Victory Interview Part 2: Section Leaders of the brass instruments

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Text and pictures by Rei’ichirō Fukuno (Wikipedia)

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この記事は京都橘中学校・高等学校と同高校吹奏楽部のご理解とご協力により実現しました。諸外国の方々と日本との友好親善を目的として、英文での掲載・公開を条件に、吹奏楽部の生徒のみなさん、校長先生、顧問の兼城 裕先生など学校関係者の方々にご承諾をいただいております。その趣旨と経緯をご理解いただき、大変申し訳ありませんが、記事内容の全文和訳転記や写真転載は何卒ご遠慮ください。またGoogle、DeepLなどの翻訳ソフトを使った自動翻訳文は意味やニュアンスが原文とは大きく異なることがあるため、自動翻訳文の内容に関しては著述責任の範囲外とします。英文著述の版権は著者に帰属します。インタビューと原稿と写真：福野礼一郎

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Part 1 of this interview is here and Part 3 here.

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About this interview:

This is Part 2 of an interview that was conducted on November 27-28, 2021, this part took place on the morning of Sunday 28th. It had only been one week since they had earned the Gold award for the AJBA Marching Contest, however they were already looking ahead to and had begun training for the Toyooka City concert and the Nagoya City concert on November 19th. Kaneshiro-sensei had expected each member to practice independently following the days after the contest, however it became clear during their Saturday afternoon practice that they were not at a level that he could be satisfied with. This was quite the cause for concern. This is because the school would begin its two-week mock exams period from Monday 29th, November, and thus the bukatsu would be put on hold until the afternoon of Friday, the 10th of December. So in reality they only had one week to practice until the concert.

And so Kaneshiro-sensei will be guiding and training everyone during the two days I had planned for the interviews, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th. Of course Kaneshiro-sensei will coach individuals who have solo parts, but usually each instrument team will have and practice their own parts, and most of the sensei’s coaching will go towards instrument teams (also called Parts at KT). If one part during a song in the concert doesn’t sound right because one team is not performing as well as they should, then Kaneshiro-sensei will listen carefully to find out which team it is and ask that that team practices until it is of an appropriate standard. Kaneshiro-sensei is usually very kind, however they are very conscious when it comes to music and will not make any compromises for this concert.

Once Kaneshiro-sensei saw me he paused the training session, walked over to me, and said this. “Fukuno-san, as you can see we’re in a bit of a bind, but nevertheless, I will give you one student to interview at a time while the rest practice. Children grow and develop by talking and interacting with a variety of different people. So your interview with them is just as important as their performance. Thank you for giving them this opportunity. I’m counting on you.”

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Part leader of the Trombone team:
Pollon （ポロん）
Instrument in charge：Trombone
Origin of the nickname：Apollo (name of chocolate)＋n from her real name.
Position at the Beppu Parade：left end of the front of the line
(third in the last row in the concert of Toyooka）

The KT trombone team, who are always found in the back row during concert performances and spearhead the front during marching parades, have had many impressive individuals over the years. The 2015 National Gold’s Drum Major Cony was a trombone player, as was 2020’s Drum Major Makko. The next Drum Major will also be a trombone player.

Standing out with their almond-shaped eyes, Pollon is the leader of the 118th trombone team. During the Beppu parade she wore white cat ears and was positioned out in front of the left side. Her sharp movements and dance moves drew quite the attention from onlookers.

ー    Hello. You really stood out when you were out front in Beppu!
Pollon    Really? It was my first time dressing up for a parade so I was worried that something might happen to the ears while performing.
ー    Some member’s shoes started flying about the place, were yours okay?
Pollon    Yup, they were fine!
ー    Can you tell me about that morning’s costume party?
Pollon    My friend and I went as zombies, I even got an award.
ー    Is this zombie you? (shows Instagram). Hahahaha, that’s quite the costume. Even your face is covered in blood.
Pollon    Even the clothes are homemade. After it finished I had to quickly wash my face, change clothes, and go to the parade.
ー    It looks like you had a lot of fun then.
Pollon    We weren’t able to go on any 2nd year tour and field trips, so I’m really thankful we were able to go to Beppu.
ー    Before this interview I actually did some research and went on YouTube to look at the trombone “aru-aru”.

“aru-aru” is a trending Japanese phrase meaning: “Things that often happen in a specific field that people who are not experts in that field will probably not know about”. “aru-aru” is a stronger version of the Japanese phrase “Yoku aru dekigoto”. For example, an “aru-aru” for our Fan Corner might be when “Two people post a new KT video URL and the person who was slightly slower apologizes even though it isn’t necessary.”

