More about Shanghai

July 28, 2007
Last night, those who did not play the jazz concert at the hotel had the option to attend a performance of the Shanghai Acrobats. During this spectacular show, acrobats performed gravity- and death-defying stunts that stunned audience members. The show was reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil, but that’s the closest comparison I can make for anyone who wasn’t there.

Our very entertaining guide, Vivien, has helped to dispel some myths about the Chinese people. She told us that despite popular belief, not every Chinese person can do kung fu. She also explained that kung fu is just slightly different from what we see in the movies. Vivien further reminded us that if she could fly, she wouldn’t be a tour guide.

This morning we depart for Suzhou, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in China. Shanghai surprised me with its modernity. It’s like the New York City of China. During our stay in Shanghai, I really didn’t feel like I was in a foreign country. As we progress further into the country, though, the architecture will change and we’ll see more of what we recognize as traditional Chinese culture.
Caroline

China is great! I have already lost 5 lbs!!!! I’m really glad I brought my belt. Anyways, the first concert we played was amazing. The concert hall was dead, but the brass still made the concert very loud! We ended up playing an encore twice because the Chinese people really liked us. I am having fun here making new friends and embracing the culture. I am sure the best is yet to come. GO CUBS!!!!!!
Billy

Hello MYA’s blog o’ sphere. This is T.J. signing on…So far the trip as been action packed with Shang-hai-noons and nights. The shear size of Shanghai absolutely blew my mind. Up until this point in my somewhat short life I have considered Chicago “big” but my concept of that term just changed. It literally felt like there were 12-15 Chicago’s wrapped up in the skyline of China’s most populated city. I was shocked by how many skyscrapers pierced the smoggy sky and how each one was unique and beautiful in its own way. I look forward to visiting the future cities of the tour and am curious to see how they compare to the urban vibe of Shanghai. The musical experience thus far has been brief but positive. We had our first and only orchestral concert on Thursday evening (I think-still thrown off by the time change) at the Shanghai Concert Hall in downtown Shanghai. The audience was robust and really seemed to enjoy our program of Chinese Folk Songs, Bernstein’s Overture to Candid, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 5. After concluding the concert we even had the pleasure of performing Sousa’s bombastically American march “Washington Post” as an encore (twice). Everyone has been in great spirits and it has truly been a fun-loving and curious group. We can’t wait for more experiences and performances. Talk to you a little later down the Silk Road….

The Silk Factory

The life cycle of the silk worm was displayed in jars.

Chinese school children are given 5 silk worms to take home and raise as part of a school assignment. They are expected to find mulberry leaves to feed them.

From hatching to cocoon takes 26 days.

An example of an old time silk loom.

The cocoons are boiled and then in groups of 5 the silk from the cocoon is unwound and made into spools of silk thread.

The silk thread starts out pure white and is dyed into bright colors for making clothing and beautiful weavings.

The silk is stretched to make silk quilts. We have had silk quilts on all of our beds in our hotels. They are very comfortable!



The layers of silk are weighed to make 1 KG, 2 KG or 3 KG quilts. The silk is put into a cotton cover and then you pick out a smooth silk cover to put over your silk quilt.

MYA musicians make great silk shoppers!


Silk Fashion Show!

Suzhou School Exchange & Garden Tour

July 29, 2007,1:45 pm (12:45 am Chicago time)
Yesterday, we arrived in Suzhou and checked into the Traveler’s Inn hotel. It was smaller and homier than the Rainbow Hotel, and in a better location also. After we had lunch, we went to the No. 6 High School for an exchange program. One of the faculty talked a little about the school. It’s one of the top academic schools in Suzhou, but it also has an arts program. We watched different performances by students at the school that reflected their culture, and then the Big Band performed for them.
One girl from the school played a piece on a traditional Chinese string instrument. It was like a cross between a harp and a piano. Next, we saw a girl do an interpretive dance about a bird.
There was also a short drama about the earth and two more musical performances. Then the Big Band played. It was really hot in the auditorium, but the performers still did a great job. It was BANG! (a new Chinese word we learned for “great”.)

We sat together with the Chinese students in the audience during the musical performances.

Classroom in Middle School No. 6 in Suzhou. The kids are on summer break right now, just like us.

After we cooled off back at the hotel, we were allowed to stroll the shopping street close by. Even on the one small street there were tons of bicycles. We had to be extremely careful not to get hit as we were crossing the streets. We browsed in some of the shops, which had fans, purses, and other trinkets.
Then it was back to the hotel for rehearsal, thankfully inside an air- conditioned room. This concert was in a small lecture-hall type room that was attached to the hotel. We looked pretty cool because all of the seats were covered in bright red cloth. Rehearsal was quick and then we got some more free time. We went out with another group and after wandering around, we went into a supermarket and looked at all the typical Chinese groceries, We bought plenty of snacks, like Dove chocolate and steak- flavored potato chips.
The concert that night went well despite a discrepancy about what time it started. Again, we were pleasantly surprised with the turnout. We had dinner at the hotel, and then watched Chinese MTV until curfew. Then it was off to bed because we had to get some rest before our 6:30 wake up call.
This morning, we first headed off to one of the nearby gardens. Apparently, Suzhou is famous for them. We all felt like we were melting in the humidity, but the garden was beautiful.

