Music as a Global Resource: - International Council for Caring ...

SECTIONS:
Music for Sustainable Community Development
Music for Working With Trauma Survivors
COUNTRY:
Japan
PROJECT:
BIG BAND FOR PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES: COMMUON
DESCRIPTION:
The not-for-profit Organization to Promote Community Music Therapy (Commuon), located in
Sedai City, has two missions. One is to encourage the public to enjoy music more and the other is
to provide the opportunity for people with and without disability to play music together.
In Japan, opportunities to make music and enjoy live music performances are extremely limited.
The general public rarely has an opportunity to experience interactive musical relationships. It
seems that Japanese people enjoy music only through CDs and in concert halls, where most
performances are of a very high quality and by professional artists. Such experiences tend to
establish a distance between the performers and the audience.
Commuon‘s primary objective is to bring music back to the general public, with the philosophy
that playing and enjoying music is universal. To address this issue, ―Commuon the Big Band‖
was formed in which both disabled and non-disabled people would participate by playing musical
instruments they like, or by singing. ―Commuon the Big Band‖ consists of about 30 members
with various levels of musical skills from total beginners to professional musicians.
In the course of the band‘s activities, various interesting musical interactions have developed
among the members. Not only is it possible for members with various levels of musical skills to
perform together, the cohesion of the ensemble is improved. Having members with disabilities
does not lower the quality of music. On the contrary, it enhances the quality of music through
their responsiveness and ―prefixed-idea-free‖ expression in improvisation making the sound
unique. All of these are achieved through careful preparations and arrangements by the music
therapist who is knowledgeable in music and disabilities as well as skilled in conducting and
leading musical ensembles.
Since its formation in July 2007, ―Commuon the Big Band‖ has participated in community
musical events and hosted its own event in September 2009. Commuon is preparing to launch the
―Commuon the Big Band II‖ with a new director who has performed as the main pianist in the
first Commuon the Big Band. In doing so, the expanded initiative will promote the same kind of
musical interactions with other members in the community.
CURRENT STATUS:
The Japan Earthquake happened on Friday, March 11 th 2011. It was the most powerful earthquake
ever measured in Japan, breaching a 9.0 magnitude. More than 27,000 are dead and missing. The
maximum height of the tsunami was 38.9 meters (127 ft.) and the inundated area is about 561
square kilometers. A total of six prefectures on the Pacific coast of eastern Japan have been
affected: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki and Chiba. The tsunami has also destroyed
the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Three prefectures in the Tohoku (North-Eastern)
region of Japan, Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima, have been most seriously devastated.
The earthquake devastated the towns and cities where the Commuon activities take place. All
members of the Commuon Big Band have been impacted. Some members received tremendous
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