Miss Saigon - Percussionist's Perspective (Drum Cam) //ミスサイゴン・パーカッショニストの目線

[@jonathanmosebach2921]

As soon as I heard the first Peking Opera gongs... I knew it was ''The Morning of the Dragon” which is my favourite Broadway song due to the cool Asian percussion!

[@jonathanmosebach2921]

It's one of my life's bucket lists to play the percussion part of Miss Saigon... the stuff that your doing in this vid!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

@@jonathanmosebach2921 Thank you for watching the video! It was such a fun show to play especially this song where I got to play ALL the gongs and timpani. I really hope you get to play it one day!

[@SteelBlue911]

This is a very interesting video. I am a kit drummer and a Scottish pipe band snare drummer. As I watch this performance I am amazed because I thought that EVERY TIME orchestral musicians perform for these types of shows, they are in a pit, along with the other musicians, next to the actors, in public view. In this video, you are casually dressed (I've no issues with that, to be sure), out of the public eye and playing for a live show, to a click track. It's brilliant, really.

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching! It might surprise you that I’m so remote from the rest of musicians, but with recent technology I am able to listen to the rest of musicians, actors on stage, watch conductors from little monitors ALL real time. In Miss Saigon, there was only a few songs with click tracks (this one included). That means I was making music just as I would if I were on stage. This remote performance is largely due to the small size of the pit, or the theater. If you’ve been to NYC, or other big cities, buildings are so close together, and getting large space is difficult. Many of Broadway theaters are old, too! I know that Wicket the musical have more individual rooms for musicians. In some cases, pit is entirely unavailable for musicians due to staging, so all musicians are in a few separate rooms. I also love performing on stage in concert black, and I understand why you might feel this is weird, but this is quite normal for Broadway shows. We played every show live, and I never treated pit playing less special than the ones I’m on stage. :-) Alternative to this situation is that some instruments are replaced by midi keyboard, which we don’t want! (Musicians on Broadway historically fought against producers trying to save money by reducing numbers of musicians in the pit) Hope this helps you understand the situation better!

[@cocop8159]

Oh my gosh!!!! This is amazing! I always wanted to see the inside the orchestra pit! This made me wanna play percussion again so bad!!!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you so much! Makes me happy that it inspired you to play again. I hope you do! :-D

[@KennethDavis]

This is so cool - no one gets to see this perspective - awesome to see what it's like to be a pit orchestra percussionist behind the scenes! 🌞🎶🙏

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching! Yeah, exactly, some musicians who live & work in NYC don't know that this is often how Broadway percussionists :-)

[@kyledrumspercussion3772]

What an amazing video, would love to see more!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Kyle Drums & Percussion Thank you so much for watching! I’m currently not playing any shows but I do know many percussionists on Broadway, so maybe I can ask others to make one like this. If I play another show in the future I will definitely make one!

[@DerekDCramer]

this is such an awesome perspective

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching!

[@ReinisJaunais]

Such a playground! I wish I would have a chance to jam there!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Reinis Jaunais > yea, totally! It was such a fun work place!

[@dcagitar]

Cool combination

[@msa28617]

そこかい！みたいなところだった！笑 最初から全部の演奏観たいです😂 ミスサイゴンのパーカッションめちゃくちゃ好きなんです😂

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

コメントありがとうございます！そうなんです、思ってもいないところにある洞窟で演奏してました。笑) パーカッションパート弾いてて楽しかったです😆

[@msa28617]

@@Chihiro-Percussion ミュージカル界のパーカッションの中で使う楽器の種類が多く1番難しい作品だと私は思うし、どの音をどの楽器で鳴らしてるのかとても興味があります！アジアっぽい音ってあまり見ない楽器で鳴らしてるのでどんなものか、、とオケピに行っても見えず、、とても貴重でありがたいです💫

[@dcagitar]

Watched again. Sounds great

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thanks a lot!

[@marcisax]

wow I love the marimba

[@Riedel777]

Very interesting! Txs for sharing! 🙏

[@fletcherhc653]

Amazing! Brilliant orchestration!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you, yes, I agree! It was a fairly large orchestra with rich orchestra sounds.

[@JaydenEricBeaudoin]

I love the first person perspective on this! Miss Saigon has such awesome percussion parts

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

JaydenEricBeaudoin Thank you for watching! Yes, this song was particularly busy & fun!!

[@michaelwilliamybarra2409]

@@Chihiro-Percussion What are you playing on the xylophone pads at 2:30?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Michael William Ybarra > I’m playing a vibraphone patch there on MalletKat, which is a MIDI instrument for a percussionist. You can’t hear the sound because my GoPro could only catch the sound in the room. That’s also the reason you don’t hear the rest of the orchestra and singers. Thanks for watching!

[@FunkNorrisFunk]

Yo that cave is nuts!! I think I need a percussion cave now lolol

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

YES! We all should have one at home!

[@Aramkawa]

Great!

[@themaplebeat]

very cool!

[@classicsongsplayedontrumpe7951]

Very interesting video from a unique perspective!

[@roraira]

Cool and great

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Rainer Rabus Thanks for watching!!

[@leanderhennesreschviolin9902]

Great Job 👏👏👏

[@basswithdan-2585]

Awesome!

