musictoenglish blog

Gotokuji

Sat, 07 May 2022 17:40:42 +0900

Gotokuji

Hello all
I’ve been very lazy recently and so I haven’t written for over a month! I promised myself that I would write 3 times a week at the beginning of the year.. Oh well, I’ll try to be less lazy from here on in.

We just finished the Golden Week holidays. Most people didn’t do anything special as I didn’t either. But I did take a little trip to Gotokuji temple on Tuesday 5/3. It’s a magnificent temple with 3 or 4 actual temple buildings. There’s also a 3 story pagoda.

After arriving and walking through the path under the trees to the entrance I waked around a bit and then went to sit down under some trees and bathe myself in the nature and breathed in the aroma of the calm environment. Then I walked around a bit more and found the place where they have the lucky cats. There were only a few there.. After that I walked around s bit more and took another rest on one of the many benches they have here and there. I’d say Gotokuji ranks as number 2, second to Kuhombutsu, nn the list of shrines and temples I’ve been visiting this year.

4/9 at Kin no Tsubo

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 21:10:47 +0900

Last Saturday night I hosted a night of live jazz at Kin no Tsubo a small bar which has live music 6 nights a week. We had a small number of attendees but they all enjoyed themselves. All the band members are pros which means they live by music. And they are good players so they kicked my ell you butt.

We played 3 sets so I’ll tell you set list. We satrted off the first set with a Wayne Shorter tune called Black Nile. That was followed by Skydive a Freddie Hubbard song. Then we olayed Benny Golson’s Stablemates and we finished off the set with Fantasy in D by Cedar Walton.

The second set started off with a female singer friend of mine. She sang 2 standards (I can’t remember the titles). Anyways we continued with Headin’ Home by Joshua Redman, After that we did Satin Doll and From the Lonely Afternoons by Wayne Shorter from the Native Dancer LP.

The third set started with Joshua . A Miles Davis song which nobody ever plays. Maybe because of the changing time signatures in the solo section. .It’s up tempo so I felt a power decline. Next we played Bolivia by Cedar Walton. Then we played Caravan another up tempo song. By this time I felt like my arm was going to fall off. We finished the night with Cantelope Island by Herbie Hancock

I realize that this post will only be understood by jazz aficionados but if you want to hear these songs then I’d love to have you come to my next live..

Otsuka station

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 18:31:31 +0900

Yesterday I met an old friend who recently moved from　Hachioji to　Otsuka. I hadn’t been to Otsuka for more than 20 years. It was always kind of a dirty looking place. No where I would like to live. But yesterday I saw the new restored station with new buildings around and lots more people. Otsuka was completely changed to a trendy kind of place people enjoy hanging out. We ate at a little eel (unagi) restaurant. I’m not a big fan of eel but they had lots of other food as well. After that we went to a new Excelsior coffee shop. I stayed there about 5 hours. I think I’ll be visiting my friend more often from now on

Wag the Dog

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 19:53:50 +0900

These days the headlines of newspapers or on the internet are all the same. They’re about the Russian Ukraine war. So it’s the only thing people talk about. It seems Omicron has taken a back seat in the headlines. Are infections still spreading like wildfire? Is it finished? The media is such a powerful tool to change the public’s mindset.

Anyway, I watched a movie last week that made me think about the headlines we read every day. The movie is called “Wag the Dog” with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. The story is about how top level government or media people create events ,even wars, to cover up facts that they don’t want the public to harp on. It made me think about how much Russia-Ukraine videos or headlines are actually true. And by the way, Have you noticed how Putins body shape and sharp eyes have changed That’s because it’s not really him. It’s a fake. I don’t know what happened to the real Putin but it’s really clear that the Putin we see in the news these days is not him. So anyway you should watch the movie “Wag the Dog” It’s fiction but it could very well be based on fact.

Kuhonbutsu

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 10:48:31 +0900

Today I went to Kuhonbutsu. I suppose some of you who are reading this don’t know what or where that is. Well, Kuhonbutsu is a large area about the size of Yoyogi park with about 10 or 15 temples. It’s located near Jiyugaoka in Setagaya Ward. Walking in about 150 meters from the street I found beauty everywhere. It was so very peaceful and quiet you’d never imagine you were in the bustling city of Tokyo. There were only a few people there, some sitting on benches just relaxing, some saying a prayer at one of the temples others just walking around enjoying the tranquil atmosphere. I last visited Kuhonbutsu about 20 years ago at which time many of the temples were old and falling apart. But today I saw that all of the temples had been restored and the grounds and landscape more organized and exquisite. I sat down on one of the wooden benches made out of tree logs and breathed in the air while looking at the surroundings . It gave me such peace of mind. I strongly recommend you take a visit to Kuhonbutsu and ease your mind in the serenity of the surroundings.

Cmmon mistakes for Japanese 2 "by " and "until"

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:08:00 +0900

Most Japanese people have a hard time understanding how to use the words “by” and “until”. This is probably because in Japanese they use one word,まで ,to express both of these words. So here’s a mini lesson with the explanation of how to use these words followed by a quiz.

