Sensei Grealy’s Taiko Tour 2015
Hi All,
Here is the official blog of Mr.Grealy’s Taiko tour. When I last toured in Europe, tumblr didn’t exist, the idea of immediately documenting an event like this was not widely accessible, therefore I have not kept up with the times and done anything like this, but I will make entries as often as I can.
Some of you may not know I had a professional music career before arriving at the wonderful community of Stratford Hall and in my first year at Stratford I had committed to a tour in Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany, which coincidentally was around the same (October to November) as this one. I didn’t participate in anymore touring after that; I decided to devote my time to teaching, but recently Uzume Taiko (the taiko group I played with for many years and my friends) asked if I would like to participate in another tour. It’s now ten years later and I thought; It’s physically demanding, can I still keep up? How many more times will I have an opportunity like this? I should do it, but I wonder if I’ll be able to take time away from my work.
I value my place at Stratford Hall, we have such a supportive community, from parents to students to staff. When I asked Dr. McConnell for leave to go on this tour he was completely behind it. He understood performing would refresh my teaching with new insight and re-energize my practice. I spoke with Ms. Bartsch and Mr. Smith as well, they were both supportive and understanding. My colleague Ms. Best is providing the most support by taking over my classes while I’m gone. I am grateful to everyone who is helping to make this tour a reality. The quote, “it takes a village to raise a child” we all know is true but “it takes a village to support our dreams” is also true. We need friends and family who support our dreams and help us attain them. We are all part of the Stratford Hall Village and it remains healthy because we support one another within this environment. I leave this Monday, Sept 29 and will track my progress on twitter. @SenseiGrealy
