Share
))
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
…
continue reading
Manage episode 466290886 series 3646035
Content provided by Neil Warren. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Neil Warren or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
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
Chapters
1. Shima Kobayashi interview (00:00:00)
2. Shima is originally from Japan, now living in the UK (00:01:34)
3. Was inspired to take up the chromatic harmonica after seeing a concert when she was aged 12 (00:01:40)
4. First instrument was electric organ where learnt to read music initially (00:02:17)
5. Played keyboard / piano from age six (00:03:39)
6. They don’t have music grades in Japan (00:04:14)
7. The chromatic player Shima first saw perform at age 12 became her teacher (00:04:53)
8. Early chromatic lessons were taught with a classical approach (00:05:27)
9. Shima’s teacher, Joe Sakimoto, had lots of pupils, and performed in a yearly concert with them (00:07:01)
10. Shima’s teacher also taught via the postal service (no internet then!) (00:08:06)
11. The student’s were all chromatic players and the teacher still teaches in Japan (00:08:48)
12. Belonged to two groups in late teens, one rock music and one classical chamber music (00:10:51)
13. Went to the US for 18 months and won a local harmonica competition while there (00:11:52)
14. Won the Hohner World Harmonica Championship in 1995, held in Japan, with Hohner circulating the location between countries at that time (00:12:27)
15. Winning piece from Shima was the Spivakovsky harmonica concerto (00:12:56)
16. In 1993 won the Japanese harmonica competition and reasons for entering competitions (00:14:07)
17. Shima studied with the great Tommy Reilly, and entered World Championship was partly to get the chance to study with him (00:15:30)
18. First met Tommy Reilly when studied with him for a week in 1994 (00:16:10)
19. What Tommy Reilly was like as a teacher (00:17:27)
20. Shima had a lesson with Tommy twice a week, with the other days devoted to preparation and review (00:18:25)
21. A condition of the grant Shima was given was to document the repertoire of Tommy Reilly (00:19:46)
22. Tommy was eager to pass on the music he had and Shima had to learn quickly (00:20:24)
23. The year Shima spent with Tommy Reilly was from September 1996 to August 1997 (00:21:23)
24. Tommy wasn’t teaching anybody else during this time (00:21:37)
25. After coming back from the US Shima decided she wanted to be a professional harmonica player and people advised to study music at university (00:22:10)
26. Joe Sakimoto said studying music at university wasn’t necessarily the best thing to do, and Shima didn’t want to follow that path (00:22:48)
27. When Shima studied with Tommy it was at the end of his career (around age 77) and he wasn’t performing at that stage (00:24:06)
28. Tommy Reilly died in the year 2000 (00:24:38)
29. Tommy Reilly had a large recording collection that he would use to demonstrate points to Shima (00:25:07)
30. Shima has all the lessons recorded, which she would like to make available online (00:25:33)
31. Tommy Reilly loved to make playlists of recordings and would give them to Shima (00:25:59)
32. Shima went back to Japan and released her first album in 2000, Golden Girl (the title track is a Tommy Reilly song) (00:27:20)
33. Max Saunders sonata for harmonica was composed by Tommy Reilly’s son’s composition teacher (00:29:30)
34. Second album from Shima was called Chromatic! (00:30:56)
35. The Golden Girl album focused on original harmonica pieces and the second album was from a wider repertoire, including pieces written for Shima (00:31:05)
36. Songs by Japanese composers, including Mitsunaga Koichiro, on the Chromatic! Album (00:32:28)
37. Furusato song is loved in Japan, equivalent to the song Danny Boy (00:33:13)
38. Moved to the UK in 2004 and studied a degree in Social Sciences with Psychology and one in Music Education and does some teaching in schools (mainly piano with some harmonica students) (00:34:28)
39. Did a lot of travelling teaching in Japan and learnt the value that music brings to people and communities (00:36:31)
40. Disappeared from the harmonica scene for a few years when arriving in the UK, but is back now and eager to do some teaching of harmonica (00:37:57)
41. Took a break from playing and got back to it in 2015, and has performed at two Harmonica UK festivals (00:38:58)
42. Played Genevieve with the Misbourne Symphony Orchestra (00:39:50)
43. Played in Japan in 2023 on a version of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince (00:40:39)
44. Played a concert in Tokyo in 2024 with pianist Midiro, as part of the Super Duo (00:41:31)
45. Plans to travel back to Japan to perform in more concerts (00:42:50)
46. Played in a trio with two other female Japanese chromatic players and Shima likes to perform in harmonica ensemble (00:43:12)
47. Shima is a fan of the King’s Quartet harmonica ensemble, with Rocky Lok (interviewed on the podcast on episode 79) (00:44:06)
48. Need more harmonica ensembles (00:44:34)
49. Did a concert with a harp player (00:44:51)
50. Took part in the Third Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in London in 2021 and the chromatic as a new ‘old sounding’ instrument (00:45:52)
51. Videos on Shima’s YouTube channel of practising a piece and showing the progression as she does so (00:47:02)
52. Ten minute question (00:47:54)
53. Chromatic of choice was Hohner Silver Concerto but found it too heavy. So now using a Georg Pollestad chromatic from Norway (00:50:01)
54. Collected the Pollestad chromatic in person from Norway (00:51:15)
55. The Pollestad took a little getting used to but ok now and likes that it is lighter than the Silver Concerto (00:51:38)
56. Did a concert in Norway in May 2024, using the Pollestad, which included Sigmund Groven (who also uses a Pollestad chromatic) (00:52:09)
57. Pollestad is a 12 hole. Shima only plays 12 hole chromatics (00:52:52)
58. Embouchre is both puckering and tongue blocking according to the desired sound and phrasing, and uses corner switching (00:53:08)
59. Amplification and mics uses the PA and leaves all that to the sound engineer (00:54:12)
60. Plays with mic on stand (doesn’t hold it in hands) (00:54:47)
61. The vibrato that Shima uses is dictated by the piece being played (00:55:19)
62. Future plans includes an orchestra appearance in March 2025 and local gigs (00:56:03)
137 episodes