ー    Could the following statements be considered trombone aru-aru? A: Being surprised that your breath goes nowhere because you tried playing while the slide was locked. B: The slide hits the sheet music or person in front of you. C: Unconsciously sliding your arm back and forth when you’re reading sheet music (haha). D: Playing with the bell up and the potential danger of the water flowing back down, etc.
Pollon    Yeah! They are all aru-aru. Even when we are paying attention (whether practicing in a classroom or in a concert arena, the trombone team sits lined up at the back slightly higher than everyone else) sometimes we do end up hitting the person in front of us with the end of the slide’s ferrule. Also when it comes to trombone aru-aru, when we dance while playing Sing3 our instruments will bend sometimes.
ー    Which part bends?
Pollon    (While standing with a trombone she let it rest on her left shoulder) To make sure the sound is consistent and clear while dancing you have to really put some power into your left hand and hold it firmly into your body. For that reason this part (near the F lever) bends slightly. Sliding becomes harder after that, and I’ve had to get it repaired a number of times. Everything feels fine once it’s repaired.
ー    That’s probably because trombones weren’t made to be used while swinging and dancing around (haha). There are some people, like trumpet players, who use one just for marching and the other for concerts.
Pollon    Everyone in the trombone team currently uses one for both occasions.
ー    When did you start playing the trombone?
Pollon    I started during my first year of middle school. I thought about joining the wind music club, and I tried a bunch of different instruments during the club’s trial period, but I just thought that the trombone was the coolest.
ー    Did you see any competitions during middle school?
Pollon    Yes I participated in a concert band. But that school didn’t do any marching stuff. When I went to KT’s open campus I saw them perform Sing3 and thought ‘I want to do that!’, and so I did my best to enter KT.
ー    The middle school you attended was in Hirakata City (in the north-east of the Osaka prefecture), do you still travel to school from there?
Pollon    Yes. It takes over an hour to get to school. When I oversleep I get my mom to drive me.

Looking at Google Maps you can see that a direct line between her old middle school and KT is about 14km. It would only take about 20 minutes by car to get there, but taking the train and walking is considerably longer, and taking into account transfers it does seem like it would take about 1 hour and 15-30 minutes.

ー    After winning Gold in the Nationals it would seem that all of your hardships and hard work paid off. As the leader of the trombone team, what have you and the other members been working towards this past year?
Pollon    We’re constantly thinking about our sound, and making sure they we absolutely play in a sloppy manner (trombone steps aren’t made up of keys but are determined by seven different places you can freely move the slide, and so it can be easy to mess up the sound if you’re not paying attention). It’s about playing each note one-by-one as cleanly as possible, and putting your soul into each breath!
ー    When the fanfare was played at the beginning of the marching contest I saw you playing the first note alongside the trumpet group. You could really tell you were putting your entire being into it. I was really moved by such an incredible performance.
Pollon    Thank you! I knew that the Ōsaka-jō Hall was going to be “Big” so I thought that “I have to blow my hardest for the Nationals”, but Kaneshiro-sensei warned me that “If you blow too hard then you’ll overpower the other instruments, so just play like you always do”, and so I tried to play calmly like I always do.
ー    Can you tell me about your plans for when you retire or graduate?
Pollon    I plan to go to Kyoto Tachibana University and study early childcare. It would be nice to involve myself with music while I’m there, but I’m still not sure if I’ll join their brass club or not.
ー    The idea of a nursery school or kindergarten teacher being able to play the trombone is pretty cool! Thank you very much.

Pollon held up her trombone and began explaining. While performing Sing Sing Sing she holds her trombone with her left hand and pushes it firmly into her body, as a result the part around where she holds it with her left hand is bent and makes sliding more difficult.

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Part leader of the Trumpet team:
Taradon（タラどん）
Instrument in charge：Trumpet
Origin of the nickname：Tara- from the name of the chocolate by Yotchan Foods (「タラタラしてんじゃねーよ」）＋ -don from udon noodles
Position at the Beppu Parade：absence due to university exams
(one of the eight members of the Kyoto Qualification for the All-Japan Ensemble Contest held on January 6, 2022）

There are 5 trumpet players in the 118th team, 6 in the 119th, and 5 in the 120th. It is the biggest faction in KT. There were a few members who switched to horns after entering this faction, so originally there were over 20 hopeful trumpet players. During the Beppu parade march there were actually few trumpet players. Because 119th Taradon and Mafy didn’t participate, one member from the 119th was also tasked with being a Color Guard from 2021, and 2 members from 119th were banner bearer, one member from the 120th held the school’s namecard at the front, and 2 members from the 120th were tasked with support.

