Jane Rigler's Blog

Website: Updates, Collaborations, News

janerigler — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:44:53 +0000

I’ve recently added a whole bunch of information on my website: many new projects and collaborations are underway and in the process. Please stay tuned and visit me at my website for more information on my upcoming concerts and shows.

UCSD Alum Festival

janerigler — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:42:23 +0000

From January 20-22, I’ll be going to the UCSD Alumni Festival, held at the incredible new arts building (as well as other on-campus locations) at the University of California, San Diego. This is a festival-not-to-be-missed. I’ll be posting photos and sounds and documenting it as much as possible. I’ll be performing with my world-class alumni friends who will be coming from all over the world to this reunion. If you’re in San Diego, don’t miss it…

2011: year of the Rabbit

janerigler — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:33:32 +0000

A rabbit is quiet, gentle, has very big ears and a very small mouth. If everyone listened (deeply would be nice) twice as much as we talked, perhaps the world would be a more peaceful place. A rabbit has soft fur, eats fresh foods and has many friends (well…and many children too). There is a Japanese folktale based on Buddhist Tale Śaśajâtaka (Jataka Tale 316), which is also told in the Japanese tale, Konjaku Monogatari (今昔物語, in late Heian Period, 794~1185). This is the tale of the Moon Rabbit, the rabbit you can see in the Moon…have you ever tried to see a rabbit in the Moon? I never saw it until I went to Japan… it was there! In this story, the rabbit is depicted to be a compassionate soul, who offered its own body as food for a hungry old man – the rabbit had only grass to offer, while other animals had various food such as fish, meat and milk. The old man, who was actually a deity Śakra raised the rabbit to the moon to honor its virtue.What if we used this year, the year of the rabbit as a model for our own actions. Not that we have to have a lot of children, but perhaps we can become more compassionate beings…offer ourselves to others, every day, even if just a litte…even if just a smile…

This winter I took a drive with a new lovely friend named Scott and explored the incredible mountains of Colorado. I’d never before seen such an inspirational snow-covered Wonderland. Breathtaking…

I’ll post photos as soon as I can…

Where I’m at

janerigler — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:53:13 +0000

Well, I think the photos may speak for themselves but I arrived teaching at UCCS in the summer and haven’t stopped since. My full-time instructorship includes teaching Chamber Music Ensemble, Jazz History, 20th C. Music History and co-teaching with Professor Curt Smith an interdisciplinary course called Creativity which rocks… of course!

So between the many hours researching &preparing as well as finding time for walks in the mountains, I’m having a glorious time. I’ll be posting more events, soundbites and upcoming activities during the next few months. Looking forward to getting back to blogging!

I’ve missed you.

Click to view slideshow.

Sado Island: OniDaiko footage

janerigler — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:52:11 +0000

I am so eager to share my first-time efforts as a videographer! Although it’s a steep learning curve, I’ve decided to take advantage of my interest in sound, movement, textures, transitions, spaces, and relationships as points of departure for this edit … This video documentation focuses on 2 very intense days on Sado Island in April this year. So please remember that while some of the images are not prime, I hope that the intensity and playfulness of that experience will come through. The drumming is intriguing. But even more, are the people of Sado Island. With the help of my friend Hisako Horikawa, I was able to explore places I never would have been able to on my own. I hope to continue working on this video, or at the very least, this process is giving me valuable learning skills for my next one…

Thank you so much, to the people of Sadogashima, for your dedication to your traditions, for your intensity, joy, playfulness and generosity. I dedicate this to you, and I look forward to returning some day. Until then, drum and dance on! And may the Oni bite you and bring you all the Best of Luck for this year!

Abudantly Green

janerigler — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:36:19 +0000

Now I find myself in the Appalachian Mountains. How did that happen? From ancient Buddhist temples, Oni-demon taiko drums on windy islands and the ruthlessly boisterous Tokyo life, to the mountains of soothing green solitude. After days of zombitude-jetlag, I am now finding my energy again. Although the amount of video and audio to upload for this blog is overwhelming, I’m going to gradually get to it, little by little. Here are more recent photos of Hambidge... a beautiful, relaxing, respite… besides relaxing and getting to know some other very special people, I’m actually getting a lot of other projects done!

Sadogashima: The Onidaiko Matsuri

janerigler — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:21:30 +0000

Dear friends,

I’ve only barely returned from Niigata and Sado Island, and I have so much to share with you. Later, more info will be posted about the wonderfully magical concert at the Sakyukan (in Niigata city) with Hisako Horikawa, but for now, let’s explore the Onidaiko Matsuri, the oni (demon)/shishi (lion) festival (actually, many festivals held at once throughout the island). Here’s a great blog that explains some of the history.

