPEAKER_04:

Which one was that?

SPEAKER_01:

The first one was the Golden Girl.

SPEAKER_04:

So Golden Girl this is a song I think composed by tommy riley and james moody

SPEAKER_01:

that's right

SPEAKER_04:

yeah so obviously you'd learn that from um from the horse's mouth so to speak and so you recorded that song

SPEAKER_01:

That was the song I never knew before I came to England and he showed me one day. And at the time, there was no recording. He didn't make any official recording for this piece. And he showed me, and I just was like, wow. I remember he said, this might be a good piece for you to play. That's right. Because of the titles. Then he showed me this. Yeah, one of my favourite pieces.

SPEAKER_04:

Fantastic. And so you've got some other pieces on this first album, Golden Girl, which you play with a pianist, obviously, as you say, recording. So there's... another James Moody piece on there, period piece. There's also a sonata for harmonica written by Max Saunders.

UNKNOWN:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

So Mark Saunders, that was another piece that he suggested. Oh, Shima, you know, I think you should learn this. He said the composer was Tommy's son, David Riley, his composition teacher. And so they knew each other. So there are lots of pieces, you know, evolving to lots of these personal connections and how the music is evolving. I think it's really always interesting. So again... very difficult piece.

SPEAKER_03:

Hey,

SPEAKER_00:

everybody, you're listening to Neil Warren's Harmonica Happy Hour Podcast, sponsored by Tom Halcheck and Blue Moon Harmonicas out of Clearwater, Florida, the best in custom harmonicas, custom harmonica parts, and more. Check them out, www.bluemoonharmonicas.com.

SPEAKER_04:

So yeah, so great. So you had this Golden Girl album in 2000, and then you had another album release called Chromatic. Was that also recorded after then, still in Japan?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, they're both under the same label. So the first one was, I wanted to focus on the original harmonica pieces that I had learned. The second piece, I wanted to have a bit more... variety of pieces, maybe something of, you know, my own little piece as well. Like the things that I wanted to do, like some pieces written for me and more of the Shima world I wanted to include in.

SPEAKER_04:

Was this one of these, the one called Harmonica Girl?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm glad you mentioned this, yes.

SPEAKER_04:

That was written for you, was it, harmonica girl?

SPEAKER_01:

Harmonica Girl was kind of discovered by, I think, one of the, somebody Japanese, some producer discovered this. There is a song about harmonica, like a really like a Japanese old fashioned song and like a really old fashioned song and it could be cool to rearrange it. And it wasn't even for the harmonic. It was for like a song, lyric song. And so, yeah, that's kind of a little

SPEAKER_04:

trial. But there's another song on with it. the japanese composer isn't there so um you've got uh some japanese music on there yeah so

SPEAKER_01:

That was written for me by a composer, Mitsunaga Koichiro. He has this amazing ability to... He used to accompany me for my competition. He's an amazing pianist, composer. So he started to know how the harmonica function. He doesn't play, but sort of, oh, I can write the music. And so it's got amazing chords and a really nice one. The other thing is the Japanese people love this particular song called Furusato. which is for the hometown, which I included in the recording, like an equivalent of a Danny boy.

SPEAKER_04:

And then you did some of the more well-known, you know, from the classical repertoire. PIANO PLAYS Also Rhapsody in Blue. Oh. so some amazing pieces on there so yeah some some great stuff so you got those those two albums out in um again whilst you're still in japan and then you moved across to the uk in i think 2004 yeah

SPEAKER_01:

that's right yeah

SPEAKER_04:

And have you been living in the UK since then?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so what prompted the move to, the permanent move to the UK?

SPEAKER_01:

I really don't know. When I, I do remember in 1994, when I first arrived to England, I saw River Thames and Parliament buildings for the first time. And I really don't know, but I just felt like coming back home. I don't know why. I've never been to England. England I really had this really weird feeling and I went to Hammondswood and so after that well basically after I came back to UK to because I had my family I married with an Englishman that's a simple answer maybe

SPEAKER_04:

yeah so you moved over and then I think you spent a bit of time studying some degrees in psychology was it and social sciences and psychology and also in music education

SPEAKER_01:

yeah and then

SPEAKER_04:

you started sort of after that teaching teaching music but in schools is that you're doing

SPEAKER_01:

it's called a peripatetic teaching for on the piano recently I have a few harmonica people kind of diverting harmonica from piano so which I'm really quite happy about yes so I did all that stuff I have never think of doing because I used to think I would be a terrible teacher I've got no patience etc but I think it was coming to England for So one reason was, you know, my personal reason. But I think this time gave me a really different view on life and reflecting a lot of, because things were so busy back then and I had time to reflect on about being as a musician, what kind of music. want to be doing that sort of reflecting time so the experience I had in Japan one of the busy time I spend was I was traveling a lot of time to do outreach program it's called a cheeky sozo program so I would collaborate with some local authority and visit places create a music workshop doing this and then leading to a concert and through that I met a lot of children and the people and I as more aware became more aware of how music is really ingrained in the people's society and well-being and I felt like I lived my life so selfishly just doing the music and just doing the stuff I want to do all the time and you know it's just kind of a changing shifting and then so I wanted to do something and

SPEAKER_04:

Give some music back, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and so learning social science and psychological study was a really good thing to do.