Taradon is the leader of this large group of trumpet players. At the All-Japan Ensemble Contest Kyoto Qualification held on January 6, 2022, she participated as one of three trumpet players along with 118th’s Kiropy and students of the 119th. (the tuba was played by the club president Su-chi, trombone was played by 118th’s Yadoco, 119th’s next DM, and a student of the 120th. And there was the horn leader Piron.)

ー    Is the trumpet section popular because Kaneshiro-sensei is a trumpet player?
Taradon    No, I think many people only find out that sensei is a trumpet player after entering the club. They play the melody and the instrument stands out so I think that it has always been popular, there are a lot of trumpet players in other schools, but yeah, our school in particular has quite a high ratio.
ー    Some people join because they think “I want to dance while wearing that orange” so perhaps it also attracts people who just “enjoy standing out”. What about you?
Taradon    I’ve always wanted to enter KT and be cool like them after I saw “Waratte-koraete!” in elementary school.
ー    Is that the series where Horacha-senpai of the 108th was in?
Taradon    That’s right! (that program was on air in 2011, which would mean she would have been a 2nd year when she watched that series). Even in middle school I entered the brass club and played the trumpet. The trumpet I use now (Yamaha) was the one that I received in middle school.
ー    You didn’t participate in the Beppu parade correct?
Taradon    I had a written exam for a university in another prefecture, so after I performed in the Kyoto Marching Contest I didn’t participate in the Blumen Hügel, Cultural Festival, Daigomeets, or Beppu so I could focus on studying. Many of us enter universities through recommendations so there are very few of us who take breaks from the club, so I was quite worried, but after talking with my parents, sensei, and friends I was able to make up my mind.
ー    But you were able to play in the Nationals right?
Taradon    Yes. I performed then.
ー    And because you’re the part leader you’re unable to take a break without your team’s consent right?
Taradon    I was able to make them understand while I apologized to them.
ー    I guess you could call that your bukatsu reformation. Getting the cooperation and understanding of your team, taking a partial break from bukatsu and following your own path, that truly is a wonderful thing. Life isn’t for bukatsu, bukatsu is for your life. Were you successful with the university exam?
Taradon    Yes, I passed (from April she will be living alone and going to a university in the Tokyo suburbs. Her goal is to obtain a nurse qualification).
ー    After taking the break how was it going back to performing in the Nationals?
Taradon    I thought I would be pretty nervous, but I was really surprised at how I was able to stay calm while I played and performed. But if I try to look back at it now (it had only been one week ago at the time this interview was taken) I can’t remember it at all. Maybe I can’t remember because I had too much adrenaline in me.
ー    As expected of someone who wants to become a nurse. But it’s incredible you were able to get through that fight-or-flight situation (adrenaline is an animal-like hormone that is produced by a fight-or-flight response). When did you learn that you had won Gold?
Taradon    I was with my family. Mom was on the homepage of AJBA, dad was on the Asahi Newspaper site, and I was looking on Twitter, I was the first to find out. I was really happy. But my parents were even happier, they cried a lot.
ー    I understand the feeling. It was because your parents had supported you for the longest time. I want to talk a bit about trumpets now, what role do you have in the band?
Taradon    We mostly play the melody, but sometimes I’m in charge of chords and play the rhythm.
ー    What are you conscious of when you are guiding the others as the leader?
Taradon    There are a lot of things that I can’t convey through words, so sometimes I’ll play an incorrect example and then I’ll play the real version and tell them “And this way sounds better.” and give them specific advice that way.
ー    Are there any things you look out for or any problems that frequently occur during whole-team trumpet performances?
Taradon    There are 16 people in the team, and so if each person just plays at their own pace then we’re not going to harmonize with each other. So if everyone plays well together then we actually get a really good sound to come out. The first sounds and the rhythm are also important of course, but the most important thing is the sound that we make as a team.
ー    So in order to make a good sound, each person has to play nice and properly?
Taradon    That’s right. Trumpet sounds travel far and so any mistakes easily stand out, so sometimes we can get scared and try to hide by not playing anything.
ー    I think I understand what you mean.
Taradon    If someone does that then the passive sound it creates won’t harmonize with everyone else and makes it stand out even more. If that happens then sensei will catch them. (there is a saying that’s generally used in Japan for Wind Music Clubs called “Caught by sensei” when a certain instrument team needs special coaching by sensei and thus causes trouble for everyone else). After being caught they will practice over and over again, and often it turns out that the problem was because someone was playing very passively.
ー    Oh I see. Even though there are a lot of people that doesn’t mean you can run and hide.
Taradon    Yes. Hiding and pretending to play happens a lot on trumpet sections. But it’s something that you must never do.
ー    From April you will be tasked with organizing the 119th team, do you have anything you would like to say to your kohai?
Taradon    Of course I want to see them win Gold in the Nationals Marching Contest, but I also want them to do their best for the All-Japan Band Competition. We weren’t able to achieve what we wanted before, so now I want to see them move on to the Kansai.
ー    You said that the results of Omder were quite regrettable. And that there was a “response”.
Taradon    Yes. There was a response. But I bet we were just lacking something that the other schools had.
ー    That sounds like quite an interesting story. Thank you very much Taradon-san.