Today it was 39 degrees C when we visited the Master-of-Nets Garden. That's 110 degrees F.





After our garden tour, we got back on the cool bus and drove to the silk factory, where we learned about silk making. We also got to hold some of the silk worms. More photos and blogs will follow soon about our incredible visit to the silk factory. A lot of people bought souvenirs. We had a family style lunch at the restaurant and now we’re off to our next destination- Hangzhou. Hope everything’s well at home and that you’re enjoying the cooler weather. We miss you and will see you in two weeks. Can’t wait to show you all the souvenirs we bought for you!
-Nina and Kalli

from Michael F.

Grandad,

Howdy! I know that you have probably been waiting for this for a while, but we have been so busy. I am writing this on the bus as we leave Shanghai for Suzhou. Shanghai was incredible. I must admit that at first, I really didn’t like it. Overwhelming might be a good word to describe it. As a city of 18 million, it is double the size of New York. If you have ever been to New York you might remember a feeling of awe that you might have experienced while driving through the Burroughs.

Now double it.

This city is very much like New York, in the fact that it is one of biggest economic centers in the entire world. It has also been expanding and growing at one of the fastest rates of any other city in the world. Over the last ten years, Shanghai has had more cranes for construction than all the other cities in the world combined in that same time period.

After three days though, the city has really grown on me. Instead of looking at the city and feeling small and insignificant, I like to look at all the opportunities that are in a city of such magnitude. The people in this city are very crafty and clever, and work very hard and have been very gracious.

I love you very much and I can’t wait to see you in Door County!

Love, Michael Fatum

Dear Shirley,

Howdy! I hope you are having as much fun as I am having. I haven’t had to resort to eating Gummy bears yet, but I must admit that some of the foods have been very difficult to consume. Let’s just say that I am eating, but I may lose 20 pounds on this trip. Oh well, I needed to work out anyways.

We have played one Orchestra Concert and three jazz combo concerts so far. The Orchestra Concert took place in the Shanghai Concert Hall, and was a sold out performance. It was an interesting audience because it was filled with young children. The concert was sponsored by several organizations so that so many little children could attend it. I know you would have loved to see all of their little smiling faces. They gave us a great full and heartfelt applause and would not stop clapping until we played another tune.

Yesterday the Jazz combo ran all across Shanghais and had three performances! We first played at the Shanghai Library, which resulted in us bringing the house down. We packed the room where we performed and thrilled our audience. By the end, we had them on the edge of their seats hooting and hollering, something that I don’t think is normal for most Chinese musical concerts. We then ran across town and played at a bar of a French restaurant. Several of the people from the Library followed us over there to hear us a second time. I took some great solos and the band sounded terrific. I find playing in a jazz combo to be one of the most rewarding experiences musically. The music that is played is all about interaction between the musicians as well as the audience. So when I play a riff or a melody, you are speaking to your audience. One line may translate to, “How you doing?” The audience may respond with a laugh or a grunt. Then as a soloist you begin to tell a musical story. The next line may translate to, “So I flew in from Shanghai yesterday, and the size of thief city swept me off my feet!” Before you know it, a musical conversation has started, which can be conveyed through tempos, dynamics, rhythms, harmonic choices, and melodic lines. I may not speak Chinese, but I’m really not having a hard time communicating.

Hopefully I will write again very soon. I have your address so I can send Grandad and you a postcard. See you soon!

Love,
Michael Fatum

Dear Maria and Stephen,

I must admit that I wish you were here. We have done so many interesting things, and in such a short time we have had so many eye-opening experiences. You definitely made the correct decision to stay home though. John and I were reminiscing about the last time we were in such a hot place, (MOM’S WOMB!). This is way worse than Cordoba, Spain, and it’s just as hot at night as it is during the day.

I thought that I would tell you about a little old man who went to our second jazz combo performance yesterday, which took place at a bar in a French restaurant. After I took my first solo, and then went to the back of the bar to listen to different members of the ensemble play two tunes, in the back there was a little old Chinese man. He must have been in his high eighties and his face was crinkled like an old scroll. As I went to sit down next to him, as there were no other seats available, I turned to him and smiled. “Ni How,” I greeted him. That’s all I knew. But it was enough because coupled with my beaming smile, he suddenly came alive. As if he had lost 50 years of age, the man sat up and let a large smile creep across his face. He motioned with his hands in an attempt to make a trumpet and giggled like a kid in a candy shop.

After about 15 minutes I jumped up and grabbed my horn to play a tune. Natalie and I played, “There is No Greater Love,” and we took it at a faster tempo than usual, but I still took a burnin’ solo. It was probably my best one on the trip so far. It seemed at each turn my musical lines got better and better, and the audience started to join in on the interaction. When I finally finished, I got a thunderous applause. Once again, I let a long smile creep across my face. While listening to the other soloists, I couldn’t erase that smile, Happiness is contagious.

