https://rafu.com/ja/2022/05/wonen-of-the-year-05-26-22/
2022年度「ウイメン・オブ・ザ・イヤー」受賞
羅府新報 05/26/2022
南加日系社会の発展に寄与する女性を顕彰する2022年度「ウイメン・オブ・ザ・イヤー」賞の授賞式がこのほど、モンテベロのクワイエット・キャノンで開かれた。粟屋陽子さんと西元美代子さんが受賞した。２人は栄えある賞を励みにより一層の社会貢献を誓った。
同賞は１９６３年に始まり、南加日系婦人会と日系市民協会（ＪＡＣＬ）ロサンゼルス・ダウンタウン支部が毎年選出し、共同で受賞式を催している。
粟屋さんは箏楽の普及に尽力し、米国での５５年間の活動を通して２千回を超える公演を行ってきた。後進を育てるとともに、日米の交流に寄与したことが評価された。西元さんは、日系社会のさまざまな団体に属して奉仕活動に励むその社会貢献に対する献身が認められ受賞となった。
授賞式では約１６０人が見守り、２人の経歴や逸話などが紹介されるたびに、拍手と歓声が沸き起こった。
粟屋さんが受賞者を代表し、日英両語で謝辞を述べた。名誉ある賞の受賞について「支えてくれた大勢の人々のおかげ」と感謝し、「自分１人の賞でない」と強調した。
「美しい音色」に魅せられ
粟屋さん、６５年の箏人生
初めて聴いた「美しい音色」に少女の心は奪われた。１３歳だった粟屋さんは、それまで見たことがなかった爪をはめて座って弾く箏のユニークさにも胸を躍らせ、先生を探した。「本当に箏が好きなので、毎日毎日弾いた」。そのキャリアは日本で１０年、米国で５５年を数える。「演奏を休むことはほとんどなかった。６５年間で休んだのは出産後の３カ月ほどだけ」と胸を張る。上達のコツは「箏を好きになり、コツコツと練習すること。一歩一歩を大切にして、積み重ねること」と、自身が歩んできた道のりを紹介するように語る。
受賞者を代表し謝辞を述べる粟屋さん
演奏活動で各所を回り、年５０回以上も舞台に立ったことがある。公演の総数は２千回を超える。２、３年おきに大きなコンサートを開いており、２千人収容の会場で過去に１０回催したことを誇りとする。
「箏の音色はすばらしい。日本の伝統文化、伝統音楽を広めたい。１人でも多くの人に箏の良さを知ってもらいたい」と意欲を示し、演奏会では古典の箏楽の他にピアノ曲やクラシック曲、米国人になじみのある人気映画のテーマ曲などの洋楽も取り入れる。「古い伝統も大切だが、新しいものを取り入れて開拓することも大切。世界が変わるにつれ音楽も変わっていくので、チャレンジした」と、時代に合わせて選曲してきたことを強調する。
南カリフォルニアに暮らす喜びを「海外で最も日本文化が栄えているから」と、独特の表現で話す。「日本人がいて日系社会、日本語学校があり、日本文化を伝える人、また、受け継ぐ人がいる。鑑賞する人は誰もが日本文化に敬意を払っている。いい環境がそろっている」と笑顔で話す。「日本文化は外に出さないと意味がない」と力を込め、日米の懸け橋役を担ってきた自信を示す。
これまでの箏人生は「人生の旅であり、自分との闘いでもある」と振り返る。「日本にいた時から常に優しい、良い先生方に恵まれ、ポジティブな気持ちを持つことができた」と感謝に堪えない様子で語る。渡米後は工藤かずゑ師に師事し、芸を磨いた。独立して「粟屋陽子箏曲学院」を設立した後は、師匠から継いだ「優しい先生」を実践し、弟子の育成に努めてきた。「教えるのも楽しみ」と話す粟谷さんの「自分との闘い」は、これからも終わることはない。
Koto, My Lifelong Friend
by Yoko Awaya
When I was in junior high school, I sometimes heard the sound of koto from a neighbor's house. One day, I met the person who was playing at the house, and she let me in to listen to her music. She was sitting gracefully in front of the koto, which had 13 strings made of silk, with ivory nails on the thumb, index and middle fingers of his right hand. “Kororinshan” is a typical onomatopoeic expression unique to the Japanese language in the description of the sound of Koto. I was also fascinated by the Kororinshan sound she made playing the koto and her elegant posture, which made me want to learn how to play the instrument myself.
Later, I found a wonderful teacher who taught me - with joy and occasionally with strictness. After 10 years of study, I obtained a teaching degree from the Miyagi-Soke of the Ikuta-Ryu school in Tokyo.