By + (a time) = not later than
You have to finish the report by Friday.
(= on or before Friday, on Friday at the latest)

Until = to say how long a situation continues
Mary stayed in bed until 11:00 this morning
(= She got out of bed at 11:00)

Compare
I’ll be away on business next week but I’ll be back by Thursday
Make sure your home by midnight
.I’ll have it on your desk by noon tomorrow
It’s three more days until my vacation starts. I can’t wait
I have to baby sit until my Mom gets home from work.
I’ll be working until 11:pm so no drinks tonight.

Conversation
A: You look really stressed out. What’s the problem?
B: The manager wants this report finished by Friday。
A: Friday? You’re kidding
B: Yeah. There’s no way I’ll be able to get this done by Friday.
A: Unless you stay here until midnight all week,
B: The latest I’ll stay here is until 8:00 tops.
A: Did you ask him to extend the deadline?
B: Yeah. He threatened to can me if it wasn’t done by Friday.
A: That’s too bad.

Quiz
1． I'll keep phoning ____ you pay me.
2． It's open from 7am ____ 5pm.
3． It must be finished ____ Friday afternoon.
4． She'll be staying at the hotel ____ Friday.
5． She'll be here at five, ___ which time you mustn't leave the room.
6． Dinner will be ready ____ the time you get here.
7． I'll stay here ____ five o'clock.
8． She'll be here at five, ___ which time I expect you to have finished
9． I'll have it ready ____ four o'clock at the latest
10. The movie doesn’t start____________ 7:00.

Leave a comment if you have any questions or if you'd like the quiz corrected.

Corona Virus Hypnosis

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 13:51:29 +0900

I recently read an article about Eric Clapton’s views on Corona virus vaccines. Receivers of the vaccines are victims of “mass formation hypnosis”. I see exactly what he means. People are hypnotized by watching TV news day in day out 3 times a day being bombarded about how devastating this virus is. Then the numbers of people dying and how you have to get vaccinated with vaccines that have only been tested for 6 months when most medicines take 5 years. As you may already have guessed I’m an anti vaxxer. I’m very suspicious about the boys in power and their having some scheme up their sleeve. Control of the masses using manmade viruses, SDG,,5G and fake numbers. In 2001 September in Tokyo the number of infected was over 1,000 a day. The first week of October the state of emergency ended and the number went down to about 500. Over the next the next week the number went down to under 100 and the next few days under 10. How could the numbers go down so drastically? Something is very very fishy about this whole corona virus ordeal. I’m not about to change my lifestyle because the fake corona virus. Media doesn’t tell you how many people die from the vaccines or how over 90% of infected people recover. Big Brother is on the horizon. Don’t be trapped in the hypnotic state. Snap out of it.

Honesty

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 21:35:19 +0900

I’ve been living in Japan for the past 42 years. Had Billy Joel lived here he never would’ve written the lyrics “Honesty, such a lonely word”. Through my experiences here I can truly say that Honesty Is the Best Policy in Japan.

My first day in Tokyo I can remember walking past electronics shops in the Shinjuku district. The shops had tables on the sidewalk with all their goods on display. The shop master would be inside the shop. People would walk by and look but nobody would steal anything. That would be unheard of in America. Of course shops don’t do that anymore with so many foreigners living here.

I’m a very forgetful person and have been since I was a child. I failed a kindergarten test because I couldn’t remember the word coffee cup when I was shown the picture. Anyways there have many instances where I have forgotten items at different places. On the train I left my smartphone one time, another time my stick bag full of drumsticks and my expensive leather gloves. All of these things I got back, I left my wallet on the counter at a bookstore and another time at a convenience store. Both times I got the wallet back with no money missing. I’ve dropped my prepaid commuter pass at my station and I got it back, Each time this happens I say to myself, “I’m so glad I’m in Japan.”
.”

Music and movies

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 13:55:32 +0900

I’m a movie buff and I’ve recently been watching movies on a free internet site where I can watch just about any movie that was ever made. As you may also know I love music so I’ve been watching movies about old and recent bands like The Doors, Love and Mercy (story about Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, a genius), Crossroads a story about a Julliard classical guitar student who loves the Blues and goes to Mississipi, birth place of the Blues, the with an old famous blues harp player. There he enters a guitar contest a where you can see and hear Steve Vai household name of jazz and rock. You can also hear him on David Lee Roth’s first album. An absolute mofo. I also watched Ray, story of Ray Charles 2 nights ago, before that I watched Purple Rain made by another musical genius who until recently I hadn’t realized the caliber of this man: singer, guitar player, composer engineer, producer, film maker and he never went to NY or LA. Stayed in Mnnesots. The website for free movies: https://www1.freemoviesfull.com/

"put on" and "wear"

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 20:03:26 +0900

Japanese people often confuse the use of "put on" and "wear". below are some rules to follow and some examples followed by a conversation and a quiz:

Wear = Used as a noun: Cannot be used alone, must be preceded by
an adjective. (no I have a lot of wear) (okay The men’s wear department is in the corner)

Wear = Used as verb: You wear anything that is put on your body or
applied to the skin such as clothing, or make up. There is no action.
(I have to wear a suit every day)

Put on = Used to talk about the action of putting clothes on your body
when getting dressed or putting make up on your face. (You should put
on your tie before you leave.)
.
Compare
Could you tell me what floor the ladies wear is on? Yes, the 3rd floor
That’s a nice suit you’re wearing. Is it new? No. I don’t wear it much.
Hurry up. We’re going to be late. I just have to put on my make up.
Help me put on my dress. I can’t reach the zipper in the back.
If we’re going skiing we’ll have to buy John some ski wear..
What are you going to wear to the party? I was thinking of wearing my tux.