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Part leader of the Flute team:
Rapre（ラプレ）
Instrument in charge：Flute
Origin of the nickname：Rapunzel of Tangled ＋ renkon (=lotus root)
Position at the Beppu Parade：second row from the end of the line, far right.
(solo performance of “Prelude to Act 3” of “Carmen” at the concert in Toyooka）

The fife originated in central Asia around the 9th century BC, and had already found its way to Japan by the Nara period (A.D. 710-794). However it was not used in Western music until the 16th century, and in the latter half of the 17th century Jacques-Martin Hotteterre improved it and it became an end-blown flute. The Boehm system style flute, where all the keys are opened by default, was made in 1847 by the German Theobald Böhm. Due to the development of being able to produce sound by blowing into the mouthpiece without a reed (there are two physical factors of vibration, the Kármán vortex street and the internal pressure repetition theory) it was now classified as a woodwind instrument. Due to the timing of the interview, this part was also undertaken in addition to the leaders of the brass instruments.

Rapre is a quiet flute player with an elegant air around her. When the interview was taken in March, she and Choppy (chocolate+Snoopy), another member of the 118th, were practicing in the cramp dressing room. When I asked if it was okay to take a video she gave a slight nod. After that she changed the sheet and they played “Belle“, the beginning of “Beauty and the Beast“, part that starts after the shout “Bonjour” and followed by the line: “There goes the baker with his tray like always”!

Click picture to watch video

It’s hard to forget the beautiful and crystal clear tone I heard that day. It would be nice if that video could be released one day, but unfortunately you can see the orange, blue, red, white, and happi-coat uniforms of all of the members in the background, so it will probably never be allowed to be released.

ー    A flute’s tone is elegant, but so is the figure of the person when they are playing it. At KT you often swing your instruments around a lot when you’re marching and dancing!
Rapre    Yes. If you greatly change the angle at which you hold the flute then it can look very dynamic in its movements. The angles of the instruments are predetermined.
ー    What really stood out to me was the choreography of the beginning part of “Fireball” where you wave the flute while moving forward. …But I don’t believe you guys play that song, correct?
Rapre    No, we played “Fireball” at Tachibana-sai! (a performance by the 118th on the school ground’s special stage held on September 12th, the day before the AJBA Marching Contest Kyoto Qualification).
ー    Are you playing the flute when you are walking and swinging the flute around?
Rapre    Yes!
ー    Theobald Böhm’s eyes would pop out of his head if he saw that. He would probably say “It wasn’t made to be played like that!”
Rapre    Hahaha.
ー    Has your instrument ever broken by doing crazy movements while marching?
Rapre    Yes. When we were doing “移動ステップ” (＝”Mobile Step”, a unique KT set of fast foot movements while marching to Sing３) I was walking while swinging the flute around a lot, that was when I held the keys too tightly and bent them. Also the foot joint has flown off before.
ー    I feel bad for the flute.
Rapre    So when I became a first-year high school I bought Pearl flutes for marching.
ー    Do you use a different one for concert performances? The beautiful instrument you use while sitting is a Muramatsu right?
Rapre    That’s right.
ー    So why did you start playing the flute?
Rapre    At first I wanted to play the alto sax, and during my first year of middle school I auditioned for the wind music club, but since I was able to get a good sound out of the flute. So senpai told me “What if you tried learning the flute.”
ー    Usually it’s quite difficult to get a good sound out of the flute.
Rapre    Yes. The angle you have to blow at is a little strange, so usually you will have people who can immediately get a good sound and those who can’t.
ー    You went to a middle school that was about 6km away from KT right? What made you want to join KT?
Rapre    During my second year in middle school I saw the Sakura Parade where they performed Sing3 in front of the Kyoto City government office and I was really blown away by it. Of course I also wanted to wear the orange, and since then I wanted to join KT. (the performance she saw took place in 2017 where the 114th team did a marching parade and the main song was “Happy“)
ー    And finally you were able to perform in a marching parade at Beppu when you were a third year!
Rapre    Not exactly, I was taking university entrance exams for about 2 months, and during that time I took a break from bukatsu. But I really wanted to take part in the marching contest and so I took part in their practice sessions. And so while I did go to Beppu for the marching contest and was there for the stage marching, during the parade itself I wore the orange but only as a support member.
ー    There were support members who were wearing black sports outfits (club duty members) and members who were wearing orange.
Rapre    That’s right. After that I had a stage performance so I wore orange.
ー    By the way, what did you wear for the costume contest before that?
Rapre    My 118th friend Choppy and I wore cat ears and sailor uniforms.
ー    Did you buy those things?
Rapre    We bought costume ones.
ー    How were your university entrance exams.
Rapre    I passed (she will study in a music department in a private university in Kyoto City.).
ー    And you also got Gold in the Marching Contest, a double win! Amazing. So it seems like an aru-aru of flutes is “Shoulder stiffness”.
Rapre    Hahaha. That was definitely me at first. My shoulders were very stiff. I’m used to it now though.
ー    You’re the flute team leader, are there any things you’re conscious about when it comes to flute performances this year in KT?
Rapre    Well we don’t have many members (2 in 118th, 2 in 119th, and 2 in 120th) so we’re going to naturally lack volume. So it’s important that each person produces a loud and proper sound. During my first year we focused on practicing marching movements, and so we were trying to match our music to our movements. But now we’re focusing on our performances, and so now we’re trying to match our movements to our music.
ー    After watching your concert performances and stage marches, I feel like you could call that training regime a success. Your concert performances had significantly improved, and you couldn’t see any drop in quality for your marching performances. You had a solo for Toyooka and Nagoya (she provided a wonderful solo during the beginning of “Prelude to Act 3”, the 5th song in their musical program “Carmen“). At university are going to continue to improve your flute skills and aim to become a professional flute player?
Rapre    Either a professional player or a music teacher. I didn’t feel that way when I first entered high school, but after I became a third year and had to train really hard for my performances I just began to like the flute even more.
ー    I hope you do your best. You have a lot of people rooting for you.