Hisako Horikawa, Michele Kong and I rented a car and drove all around the island, chasing the festivities that were taking place in practically every small town…Although the weather was freezing, alternating rain, sun, hail, wind (this is spring?), we were warmed by the many charming people, who seemed thrilled we were there. They graciously welcomed us, not only to join them in their house-to-house visits, but they offered us their food, and often invited us (complete strangers) into their homes. The drumming and dancing was spectacular, the food divine, and the festivities intense and exciting…

Some of the places we explored: The Ryotsu Port area, Hiramatsu, Takachi, Ishi-Hanabi, Ishige, Mianmi-katabe, Shimbo, Saruhachi, Oda, Oda-Nishi…

I’m not sure yet just how deeply or in what way these experiences have affected me. I only know, without a doubt, that something in me is permanently altered! Soon, I’ll post some videos from those few days…

Another wonderful collaboration

janerigler — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:31:57 +0000

So, if you haven’t noticed by now, my work involves collaborations…of/with many different kinds of people, artists, places… I see collaborations as a medium to communicate with other artists, as well as with “non” (self-proclaimed)-artists and venues. So far here in Japan, I’ve played in small cafes, clubs, hip performing venues and even a rice warehouse. The International House of Japan, however, has so far been the icing on the cake, not just for it’s beautiful building and performing space, but also for the incredible garden, which also played a part in last week’s show with the Stringraphy Ensemble, the marvelous sho player Ko Ishikawa and the striking Hitomi Nakamura on hichiriki. As you can see here, strings were stretched all across the room, while Hitomi, Ko and I roamed between the strings. The packed house not only listened attentively, but later gleefully participated when encouraged to play the strings and percussion instruments… During the performance, the Stringraphy Ensemble, Ko, Hitomi and I accompanied the voice of Dr. Kumi Kato reciting poetry both in English and Japanese creating a link between the voice (our vocal chords, the strings across the room), the space, the instruments, the garden…and multiple other connecting threads. My greatest wish is that one collaboration will eventually unfold itself to become many other new kinds of collaborations…

SAKURA!… Updated…

janerigler — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:33:07 +0000

It’s been a cold Spring. At least the flowers aren’t deterred. I’m not either. Many of the flowers in my neighborhood are starting to fall, so in honor of the impermanence of the fragile beauty, I carry my camera everywhere, ready to take a shot of anything that seems even slightly gorgeous… Fortunately for me, I’ve stumbled on to some rather exquisite images… Even in today’s gray dampness, I found the flowers delicious. Literally, I wanted to eat them. Taking photos is the best way I know how to “consume” them. I wish I wasn’t so greedy. But at least I get to share them, even merely vicariously, with you.

the slideshow should begin automatically…give it a few seconds (depending on your internet connection) to load and start. Below are the photos. Some might need to be clicked on and enlarged in order to really capture the details…

Click to view slideshow.

Hanami, which is “flower watching” refers to sitting around, all day, drinking and eating under a cherry blossom tree. I can’t think of anything better than this during Spring! And apparently neither can hundreds of thousands of Japanese either. Businesses send their workers out to a park to place a blue tarp on the ground and literally hang out all day (in shifts with other workers) in order to “claim” a good spot under a tree so that everyone can go there after work and hang out for several more hours. In the meantime, everyone brings champagne, wine, beer, and pretty much, anything else …and the drinking starts around 11am…and goes non-stop all day. This Spring it has been unusually cold, rainy and windy, so I haven’t been hanging out with everyone else. I’m fighting off my own cold at the moment, so my views of the Sakura here in Tokyo have been sparse so far. Nonetheless, I’ve gotten some pretty amazing shots already. Please enjoy! It really is overwhelmingly beautiful…

Grand Beginning

janerigler — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:44:03 +0000

Instead of a Grand Finale, this last month will be the Grand Beginning. I will be returning to Japan…eventually. Although future dates are not set yet, I am certain that the seeds I’ve planted will be nourished and with time, the threads will pull me back to this wonderful country and it’s stunning people… For now, I have many updates since my trip to Wakayama. First I seemed to have accidently neglected to upload my beautiful trip to Hiroshima’s Itsukushima Shrine, which I took before arriving to Wakayama. This small island, only about 15 minutes by boat off the coast of Hirohsima, was so breathtaking, I spent several hours roaming around. The huge bright orange O-Torii sits in the water, and the shrine itself is surrounded by water during high tide. I arrived during low tide, which gave me an opportunity to put a 5-yen coin in the pillars of the Torii as well as watch many people hunt for clams. I was thoroughly entertained by watching the people and the animals (many hawks were also hunting clams) than almost anything else. I’m sorry all the photos are not separated. I can’t seem to figure out how to format the photos in a different way… but below are Itsukushima, the Chef d’Oeuvre and Cypher Cafe gigs…

After Hiroshima and Wakayama, I headed off to Kyoto. As you can see in the previous posts, the Daigoji temple is breathtaking. That same weekend, I visited the lovely Shinnyo-en Yuon Sanctuary, and the Toji Temple where I had a conversation with one of Kukai’s Buddha statues (ask me about it sometime…). Later that week, after celebrating a memorable birthday at the Byodoin Temple with Kumi, I went to Osaka to perform with several wonderful improvising musicians. We all had a great time, and I look forward to keeping in touch with the Osaka free improvising scene…

All the Chef d’oeuvre photos were taken by Jerry Gordon, who played the following night at Cypher Cafe. Those photos were taken by my lovely new friends Pier Gajewski and Carole Sionnet. It was a memorably cozy and extremely diverse evening! And the food was 100% organic and vegetarian…a very unusual find here in Japan and much appreciated…

more photos and soon some audio clips from my Yokohama performance with Marcos Fernandez and mori-shige coming up…as well as SAKURA blossoms in Tokyo… there’s just so much to share with you…