SPEAKER_04:

So you're still teaching in this, mainly piano, with some side chromatic harmonica, is it? So is it in the educational institutes you're not actually teaching chromatic?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, because to be honest, teaching harmonic is really difficult than teaching piano for me. And also, I don't think a lot of people actually know that I'm sort of up for teaching the harmonica I think a lot of people well probably I think to be honest I kind of disappeared from the harmonica scene since I moved to England for a long time so I don't think a lot of people you know know about me in the first place so I'm really open to people who would be interested in learning the instrument and if I'm helpful I'm ready I feel like I'm ready to do that. Before I think I was still quite a lot of information given by Tommy Riley so I needed my time to digest that. A

SPEAKER_04:

fantastic opportunity for any serious chromatic online students to get a line through to what Tommy Riley taught you. That's an amazing opportunity.

SPEAKER_01:

Now you know where I am.

UNKNOWN:

Music

SPEAKER_04:

So as you say, you took a bit of a break and then you started getting, I think, more back into playing around 2015. So you've been pretty busy since then, yeah. And you've been quite involved with the National Harmonica League, slash the Harmonica UK, here in the UK. You performed at a few of our concerts here, I think in 2018 and 2022. Yeah.

UNKNOWN:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04:

You've also played some other great stuff as well. You play with orchestras. For example, you played Genevieve with the MSO, the Mistborn Symphony Orchestra. Where was that?

UNKNOWN:

MUSIC

SPEAKER_01:

So that was about two years ago. I had a chance to play Spivakovsky's Harmonica Concerta, which has been postponed several times for lots of reasons, including COVID as well. So Genevieve was an encore piece. He allowed me to choose one other piece. And I thought, I watched this Genevieve film, and I just laughed so much all the way through. What lovely music. And then my husband made an arrangement.

SPEAKER_04:

You also played in... Japan recently for the Happy Prince which is the Oscar Wilde story it's a sort of piece written so that was in 2023 and yeah so you took part in this tell us about that

SPEAKER_01:

yeah so I'm kind of restarting a lot of I feel like I'm ready to restart again and reconnecting with people who I used to do music and things with Happy Prince was one of the piece I did about 20 years ago then I made a lot of revisions

SPEAKER_02:

advising so

SPEAKER_04:

yeah and you also i think went back to to tokyo and japan in 2024 and performed as part of the the super duo with pianist midori so um

SPEAKER_01:

yeah this is another thing so i reconnected with midori we used to play a lot in japan he used to accompany me but now i feel like a more natural that we we are making music together so rather than solist and accompany punished I wanted to work with her as a duo partner so that's how the things come about And I really like that format, contributing each other's inner strengths. And to see her piece as well as my piece, it just makes a contrast, creating the new repertoire. So especially in that duo, we did Robert Fernand's Predator Dance, which is one of the major orchestral work. But I always knew that the orchestral part was so effective on the piano, almost like a French era music. It's really beautiful. And Midori did justice to that, sorry. I'm really pleased.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, fantastic, yeah. So, I mean, is that something you'll be doing, travelling back to Japan to play any more concerts on a more regular basis?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, that's my intention. So this is the second year I started coming back on force. I hope, you know, like once a year.

SPEAKER_04:

So this was streamed live on the internet so people could watch it on the internet. So, yeah, it was available for people to view. During part of this show, you also had two other female chromatic players and you did a trio piece together, yeah? Bye.

SPEAKER_01:

So that's one thing, you know, when I restarted to be connecting with my, you know, Japanese people or any concert that I have, I'm really quite interested in harmonica ensemble. It's like a bit like a strings. It's very, you know, lots of there, lots of harmonica ensembles, but it's actually very difficult to have that ensemble going because it's like a violin bow, you know, a tiny bit of a different air pressure. And if everybody tried to do this, it's just... really uncomfortable if it's not done pitched well. I am kind of experimenting and trying out with lots of people the ensemble. So Harmonica Quartet, like, you know, King's Quartet, you know, the Hong Kong King's Quartet. I really enjoy their performance.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I interviewed Rocky. He was part of the King's Quartet, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I met them in Taiwan. I was one of the adjudicators and so, yeah, they were very, very nice people and I I think one of the quartets that I really, you know, enjoyed listening to. So something like that, you know, if we have people, find the people too.