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Part leader of the French Horn team:
Piron（ピロン🎈）
Instrument in charge：French Horn
Origin of the nickname：pink＋macaron
Position at the Beppu Parade：4th row, far left.
(the center of the Horn at Toyooka)

Piron also went to Uji JHS. She spent her three middle school years playing her beloved horn in concerts and marching performances, she has also been to Ōsaka-jō Hall (AJBA Marching Contest National Finals) three times and has won gold twice. This marks the third time she has won gold.

ー    Hello. When I came in March I was able to record a video of you and two others practicing in a classroom.
Piron    Yup! There were only three of us back then, but it would be pretty bad if there were only three horn players for concert and Marching Contest, and so we asked some 119th and 120th trumpet players “Would you like to play the horn?” and now we have nine members (2 in 118th, 4 in 119th, and 3 in 120th).
ー    And did those members who switch use the school’s horns?
Piron    Yes. The school has five horns they could use.
ー    And so you recruited five new members then. I’ve never seen a horn up close before, do you find if I take a look? (the horn she uses for concerts is a Hans Hoyer double horn 801MAL). Wow, it’s so pretty. It’s like looking at a jewel. This is truly a sight to behold!
Piron    And here (the rotary valves round plate) is a decorative carving.
ー    It’s true! What a delicate machine. Despite having layers of thin pipes all twisting and wrapping around it it can still have such a huge bell. But isn’t there an old saying? “Do not be enthralled by its beauty, and think that you can just pick it up with ease”.
Piron    True. It’s hard to produce a good tone with horns, and they require quite the lung strength. And so it’s actually recorded as the hardest in the world to perform with in the Guinness book!

In the Guinness World Records you can certainly find an entry that states “The American Music Conference announced in September 1977 that the most difficult is the French horn and the oboe.” And on the music website Middermusic’s “Top 10 Hardest Instruments To Play” the French Horn has beaten the violin and has been selected at the “Hardest Instrument To Play”. It’s even harder than the violin?