In January 1965, I moved to Los Angeles to start a new life with my Japanese-American husband, with two kotos and a sangen (three-stringed instrument) in hand, along with my household goods. After a while, I met Kazue Kudo sensei, the head of the Kudo Kai, who was from the same school and I studied under her. I was very much impressed by how happy those Issei, Japanese-Americans, and non-Japanese Americans were, playing kotos together, and I still remember the feeling - a sense of relief as well as surprise at the bright world of koto music in Los Angeles, far away from its birthplace..
While I was learning from Kudo-sensei, I was given many opportunities to play the instrument at various venues, included recordings for Hollywood movie music and Walt Disney World. I learned a lot from each opportunity, and I was able to join Musician Union. Being a member of this union opened a new door for me to receive various gigs from American entertainment agencies to play the koto.
I have some memorable experiences with American movies such as "The Last Samurai" (original title: The Challenge) starring Toshiro Mifune, and "SF Sword Kill" (original title: Ghost Warrior) starring Hiroshi Fujioka, in which I performed with a large orchestra and was joined by Kaz Matsui, a shakuhachi player and harpist who was very active at the time, as a soloist. I remember that the music score wasn’t given to us until the very day of the performance, which was not even proper koto notation but staff notion, and we needed to transpose it into koto notation on the spot. We also performed several times at the Grammy Award winners' celebration party.
Music is an expression of the human mind. Just as history has changed and the world has changed, all the music, including the traditional Japanese music "Sou-kyoku", has gradually changed according to the flow of the later era. "Awaya-kai" and I, at the point of contact between Japan and overseas, have also endeavored to popularize Japanese music so that Japanese and American society can enjoy it.
As a bridge between Japan and the U.S., we have collaborated with various instrument players from around the world, including the Japanese shakuhachi and taiko drums, and have introduced many pieces that attempt a fusion of Japanese and Western musical instruments. Thanks to the support of many people involved, we were able to hold our annual Awaiyakai concerts featuring Baroque music played on the koto with our students, their families, and supporting performers.
The koto is a beautiful and versatile instrument that has developed so much in recent years that it can be used to play various world music including not only western classical music by Bach, Mozart, and others, but also ethnic music as well as jazz and even Japanese animation music, as the koto ideally maintains the sound that people are looking for. We hope that as many people as possible will continue to enjoy listening to and playing the koto."
2022年度「ウイメン・オブ・ザ・イヤー」受賞
羅府新報 05/26/2022
南加日系社会の発展に寄与する女性を顕彰する2022年度「ウイメン・オブ・ザ・イヤー」賞の授賞式がこのほど、モンテベロのクワイエット・キャノンで開かれた。粟屋陽子さんと西元美代子さんが受賞した。２人は栄えある賞を励みにより一層の社会貢献を誓った。
同賞は１９６３年に始まり、南加日系婦人会と日系市民協会（ＪＡＣＬ）ロサンゼルス・ダウンタウン支部が毎年選出し、共同で受賞式を催している。
粟屋さんは箏楽の普及に尽力し、米国での５５年間の活動を通して２千回を超える公演を行ってきた。後進を育てるとともに、日米の交流に寄与したことが評価された。西元さんは、日系社会のさまざまな団体に属して奉仕活動に励むその社会貢献に対する献身が認められ受賞となった。
授賞式では約１６０人が見守り、２人の経歴や逸話などが紹介されるたびに、拍手と歓声が沸き起こった。
粟屋さんが受賞者を代表し、日英両語で謝辞を述べた。名誉ある賞の受賞について「支えてくれた大勢の人々のおかげ」と感謝し、「自分１人の賞でない」と強調した。
「美しい音色」に魅せられ
粟屋さん、６５年の箏人生
初めて聴いた「美しい音色」に少女の心は奪われた。１３歳だった粟屋さんは、それまで見たことがなかった爪をはめて座って弾く箏のユニークさにも胸を躍らせ、先生を探した。「本当に箏が好きなので、毎日毎日弾いた」。そのキャリアは日本で１０年、米国で５５年を数える。「演奏を休むことはほとんどなかった。６５年間で休んだのは出産後の３カ月ほどだけ」と胸を張る。上達のコツは「箏を好きになり、コツコツと練習すること。一歩一歩を大切にして、積み重ねること」と、自身が歩んできた道のりを紹介するように語る。
受賞者を代表し謝辞を述べる粟屋さん
演奏活動で各所を回り、年５０回以上も舞台に立ったことがある。公演の総数は２千回を超える。２、３年おきに大きなコンサートを開いており、２千人収容の会場で過去に１０回催したことを誇りとする。
「箏の音色はすばらしい。日本の伝統文化、伝統音楽を広めたい。１人でも多くの人に箏の良さを知ってもらいたい」と意欲を示し、演奏会では古典の箏楽の他にピアノ曲やクラシック曲、米国人になじみのある人気映画のテーマ曲などの洋楽も取り入れる。「古い伝統も大切だが、新しいものを取り入れて開拓することも大切。世界が変わるにつれ音楽も変わっていくので、チャレンジした」と、時代に合わせて選曲してきたことを強調する。
南カリフォルニアに暮らす喜びを「海外で最も日本文化が栄えているから」と、独特の表現で話す。「日本人がいて日系社会、日本語学校があり、日本文化を伝える人、また、受け継ぐ人がいる。鑑賞する人は誰もが日本文化に敬意を払っている。いい環境がそろっている」と笑顔で話す。「日本文化は外に出さないと意味がない」と力を込め、日米の懸け橋役を担ってきた自信を示す。