SPEAKER_04:

We definitely need more harmonica

SPEAKER_01:

ensembles. I know, yes.

SPEAKER_04:

They're quite popular in Asia, aren't they? But you don't tend to get them much over here. Obviously, we've got some harmonica groups which I've had on the podcast, such as Fatima Ghan and Swang. But yeah, you don't see too many. And I think that would be fantastic to get some more ensembles. So yeah. So yeah, some other great things you've done. So So you did a performance with a harp, so a harmonica and harp. We often get that combination with a song called Entraxed. where was that

SPEAKER_01:

recorded oh yes yes the harmonica and harp are amazing combination just so lovely I had this harpist called Shino Kataoka she's a very good player so unfortunately right now we're so far away she's in Japan so not so much chance to play yeah we did a James Moody's suite for harmonica and harp we did a bit of a storytelling together she does an Irish harp as well and yeah the entrance was one of the recordings on my YouTube channel. Very effective.

SPEAKER_04:

You also took part in something called the Third Orchestra. This is at the Barbican Centre in London in 2021. So this is really interesting. So a great and interesting setting for the chromatic harmonica as well. So made up of musicians from Western and non-Western instruments. So it's kind of an intercultural thing. So that was a really interesting, like I say, environment for the chromatic harmonica, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah,

SPEAKER_01:

I think it's very... appropriate because harmonica being really modern instrument but somehow it just brings so much nostalgic or some something very you know ancient at the same time and it doesn't belong to sort of any of the historical sense but at the same time you kind of i don't know old and new so i was really fascinated by it

SPEAKER_04:

how did you get involved with that how did you get invited

SPEAKER_01:

The director, Peter Weigold, knew of me, so he suggested me to join in, really.

SPEAKER_04:

so there's some great videos of you on uh on your youtube channel shima of you doing of practicing which is really great to see you're practicing a piece called shakura but it's really great to see you going through the process of sort of and you're showing it on the video where you know you're getting it wrong at the beginning and that you're improving and getting the you know the section of the piece it's great to see someone of your ability sort of sharing that

SPEAKER_01:

i'm so glad that i you know having this feedback i thought okay that's great you know i just do things like without maybe much thought. But I thought that's great to do that.

SPEAKER_04:

It is great, because I think a lot of people assume when you see an excellent play that you think, oh, they can just do it without trying. But it really shows that you have to go through the process too, right, and learn it, and to inspire people as well that that's how you have to practice, right? So on this topic, I ask a question each time, which is the 10-minute question. So if you had 10 minutes to practice, what would you spend those 10 minutes doing?

SPEAKER_01:

Because as a sort of professional... You practice for something always, isn't it? So depends what the goal of the practice is, depends on that. If I'm practicing for something that I have to do for the weekend, probably I will pick the most difficult part and knowing which bar it is. And then super slow on that, if it's that, you know what exact place you need to be doing. So instead of going as a whole piece, You just go straight on to that particular, even four notes or two notes by knowing what's the problem. You have to be like a doctor yourself, like analysing. You know, sometimes when you're teaching, it's the same with harmonica or piano. People know something is not quite right, but not knowing what it is. But knowing this is not right because the way that the timing I'm jumping is not matching up. So by knowing what half the time knowing what needs doing so if I have 10 minutes okay well I would spend 3 minutes at least to do each scale or not even scale I'm just kind of getting connection with each hole blow and draw so it's just become a normal scale or very slow so I'm kind of checking each sound how are you today are you going to be working for me or is the valves stick or is this a bit needed to so i will spend about three minutes doing that then maybe spend another five minutes going through those maybe if it's 10 minutes i have maybe three points that i can work on so i will work on this each place maybe i spend about one minute to play through

SPEAKER_04:

well we'll uh we'll finish off now by talking about about gear and the equipment you use so first of all let's talk about the uh which chromatic you so i understand you play You played a Horner Silver Concerto for years until you started playing the Polstad chromatic from George Polstad in Norway. Is that your chromatic of choice?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's absolutely right. So when I did a Spivakovsky, it was a Mistborn Orchestra, two years ago, I used the Silver Concerto. I think there's a lot of chromatic players being really strong male pass on doing. And Tommy, for example, never seems about any problem on the wrist or anything. They're so sturdy. My teacher as well. But I had a problem with my wrist because the instrument is quite heavy. So yeah, you develop the practice strategy, minimum practice. You can't do like a practice like mad and then hoping for getting it right because before you get there, I won't be able to play because I injured my wrist at some point. So I could do that Swierkowski, but I don't think I... I knew I couldn't do Robert O'Fernon's Predator Dance. It's a fast passage. So I decided to restart my career. I decided to have the pole instrument. I suddenly had a phone call last year, just this time. So it's ready to collect. So I went there to collect.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, you collected it in person from Norway,

SPEAKER_01:

did you? Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. He said he's going to post through DHL, but no, no, no, I'm going. So, I went.