ー    When and why did you start learning the horn?
Piron    During middle school my senpai who was two years older than me was in charge of the horn in the Wind Music Club, and I fell in love with the wonderful sight of her performance, and so when I entered middle school I joined the Wind Music Club to play the horn. The horn I use for marching now is the one that the same Yamaha horn I bought back then.
ー    What is the role, in other words the “value”, that the horn, which is so difficult to perform with, has in the Wind Music band?
Piron    The horn can produce both strong and soft sounds, so it can be a blend of brass and wind depending on how you play it. Horns also play a lot of chords and so you can immediately change the mood of a song. Without horns the music becomes very thin and shallow. Horns bring a richness to the sound.
ー    I see. So there’s a merit in increasing the number of horn players even if it is difficult to perform with. I can really feel the pride you have as a horn player just be talking with you. KT often employs dances in its marching routines, are there any problems that occur from this while using a horn?
Piron    Dancing is about moving to match the melody. But horns often play the rhythm behind the melody. So usually the sounds we play and the dance moves we make our completely different. Trombone is the same, but horns take the number one spot at having to dance to completely different music to the sounds that they are actually playing! People who come from trumpet backgrounds also go “And it’s heavy too!”
ー    (Once again looking at the survey she filled out) You’re a part of KT’s uniform department right? You decide who wears what during performances and you take care of and organize the other outfits too (there is one person in the uniform department for each year group, three kids in total). You wrote in the questionnaire that you wanted to enter KT after seeing a parade when you were in elementary school, which parade was it?
Piron    Blumen Hügel Farm. I just happened to be there with family when KT did a parade, since then I’ve always wanted to join KT.
ー    So it was just a coincidence?
Piron    That’s right.
ー    A fated encounter then. So that means you were interested in KT before the horn then?
Piron    Yup!
ー    I wanted to ask earlier, but when you hold the horn the bell faces behind you. Is it difficult to make the sound go in front of you?
Piron    Even in a concert or stage march setting, the sound bounces off of the wall behind us.
ー    And for parade marching?
Piron    You have no choice but blow as best you can.
ー    When someone takes a souvenir picture of you and your instruments, unlike other instruments that have a “formal” and a “fun” way to hold them, the horn has multiple formal ways to hold it, correct?
Piron    Hahaha. You’re right. There are about three different formal ways to hold it. Which one you use depends on what you feel like using at the time. Of course for photos we make sure to all use the same method so it doesn’t look weird.
ー    Lastly an aru-aru of horns is that “They’re easy to look after!”
Piron    Yes, super easy! The tubes are small so swabs wouldn’t fit anyway, the inside of the bell can’t get wet so there’s no reason to wipe it. So you can just put it away and you’re done.
ー    Do you have to make any repairs?
Piron    Sometimes I clean it with tap water, but it can be really difficult to get the water out of the small tubes.
ー    I see. Because of capillary action due to surface tension. You’re retirement has been extended until March, is there anything you would like to teach your kohai during that time?
Piron    Well first I would just like to teach them everything I know and have experienced! Then I want them to move on to the Kansai and take National Gold in the marching contest.

Talking with Piron about horns was so much fun that I completely forgot to ask her about her future plans. But I doubt that she would give up her beloved horn that she has so much pride in anytime soon. I’m sure that she will continue to play difficult, but beautiful, horn music for years to come. Thank you for taking this interview.

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Part leader of the Euphonium team:
Ti-pon（ティーポン🎈）
Instrument in charge：Euphonium
Origin of the nickname：Ti from spaghetti ＋ SpongeBob
Position at the Beppu Parade：3rd row, far right.
(in the concert of Toyooka, the center of the euphonium）

Due to the Japanese anime “Hibike! Euphonium” (=”Sound! Euphonium”) (click here for more details) the euphonium instrument immediately became more well known, but many people still don’t know what role it has in a Wind Music band (of course I too do not know). That was the first thing I wanted to ask Ti-pon, the euphonium team leader.

