This entry is by one of the faculty at Southern Utah University, David Torres. He is the Director of Athletic Bands, teaches brass and oversees several high class brass ensembles. The following is just one of his many first hand experiences with the rush of being a paid performer before he came to SUU.
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Throughout my career, I have been extremely fortunate to travel to many exotic places around the world. These travels have taken me to every US state and well over 30 countries. I’d have to say that to pinpoint one experience would be quite tough to do. I can say that living in other places and countries as a regular person/local is really an eye opening experience. It really gives you the chance to experience what it is like to live in that place for real. I guess if I had to pinpoint one aspect of performing that has been key for me, it would be the fan culture and appreciation received by Japanese audiences for American performers, in general, but particularly for the show I was a part of for better than 5 years: “Blast!”
For a bit of context, I should explain a bit of my journey with the Emmy and Tony-award winning phenomenon that was “Blast!.” The production can be best described as a marching band on stage, but it was so much more than that. Made up of only brass instrumentalists, percussionists and dancers, “Blast!” was a 2 hour long production of theatrical acting, dancing, singing, and of course instrumental playing, all to a theme that made sense and had the audience (regardless if they knew band or not) in a frenzy every night. It started in the United States as a project show in the late 90s and was picked up to do a run at the Hammersmith Theater in the London West End in 1999. That successful run led to its move to Broadway in New York City, which then led to a national tour that lasted over 5 years, and subsequent sit down productions at Disneyland and Disney World. As with many extremely popular U.S. based Musicals, a Japanese promoter would typically come calling to bring popular shows over. This first happened for “Blast!” in 2003. The show did a 3 week sit in Tokyo (Bunkamura Hall) and 2 weeks in Osaka (Hyogo PAC). It had RAVE reviews and was asked to return the following summer (2004) and the one after that (2005).
I graduated high school in 2002 and was a huge fan of “Blast!” after bingeing the VHS so many times, and seeing the show during its first year of their National Tour (2001). During my time in college I was lucky to start working as a musician at Disney World and came across other musicians who had been a part of “Blast!” on Broadway or the national tour. As they learned of my fandom and desire to perform with the show, they strongly recommended that I audition for it, and gave me tips to do so. Also, the show was looking for new cast performers for a brand new leg of the National Tour since the main tour had to go to Japan again for a longer engagement. In the Fall of '04, I sent my audition tape in. It consisted of usual things for a demo, a few standard excerpts of trumpet playing, etudes, solo work, improv, etc., but also had very odd things in it. This audition had acting scenes, dancing, and singing! I was nervous. But had the guidance of these cast members and other performers at Disney to help me. Turns out, myself and a handful of buddies from Disney were all auditioning for this new cast. My audition VHS was extensive, with an intro video of me describing myself, 3 acting scenes (fighting someone much bigger than me, acting like a animal looking for food, swimming in shark infested waters), one dance number (I played a trumpet etude from a ballet, while dancing ballet), singing (a song of my choice) and then the usual things, etudes, solo rep. I was very nervous, but will never forget the email I received a couple of months later.
“Hello David, hope you are well! We would like you to join the US National Tour. I will get back to you as soon as I have more specifics from the managing company handling the tour. Rehearsals begin in Bloomington, IN on August 1st. Thanks for keeping in touch, we like that!”
I was ecstatic! This was an actual life goal that I had attained. What was even better was that a few friends from Disney were also hired, so I would already know people there. We all rehearsed in Bloomington and then set out on a 11 month tour of North America experiencing nearly every state in the process. Towards the end of the tour we got wind that the other cast was going to Japan again that summer (2006). I didn't expect it, but received a call that this other cast needed an additional Trumpet to join, and they wanted me. I distinctly remember jumping on the bed in my hotel room while on the phone call. I loved this show and performing so much. After another session of rehearsals, the new cast set out for Japan that summer. Many of the performers in this group had been to Japan multiple times, so they knew the lay of the land and could really acclimate us “newbies” quickly. That they did! After a couple of weeks of tech rehearsals in Matsumoto, Japan, I felt like a local. We would walk into local restaurants and be greeted by the staff, we would be stopped on the street and chatted up or asked for autographs, but this was only the beginning. After performances, security guards had to be deployed at the stage door to limit the push of audience members towards us exiting to walk to our hotel. On this tour, I remember being forced to get in a cab due to the amount of fans outside the stage door. The fans rushed the cab and climbed on top of it as we pulled away from the theatre. It was a very “Beetles-esque” situation. Aside from the minor inconveniences of unruly fans at times, it was always a pleasure to greet folks and give autographs and chat with the people. They were (and in some cases still are) dear friends to us and supported us when in their country and performing and even visiting.
My favorite moments were always during the show, or immediately after, when we would feed off of their energy during the show or be greeted by them immediately after. Japanese people are excellent gift givers and many fans would bring elaborate gifts for their favorite performers. Usually this would be pictures or handwritten notes (in English and Japanese), but sometimes it would be designer clothing or expensive bottles of wine or liquor. Gifts I’ve received include tickets to baseball games, bottles of rum, CD’s, designer clothes, and countless letters and photos, which I still have and cherish. These people knew so much about us through our performances, and they were eager to learn more about our culture and our way of life. This was the most humbling thing. We were normal people, just on a fun tour of Japan for 5-6 months. For me, that lasted for 4 more tours in Japan, totaling 4-6 months from the years 2006 to 2009. By the end of my 2009 tour, I knew the fans, and they knew me. They would even protect us from unruly fans, and we would invite them to dinner, baseball games, or a quick cup of coffee before or after the show. They were dear friends, and all because of a bond of music and performance. I still converse with multiple fans to this day, and have exchanged gifts as recently as a couple years ago. It was an experience of a culture that goes beyond language, religion, or upbringing. This was a friendship based on a love of the arts and performance. After my final tour in Japan in 2009, I visited 2 more times on my own. Visiting with fans and Japanese co-workers alike, taking in all the wonders of the fantastic Islands of Japan. After each visit, I was even more grateful for the experiences I had with the fans, and experiencing their incredible country like a local, which they helped us to do.
For me these experiences have shaped my worldview to appreciate all performance experiences and all that come to partake in said performances. Through these experiences, it has made me a better communicator, better performer, and more humble musician, with the understanding that live performances can be appreciated in so many different ways. It’s just a genuine gift of appreciation from both sides, and will never be lost on me.
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You can see more of David's work on his youtube channel here and learn more about his professional career in his bio here