CONVERSATION
A woman and her daughter are talking about what to wear to a friend’s wedding
Daught: What are you going to wear to Mary’s wedding?
Mom: I don’t know. I have absolutely nothing to wear.
Daught: What about your black dress. Put it on. We’ll see how it
looks.
Mom: That dress is too old fashioned. I bought it 20 years ago.
Daught: Why don’t we go shopping to the outlet mall then?
Mom: They don’ have any good ladies formal wear shops.
Daught;: Yes they do. They just opened a new shop for ladies formal
wear.
Mom: Really? Okay let’s go. I wonder what your father’s going to
wear.
Daught: Well he put on his blue suit yesterday but he couldn’t
button the waist.
Mom: I told him he should watch his weight. He’s gaining so
much.

QUIZ:
Fill in the gaps with a form of the words "wear" or "put on"

1. He’s going jogging so he ____________ his running ________.
2. You’d better _________ a warmer jacket. It’s going to get cold
tonight
3. Here. _______ these new jeans I bought for you. I want to see how
they fit.
4. High school girls and boys have to_______ uniforms to school..
5. Sometimes older women ________ too much perfume.
6. I wanted to experience the typhoon so I ______ my rain boots and
my raincoat and went outside.
7. Some female college students in Japan _______party dresses to
school.
8. Sometimes it’s hard to find the men’s ______ section in
department stores.
9. If you don’t _______ sunscreen before you sunbathe you’ll get a
sunburn..
10. You should _______ some clothes, It’s 2pm and you’re still ________
pajamas.
11. I can’t ______ these shoes. They’re too tight.

Send me a comment with your answers to the quiz and I'll correct it for you.

Online English lessons

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 20:08:30 +0900

I used to dislike doing online lessons years ago when there were not many applications available. Skype was around but it wasn’t very stable. Times have changed since the pandemic came to be though. With so many people working from home now video apps have to be dependable. I’m back to teaching cyberly and I must say I’ve been very happy with present day Zoom and Skype. Both have good picture and good sound. So if you’re about doing face to face lessons and getting infected you should try
online lessons.

Jan 15th at Kin no Tsubo

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 17:23:21 +0900

I’ve decided to restart my blog this year.so to restart us off I’ll tell you about my live performance of last night. Well as for the turnout it was less than expected. The past few days has seen news reports about the surge in Omicron cases in Tokyo;(4,000 cases a day? Fake news I think) so people are instilled in fear and therefore will not go out. Even with the small number of guests we had a splendid night of jazz. I’m honored to be able to play with such fine musicians: Hisakazu Noguchi on piano, Yoshihiro Kaneko on bass, Tetsuo Suzuki on tenor sax and Kimbal Brown on trumpet. Last night I felt we had the freedom of changing tempos or changing feels during a solo, like a spontaneous chemistry. So much fun. I usually hold a live show every couple of months at the same venue called Kin no Tsubo which is located 3 minutes from Yoga station on the Denentoshi line 5 stops from Shibuya https://kinnotsubo.com. Check the website for my next show. Hope to see you there.

Wiseman wild night

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:20:43 +0900

Hello all
I'd like to tell you about the wild night the freetalk Friday night group had last Friday. Acrually I was not there but chris (our teacher from UK) was. He told meabout it so now I'm telliing you. they all went to Tom's kitchen down the street from Wiseman. Everyone got uninhibited and spoke out about what was on their minds and their recent events over food and drink it was a funfilled night and so the next time we'll have more advertisements about it and I hope all you readers can join next time.
http://www.wiseman-eikaiwa.com

Leggings OK or not?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:44:13 +0900

So did you hear about the new dress code controversy in American Junior high and High schools? Girls are not allowed to wear leggings as pants. You know what I mean? We sometimes see it in Japan. The first time I saw it I wondered are those pants or tights? Should she be wearing something over it? The article I read said that some of the leggings were made of sheer material so that you could just about see through them, revealing their under garments.
Well some schools in U.S. finally banned students from wearing only leggings. Leggings could be worn if they had something over the leggings like shorts or a skirt. So 48% of parents agreed with the new dress code. And 17% disagreed.. Maybe some of the 17% were the ヤンママthat we see with their children in tote.

abc mart

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:44:15 +0900

I went to ABC Mart today. ABC Mart わかりますか？It's a shoe store.
いい靴みつかりました。Rockportと言うメーカー。買えたかたけど、カード（マスターカード）いえにわすれちゃった。I'm going back tomorrow to buy them. Usually I'm a hush puppies fan, but these were only \10,000 yen. A BARGAIN!!! I'll show you a picture of them tomorrow.