ー    “What instrument do you play?” “Eupho” “What? UFO?” This is a joke that any euphonium player has heard a 100 million times (in general most Japanese euphonium kids shorten the instrument’s name to eupho).
Ti-pon    The instrument’s name has become quite famous due to that anime, but a lot of people still don’t know exactly what kind of instrument it is.
ー    I’m sorry, but could I take a quick look at it?
Ti-pon    Here you go.
ー    (Holding it up) Whoa, it’s very heavy. Do you really march and move around while holding this thing? (Ti-pon uses a Yamaha YEP-642S that her school provides. It is 4kg). Euphoniums are often held by hand, so you might see a warning for moving it written somewhere. But at any rate, what role do you have in the band?
Ti-pon    Often we play the obbligato in contrast to the main melody, but sometimes we’re tasked with playing the main melody instead. We’re often paired with the same movements as woodwind instruments. We go with tenor sax, the clarinet, and the flute.
ー    On the sheet music it says “Baritone b.c.” and not “Euphonium”. It seems like your sensei often forgets about things like this, why is that?
Ti-pon    I think it’s because the tone is very soft and gentle. Plus we don’t have many players here.
ー    How many players do you have now?
Ti-pon    This year only for the Marching Contest, I asked some 119th trombone and tuba players to join our group, and now we have six members (outside of the Marching Contest, there was four: 1 in 118th, 1 in 119th, and 2 in 120th). The mappi (Japanese Wind Music Club students usually call the mouth piece a “mappi”) are the same for trombones, but for tubas the size is slightly different. So we had the tuba players buy new mappi and started training them to get a proper sound out of it.
ー    Everyone uses the school’s instruments but has to buy their own mappi right?
Ti-pon    Yes. But there is one person in the 120th who has their own euphonium.
ー    The soft tones allow you play the main melody and obbligato along with woodwind instruments, but in a band with 100 people, how many euphonium players would you usually need?
Ti-pon    Kaneshiro-sensei says that six people would be ideal.
ー    What do you focus on while training as the euphonium leader?
Ti-pon    We’ve been told countless times by the sensei that “I can’t hear the euphonium players!”, and so we’ve all practiced playing at the same volume many times.
ー    So on the one hand it has a gentle tone, but on the other it can be hard to make yourself heard. You started playing the euphonium when you were in middle school?
Ti-pon    Yes, from my first year in middle school.
ー    You went to same middle school as Taradon, the current trumpet leader, right?
Ti-pon    At that middle school when you first join the Wind Music Club you first practice with a recorder (the air reed style end-blown flute that is generally used in Japanese schools), and after a certain period you perform in front of the sensei, and then your instrument is chosen based on those results and what the actual person wants to play. When I had my trial period I tried playing a bunch of different instruments, but I was able to make a sound with euphonium from the beginning, and I thought that the soft tone sounded very pretty so I asked to play the euphonium and took on its role.
ー    And what about KT?
Ti-pon    When I was a second-year middle school student, Tachibana University’s wind music band was having fusion practice sessions with a bunch of different middle schools. I was taught a lot of different things by different university students, and that was when I thought that I would like to go to Tachibana University. Around the same time I saw a KT performance on YouTube, I fell in love with the orange and Sing3, and that’s when everything was decided.
ー    It’s almost impossible to not fall in love with the orange and Sing3. You still have a number of performances until March, but looking back, how did you think this year went?
Ti-pon    At the Beppu parade there were a lot of smiling people were clapping and cheering us on, which made me very happy. Some said “Amazing”. And I think it really was. I also enjoyed the marching contest. But at the “Hands Across the Sea” performance, it was hard to march and produce a proper sound. Kaneshiro-sensei pointed that out and so we’ve trained to get better at that.
ー    It truly is an instrument with a very gentle sound to it. Hearing your story has made me come to really like the euphonium. You plan to go to Tachibana University and join their wind music band correct?
Ti-pon    I want to go to a specialist school and work behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.
ー    I see. Rany (VP) also said the same thing. Were you inspired after learning about the photography of Kalen Anzai -san’s Music Video (for more details of that click here) in her first year or the existence of the staff who recorded the “Belle” (for more details of that click here) hall during the spring of your third year?
Ti-pon    Yes. That was the first time I learned that such people are working behind the scenes in the showy entertainment industry. I thought it was just wonderful and after doing some research I decided that it was what I wanted to do.
ー    Your experiences at KT have really changed your life it seems. I’m sure the staff would be thrilled if they heard what you said. Thank you for teaching me all about the euphonium, it was quite fun talking with you. Please continue to do your best.
ー    Thank you very much.

Ti-pon uses a Yamaha YEP-642S, an average model that doesn’t come with a compensating system. For that reason when the 4th valve is pressed the pitch becomes generally higher, however the pitch can be adjusted by moving the tuning slide. Models with compensating systems (Yamaha YEP-642S/842S/842TS) work by improving the low range of the pitch while your fingers on 1-3 are free to do their own thing, and so many high school wind music clubs use models above 642S.

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Part leader of the Tuba team:
Melopy（メロピ⭐️⭐️）
Instrument in charge：Tuba
Origin of the nickname：melon＋Snoopy
Position at the Beppu Parade：not participating due to injury
(the right end tuba of the sit down performance at Toyooka and Nagoya)

The tuba is a huge instrument. Length is about 10m, it weighs over 10kg, and it produces the lowest sound in a wind music band. There are four general classifications for the tuba, the F tuba, which has s slightly lower sound range than the euphonium, and the even lower E♭ tuba, C tuba, and B♭ tuba. You can also classify them by key/rotary type and piston type. Kaneshiro-sensei wanted to widen their low pitch range and so replaced their old rotary-style tubas with slide ones. Currently the school has mainly Yamaha C tuba YBB-621 and 822S models. The one Melopy is holding in the photo is a 621, but since the Toyooka concert new B♭ tubas were introduced and she has since been using those to increase the low pitch range of the band.

