I taught 2 drums student in Palau -- Miguel, the son of Dodie Pineda and Mika Tsuji, right, the new Guest Relation Manager of Palau Royal Resort. Her first lesson was held at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale with the help of Bro. Gilbert Navarro, left, who let us use the church's drums set for tutoring.
(Photo by Mika Tsuji)
DRUMS LESSONS FOR MIKA TSUJI
Mika Tsuji is just a little over 1 month working at Palau Royal Resort as Guest Relations Manager when I noticed her potential in singing. She harmonized with me one night to the song "Oribia O Kikinagara" and a couple of more Japanese songs.
She can speak 5 languages --Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English and French, where the top 3 in that order are the main visitors/guests of Palau in the last decade.
What surprises me more is her ability to read Chinese characters when she sung a Chinese song (English title "Far Away") where I asked her to sing it 3 times so that I can familiarize with that popular song.
After practicing "live" with a couple of American songs, I teach her the melody of "Stardust", a song written in 1929 and sung by Artie Shaw in 1941 and Billy Woods & Dominoes in 1957.
She was able to play the melody of it using my music score! What else can she do? This talented lady might be an asset to PRR if she will stay here longer.
She loves music but there's not much to choose here in Palau. She contracted me verbally to have a keyboard lessons when the keyboard that I lend to Chris Johnson, my Swedish student, is returned.
When it was returned, she confirmed to me that she wants to have a lesson but with drums and not keyboard.
The first thing that comes to my mind is teaching her at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ 4th Watch (Palau Locale) after the prayer meeting on Friday evening. And it's also my day off.
The PMCC has a drums set, 2 electric guitars, 1 bass guitar, a Yamaha electronic piano (the one I used to play at Teppan Dragon) and 5 accoustic guitars.
We agreed on a $15.00/hour payment in which I will donate the $5.00 from it to the church for using their drums set.
It's also a way of getting her close to God because she will attend the prayer meeting before I teach her. The service is mostly in Tagalog so I sit close to her and translate the sentences that are being spoken in Tagalog, where she is trying to learn by greeting every Filipino she talks to in their native tongue-- like "Paalam" -Goodbye, "Magandang Gabi" --Good Evening and "Salamat Po"-- Thank you (with respect).
Her first drums lesson is not fruitful as Bro. Gilbert Navarro interfered with my teaching-- taking about half hour which confuses Mika more.
The second lessons is very fruitful as I did it by myself upon his request that Bro. Gilbert will not interfere anymore.
Her full potential was discovered. To give her more live exposure, I suggest that she will do the drumming when we sing the song "Purify Your People" next week.
She did very well performing live. Later, I teach her "Close To You" by Carpenters which is one of her favorite songs.
On May 03, 2013, I arranged a 15-minute performance of me and another Japanese student, Mr. Yoshiharu Kurata, a senior Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer to perform at International Night Market by Palau Visitors Authority.
I asked Mika to come so that she can see live performance of Palauan band and by Mr. Kurata and me at the keyboard and him playing saxophone, flute, ocarina and Palauan record (Bamboo flute) and quena. We also sing (duet) "Besame Mucho".
The 5 songs that we performed are "Amazing Grace", "Donna, Donna", Besame Mucho, "Love Me Tender" and "Lambada", in which Mr. Kurata sung in between playing the flute.
Mr. Kurata can speak French also aside from Spanish.
Before we perform, the Palauan band is already playing and Willie dela Cruz, a member of Tropical Depression Band in 1992 with me, Elena Sutton, Romana, Wilhelm Elbelau, Henry Takeshi, Greg (Filipino drummer) and lead guitarist Wilson Prima, is playing the drums so smoothly that Mika is inspired to learn more with playing drums.
I introduced Mika to Willy's daughter which is a friend of my daughter Karen when she's in Palau (June 17, 1995-May 28, 2004). When the band plays the song "Stand By Me", a Palauan old lady asked Mika to dance with me to the song.
It comes to my mind that one day, I will ask Willy to teach Mika so that she can experienced learning from a real and experienced drummer. The band also plays "House of The Rising Sun" by Animals.
After our 15-minute performance, we proceed to the PMCC for prayer meeting. Before the start of the meeting, I arrange to the emcee that I will sing "Amazing Grace" and Mika will do the drumming to expose her more to crowd.
We practiced for a few minutes and later, she gives chocolates to the breathren, who appreciates her generosity.
She's very confident when doing the drumming. She don't have stage fright which many beginners have hard time to overcome.
After the prayer meeting, one of the prayer request that we prayed together was the coming operation (bypass) of Mika's father in Japan.
Prayer is very powerful especially if being done together (corporate prayer).
Mika recorded our drums session to her cellphone: "Amazing Grace", "Close To You", "Stand By Me".
After one hour of drums lessons, she gave me an envelope with the payment in there and she said, "My drums teacher, thank you very much. I'm going back to Japan the day after tomorrow."
I WAS SHOCKED BY HER UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT.
She said the Taiwanese Rooms Director Dennis Tsai didn't passed her probation (3 months) and Nina, another Taiwanese Front Desk Manager wants the higher position that she feels insecure with Mika's talents and maybe afraid to be overshadowed.
She hugged me while crying for a few minutes. Now that she is enjoying Palau because of music, then this obstacle occurs.
WHEN I ADVISE HER A PART OF WHAT MY BEST FRIEND JOSELITO MARCOS HAVE TOLD ME A MONTH AGO, SHE SETTLED AND WAS AMAZED BY THESE SIMPLE WORDS:
"If a door closes, another one will open." "If the door at PRR closes for you, another one will open. Maybe in some other places."
She said goodbye to Bro. Gilbert Navarro and Bro. Ryan Carandang. She uses the church laptop to log in at Facebook and added me, Bro. Gilbert, Bro. Ryan and Bro. Alex Lumawon to her friends' list.
Later, Bro. Gilbert showed him the PMCC Churches in Japan, who is headed by Pastor Maya Cruz, who can speak fluent Japanese.
We are hoping that someday, she can attend to one of PMCC churches there and maybe found another teacher (drums and guitar). She told me that if she's good already at drums, she will ask me to teach her guitar next.
Inside the car in going back to PRR, I told her that she is a fast learner and she's got a lot of potential to be a good musician. She has plan to join me and Mr. Kurata to form an international band someday.
She hugged me for the last time at the entrance of Dormitory 1 of PRR. In my room, I read her notes in the envelope with $50.00 in it:
"Dear My Teacher!! Thank you very much for everything that you have done for me since I came here. Unfortunately, I have to leave. I had a tough time here, but I think that I was very lucky because I have met you. I found how fantastic music is. I will continue learning music whenever I will be, all over the world."
2013.5.11 MIKA TSUJI
on FB ... Mika Tsuji (Palau Koror)
email...shimihwa@gmail.com
I keep the letter and the $50.00 in my wallet. I don't intend to spend it.
She said she will come back to Palau as a tourist and maybe resume our drums lessons on every day that she is staying.
MATTA NE!
Source: Chess and Music
The Beginning of Chess In Palau
(To be published as a book in the future)
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