SPEAKER_04:

How great is this chromatic?

SPEAKER_01:

So, I think it took me quite a while to get used to. Initially, I thought I might be having allergic reaction to the metal or something because my inside of my lip got really sore. And, oh my goodness, you know, but I I think it was just the pressure against the instrument. With the silver concerto, I maybe had to put my lip against it really hard, but with the pole, you don't. So loads of adjustment needed to be done. But we did a concert in Norway in May, so after six months or so. So Georg kindly had this concert set up and once it's ready, it's much lighter. than the silver concerto. So I can do almost like I felt in ages that I can do what I wanted to do on the instrument. So I'm really happy.

SPEAKER_04:

Great. And is it a 12 hole or a 16 hole?

SPEAKER_01:

I always use a 12 hole. I never used a 16. I wish I could do the 16. If it was a 16, I have much more, you know, violin pieces I can play, but I simply can't hold that instrument then.

SPEAKER_04:

And what's your What embouchure do you use on your chromatica, tongue blocking, puckering, anything else?

SPEAKER_01:

I do both. Again, maybe I don't know other people's sort of anatomy of it, but I use both. Some sound I'm after, I would like to play without any tongue blocking. It has got certain quality and lightness and just the sound quality. But some parts where there is a lot of jump, I use the tongue in certain ways so that you get the closest distance. So I use... either side of the tongue to allow that to happen so and then also it's also always related to the phrasing so if I wanted to do some joint up phrasing I would perhaps use the tongue so that the notes are joined together but some some notes I really want to have a maximum sort of lightness plus stillness if the sound is stable yeah just without tongue

SPEAKER_04:

and what about um amplified yourself you know microphones and amplifiers are you just using a PA or do you use any amplifier at all?

SPEAKER_01:

I just leave those things to the sound engineer because I don't know much about it but for example yeah for example the live streamed concert that was I had a sound engineer doing my sound system and he's an ocarina player so he knows about the you know similarity of the tone so you know it was great so I just leave that to professionals

SPEAKER_04:

So when you're playing do you play with the microphone on the stand or do you hold the microphone?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah I don't think my way of playing can do hold a mic I know it's quite you know standard way but because my hand is almost like a part of the instrument to make the sound so sometimes I cover it or sometimes you know open it so by doing the open position I can't really hold the mic and it doesn't have the control over so yeah stand

SPEAKER_04:

And so vibrato is one of those things. Are you doing your vibrato using your hands and also by using your breath and body? How do you approach vibrato?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, again, it depends on what the music content is. Some vibrato, you want to make it really like using your throat and have that, like a... Yeah, El Cumbanchero has got a part I call the really bending, almost like a bending sort of quality of vibrato. You can do that there effectively, but you don't use that in the certain classical pieces. So you use the hand. So it depends, you know, what's most effective for the piece. Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

And so, okay then, just a final question on your future plans. So, what have you got coming up over the next, you know, maybe in 2025? Oh

SPEAKER_01:

my gosh, well, so I'm going to be playing Fernand's Prejudice and Dance with Mistborn Orchestra in March.

SPEAKER_04:

And where is that located?

SPEAKER_01:

It's in Buckinghamshire, in Chesham, yeah, in the UK.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, you can also be seen playing around, you know, the local area where you live in the sort of southeast of England, yeah? So you're still doing some... You did a concert with a singer in the St. Botolph Church in High Wycombe, yeah? Oh,

SPEAKER_03:

yeah!

UNKNOWN:

MUSIC PLAYS

SPEAKER_04:

You still are out and about playing too?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

So thanks so much for joining today, Shima Kobayashi. It's been great to speak to you.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you very much for having me, Neil.

SPEAKER_04:

Once again, thanks to Zydle for sponsoring the podcast. Be sure to check out their great range of harmonicas and products at www.zydle1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at Zydle Harmonicas. Thanks to Shima for joining me today. Fantastic to hear about the time she got to spend with the legendary Tommy Riley, and she really took that opportunity on to become the top-level chromatic player she is today. If you want to find out more about Tommy Riley, then I can't recommend Roger Trowbridge's The Archivist site highly enough. There is a link to one of his episodes about Tommy on the podcast page, with more available on The Archivist site. I'll sign out now with Shima playing a duet with the great Norwegian chromatic player Sigmund Graben as part of the concert in Norway in 2024. Both Shima and Sigmund are playing the Polstad chromatics during this clip. This piece is the Sicilian interlude.