KT’s tuba players must shoulder a sousaphone while they march and dance, which can be extremely difficult. The sousaphone prototype was made when songwriter John Philip Sousa ordered a helicon, used by the American Marine Corps, from the parent company J.W. Pepper & Son, to be used as a marching tuba. The brass Yamaha YSH-411 weighs 12.5kg and the white FRP YSH-301 weighs 9.1kg. Which is why generation after generation of KT tuba players have cried of neck pain. The tuba leader Melopy is no exception.

ー    Hello. You were unable to attend Beppu because of an injury correct? That’s quite unfortunate.
Melopy    After the Marching contest in Kyoto my second lumbar vertebra had a burst fracture.
ー    That sounds pretty bad. It wasn’t a compression fracture but a burst fracture? Was your spine okay?
Melopy    It was fine. After taking a break it healed and I was thankfully able to participate in Nationals.
ー    It probably healed well because you’re young, but it could have been a lot worse if you were older. Like… Su-chi also looks like her back hurts? But she says “I feel completely fine.” A physical doctor comes to your school and checks on everyone’s physical conditions right?
Melopy    Yes. The sports club’s trainer’s sensei comes to the Wind Music Club. They give counselling and treatments.
ー    Whenever the topic of injuries shows up, overseas fans always seem to end up talking about your shoes. Changing to more high-quality sports shoes with slightly more cushioning could drastically effect tension and injury. But the shoes are just like the orange uniforms, you’ve become a tradition at this point, there are even some people who wear shoes, which were passed down to them from their senpai, that have holes in them, and so it’s not a matter of simply changing them out. You…travel from Nara Prefecture right?
Melopy    Yes. It takes about one and a half hours one way.
ー    That’s quite admirable. Can you tell me again the role that tuba and sousaphone players have in the band?
Melopy    Sure. We’re in charge of the low sounds and supporting the overall music. We play the back beat with low sounds and not the main melody.
ー    Looking at your performances, it really seems like your playing your instrument the entire time.
Melopy    I do. It really feels like I just play for the entire duration. But it’s fulfilling knowing that I’m supporting the band with low sounds, so it’s fun.
ー    You started playing the tuba in your first year of middle school. Why the tuba?
Melopy    During middle school I wanted to and auditioned for the alto sax, but I didn’t pass, and they already had enough clarinet and trombone players, so there was only the tuba left, oh and the first brass instrument I managed to make a sound with was the tuba.
ー    But before long you realized just how fun it was.
Melopy    During my second year in middle school I watched the KT marching parade, and there I saw a smiling and dancing senpai, and since then I’ve wanted to join.
ー    And so after you joined KT you started carrying and dancing with a sousaphone.
Melopy    Of course I entered this school prepared for that. I was looking forward to holding and dancing with a sousaphone with the letters TACHIBANA on it.
ー    That reminds me, there is a member who has their own tuba.
Melopy    Yes. A person in the 118th. I think she wants to go to a music university and become a professional musician.
ー    What are some things that you are careful about as the tuba team leader?
Melopy    There are 10 tuba players this year (4 in 118th, 2 in 119th, 4 in 120th), and there have been problems with our pitches not matching or having a low volume. Pitch involves training one’s own sense of sound, otherwise you’re just not going to improve.
ー    Other instrument teams also try to improve their sense of sound by singing. For tuba players is it correct that “If your singing is no good then your pitch won’t match either”?
Melopy    That’s right. If the pitch doesn’t match then we won’t have a harmonious sound. and our team’s volume also drops.
ー    During March an external sensei came and gave you some training, the tuba team was “caught” multiple times I heard. But I was really surprised at how much the lower sounds were in the marching contest.
Melopy    Really? I’m so happy!
ー    What are your plans after graduation?
Melopy    I plan to go to Tachibana University where I will join the Wind Band Club and continue to play the tuba. I’ve also played the marimba and would like to keep playing that.
ー    You also play the marimba?
Melopy    Yes. My mother always says “Keep doing that which you start with for the rest of your life”, and so I started off playing the marimba when I first got into music and now I feel that I would like to keep playing the marimba forever too.
ー    Does everyone in your family play an instrument?
Melopy    No, I’m the only one. But instead they fully support me and what I do.
ー    I see. People who can’t play an instrument will forever wish they could. Please continue to do your best out there.
Melopy    Thank you very much.
ー    It’s lunch break now right? So I’ll interview the woodwind instrument team leader this afternoon then.
Melopy    I’ll let her know.

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Part 1 of this interview is here.

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