After the tune, I went back to my seat next to my little friend, and this time, he was beaming as brightly as a light bulb. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me over and stuck his finger right on my chest. “You..are..number 1!” Thanking him profusely, I sat down next to him once again. I am sure that both of us never stopped smiling for the entire day.

This story is important and moving on two levels. It is easy to talk about the power of music, but something that I believed is completely overlooked is the power of a good smile. When you make eye contact with someone, and smile, no words are really needed. Such an action speaks for itself. I remember when I was younger and I would play all of my little piano recitals at the Music Institute. In an attempt to be professional, I would always try be very serious after each performance. As I took my bow, I always strained to hide any smile fighting to pop out. But now, I can see how foolish that really was. Each and every one of us has a very special power, but I am sure that we rarely consider it. Sometimes the simplest gestures are the ones that speak volumes.

Love,
Michael Fatum

Greetings from Danny

Dear Dad, Mom, Quinn, Neil, Quinn, Katie and anyone else who is curious,

I’m in the coach on the way to Suzhou from Shanghai. We have been in Shanghai for three days and it has been some of the most fun I’ve ever had. We’ve done quite a lot. First day we got here we just checked in to the hotel and got over the jet lag. I actually slept for 13 of the 14 hours on the plane so I never had any jet lag. Thank you for the good advice and the earplugs. Earplugs are the best invention there has ever been. I couldn’t have made it without them. After we rested up for awhile we went for a boat ride on the river (I don’t know what the name is, but everyone just calls it the Bund. The Bund is the name of the area by the river, and is famous for its bright lights at night). Then we had dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.
The next day we went to the Shanghai Center for Urban Planning. It was very interesting. There was one floor in particular that showed what Shanghai was supposed to be like in the next 10-20 years. It was weird and very Communist at first, but after awhile I learned to appreciate the Chinese people’s desire for improving their country. During lunch I went off into a park to eat a sandwich (just one of the 20 different kinds of food you told me to bring). But within 5 minutes I was met by three Chinese tourists, all of whom were still students. They bombarded me with questions about who I was with, where I was from, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I tried my best to answer them, but their accents were very strong. They were very nice people. That evening we played a concert in the Shanghai Concert Hall. In my opinion, the Appalachian Spring was not our best. BUT THE BASS SECTION WAS SOLID AS A ROCK BABY. UH! As a whole the concert went well.

Yesterday was an amazing day. The first thing we did was wake up early (7:30 actually. My roommate and I asked for a wake up call but they somehow just forgot to call us) and get on a bus to go to the Yu Garden, one of China’s many beautiful gardens. Now don’t be deceived by the American idea of a garden: a small plot of land where one can grow plants. This garden was a huge, sort of park area. The four main elements of a Chinese garden are plants, rock, water, and a building. The Yu Yuan Garden had beautiful flowers and trees, brooks, and a pond filled with fish. In the center of all this was a dwelling so large that if I didn’t have a tour guide I would have gotten lost and never gotten out (not that I would mind living there). It was truly an amazing experience.

After we left the garden we went to a place called La Villa Rouge (The Red Village) for lunch. Then I went on a bus to the Shanghai Library to watch the jazz combo. I loved them so much that I went to see them again at their concert at La Villa Rouge. And of course Natalie was ridiculously awesome on her alto (Neil, her playing reminds me so much of yours. You two sound exactly the same).

After that we went to see the Chinese acrobatic show, which was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. They performed feats, that until yesterday, I believed were impossible to be performed by humans. I was tired, so I was zoning in and out, but it was still great. Then we went back to the hotel and slept. This morning I got up at 6:00 and packed up, got on the bus and here I am. It may sound like I have pretty much summed it all up but I assure you, what I have seen, tasted, played, heard and felt (the heat) these past few days is indescribable by any means. I am just getting off the bus so I have to say goodbye. I love you all very much!

Love, Danny (Hope to write again soon)

MYA's Chinese Bazaar

After dinner we were hustled off to the Shangai Center to see an incredible Acrobatic Show. No photos were allowed, so you'll have to read our postings. At 10:30 P.M. staff from a local tailor store and a violin store met us at our hotel. The students were able to try out the hand-made Chinese cellos, violins and bows. Many of the men in our group were measured by the tailors to have custom-made suits and tuxedos made. The girls were able to try on beautiful silk dresses and jackets for size, as well. The tailors will deliver the clothing to us when we arrive in Hangzhou. We leave Shanghai at 8:30 this morning.

MYA Jazz Combos Amaze Shanghai

After our visit to Yu Gardens the jazz we went to La Villa Rough. The jazz performers ate a quick lunch and a combo headed over to the Shanghai Library Hall Music Room for a 2:00 P.M. performance. Their performance was well received to a full room of enthusiastic Chinese jazz lovers. At 3:00 P.M. three Chinese jazz musicians joined our jazz players back at La Villa Rough for another great jazz performance.