これまでの箏人生は「人生の旅であり、自分との闘いでもある」と振り返る。「日本にいた時から常に優しい、良い先生方に恵まれ、ポジティブな気持ちを持つことができた」と感謝に堪えない様子で語る。渡米後は工藤かずゑ師に師事し、芸を磨いた。独立して「粟屋陽子箏曲学院」を設立した後は、師匠から継いだ「優しい先生」を実践し、弟子の育成に努めてきた。「教えるのも楽しみ」と話す粟谷さんの「自分との闘い」は、これからも終わることはない。
Koto, My Lifelong Friend
by Yoko Awaya
When I was in junior high school, I sometimes heard the sound of koto from a neighbor's house. One day, I met the person who was playing at the house, and she let me in to listen to her music. She was sitting gracefully in front of the koto, which had 13 strings made of silk, with ivory nails on the thumb, index and middle fingers of his right hand. “Kororinshan” is a typical onomatopoeic expression unique to the Japanese language in the description of the sound of Koto. I was also fascinated by the Kororinshan sound she made playing the koto and her elegant posture, which made me want to learn how to play the instrument myself.
Later, I found a wonderful teacher who taught me - with joy and occasionally with strictness. After 10 years of study, I obtained a teaching degree from the Miyagi-Soke of the Ikuta-Ryu school in Tokyo.
In January 1965, I moved to Los Angeles to start a new life with my Japanese-American husband, with two kotos and a sangen (three-stringed instrument) in hand, along with my household goods. After a while, I met Kazue Kudo sensei, the head of the Kudo Kai, who was from the same school and I studied under her. I was very much impressed by how happy those Issei, Japanese-Americans, and non-Japanese Americans were, playing kotos together, and I still remember the feeling - a sense of relief as well as surprise at the bright world of koto music in Los Angeles, far away from its birthplace..
While I was learning from Kudo-sensei, I was given many opportunities to play the instrument at various venues, included recordings for Hollywood movie music and Walt Disney World. I learned a lot from each opportunity, and I was able to join Musician Union. Being a member of this union opened a new door for me to receive various gigs from American entertainment agencies to play the koto.
I have some memorable experiences with American movies such as "The Last Samurai" (original title: The Challenge) starring Toshiro Mifune, and "SF Sword Kill" (original title: Ghost Warrior) starring Hiroshi Fujioka, in which I performed with a large orchestra and was joined by Kaz Matsui, a shakuhachi player and harpist who was very active at the time, as a soloist. I remember that the music score wasn’t given to us until the very day of the performance, which was not even proper koto notation but staff notion, and we needed to transpose it into koto notation on the spot. We also performed several times at the Grammy Award winners' celebration party.
Music is an expression of the human mind. Just as history has changed and the world has changed, all the music, including the traditional Japanese music "Sou-kyoku", has gradually changed according to the flow of the later era. "Awaya-kai" and I, at the point of contact between Japan and overseas, have also endeavored to popularize Japanese music so that Japanese and American society can enjoy it.
As a bridge between Japan and the U.S., we have collaborated with various instrument players from around the world, including the Japanese shakuhachi and taiko drums, and have introduced many pieces that attempt a fusion of Japanese and Western musical instruments. Thanks to the support of many people involved, we were able to hold our annual Awaiyakai concerts featuring Baroque music played on the koto with our students, their families, and supporting performers.
The koto is a beautiful and versatile instrument that has developed so much in recent years that it can be used to play various world music including not only western classical music by Bach, Mozart, and others, but also ethnic music as well as jazz and even Japanese animation music, as the koto ideally maintains the sound that people are looking for. We hope that as many people as possible will continue to enjoy listening to and playing the koto."