[@NickyAllado11]

More of these please!!

[@MarnixWillemSteffen]

Nice!

[@Caravaggiotheband]

Fascinating video, Chihiro! I couldn't image how was to play in a percussion cave, thank you!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching! It was a really fun cave!

[@BraisCalles]

Nice vid to see what you see inside a giant set like this!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Glad you enjoyed it! It's definitely not something most people can see! (it's hidden!)

[@kayaviola]

Awesome!!!

[@IngaUlokina]

Wooow! Great video👍

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Inga Ulokina thank you!!

[@IngaUlokina]

@@Chihiro-Percussion youre welcome

[@pawelknapik3247]

Great job, Chihiro!!!

[@Musicianfromnature]

Amazing video !

[@orheao]

awesome video!!!

[@Violinna]

Cool!!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you!

[@dwyang2307]

Very impressive, you are amazing, how can you play so many instruments!👍👍👍

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you! I guess I'm used to playing so many instruments as a percussionist. I never get bored this way!

[@jonathanmosebach2921]

It's just what percussionists do! We are not like violinists... that that is your only instrument and maybe also play viola.... percussionists have to learn a ton of instruments and be proficient at all of them!

[@ayuu.]

Looks so fun! Love it! ❤

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

It was indeed a lot of fun to play! Thank you for watching!

[@AnastassiaZachariadou]

what a fun space! great seeing your point of view!

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching! It was very fun, indeed!

[@alanjuarezbalderas9421]

Great congrats!.

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you!

[@davidchaillou980]

cool

[@AndrewMichel]

Wow this is really cool to see! Great job moving from instrument to instrument. Are percussionists always in a separate “percussion cave” like this?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you so much for watching! It’s very common on Broadway shows. It’s usually because of the space issue. My set up for this will not fit in the pit and I’m sure other musicians will find it too loud if all the gongs were right over their heads! If you look at my other video of West Side Story percussion room, it’s the same room.

[@arpeggiandoconruben]

Great Performed!!!!❤🔥

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you!

[@CarolruizNlpiano]

Amazing! How interesting! Thanks

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thanks for watching!

[@alvaromaydana8460]

Good

[@quimmoyalivepainting]

i like it! amazing

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Quim Moya thanks for watching!!

[@quimmoyalivepainting]

@@Chihiro-Percussion big plesure

[@conanteo78]

this is really interesting! thanks for this wonderful insight :)

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching!

[@NadiaViolin]

Impressive 👏👏👏

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Nadia Violin > thanks for watching!!

[@cosmaricci]

Interesting!

[@Rizk0]

Awesome :D subscribed

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching!

[@mikiandpambie7310]

This is so impressive and entertaining! Keep them coming. ❤

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

I appreciate that! Thank you so much. I hope I get to play more shows to make more videos :-)

[@RodrigoTolosaS]

beautiful, I fell in love, I love it and very interesting. I spend all day practicing.

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for your kind words!! Happy practicing!

Great!!! 😁 👍🏻 👍🏻

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you so much!

[@corneliuswongmusic]

this is cool =)

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you so much!

[@yevbronshteyn2196]

Lots of people have a favorite actor, I have a favorite orchestrator: William David Brohn. This is one example of what he could do with percussion. You can find similar examples for Wicked, and percussion contributes a lot to that show too.

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching! Yes, Wicket has a massive percussion set up, too. I’ve had a chance to observe the percussionist in his separate room full of instruments - Bass Drum and others hanging from the ceiling!

[@JohnnySummers]

Cool video and great playing! Well done :)

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching!

[@joshlockaby9539]

Are all of the instruments yours? And mad respect for all this from a fellow percussionist

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Josh Lockaby > thanks for watching and kind words! Only the small instruments are mine. The rest was a long term rental and the company owned many gongs from the last production of Miss Saigon.

[@joshlockaby9539]

Chihiro Shibayama oh ok. Thanks!

[@ComposerImprov]

Nice sonic experience! Subbed back😎

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thank you for watching!

[@Piglut008]

I wonder that do you guys also wear headphones to listen to the orchestra? Because if not, it is would be very hard 😅

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Hi @Piglut008 - Thanks for watching! Yes, anyone who plays outside of the pit wears a wireless in-ear monitor (headphones) to hear the orchestra, singers, and a click track. It was wireless so that I could move around without worrying about having a cable. I also had multiple tiny TVs to look at the conductor in all directions. It's quite common that percussionists and/or drummers don't fit in the pit on Broadway musicals, so this is the common practice.

[@Piglut008]

@@Chihiro-Percussion thank you for nice answers, because on the video I only heard the percussion, if that you would be a magician for me😅 I am also a percussionist, so your videos are very great for me to observe! (Both educational and entertainment)

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

@@Piglut008 Hello, fellow percussionist! You are welcome, and glad you enjoyed the video.

[@SolomonDouglas]

Was this recorded during a live performance or are you playing alone? If it's during a show, why can't we hear the rest of the orchestra and vocalists?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Solomon Douglas > Yes, this was recorded during a live show. The reason you don’t hear the rest of Orchestra is because I didn’t record the whole mix straight from the sound board. The sound you hear is only what I’m playing in that room, which was picked up from GoPro. As you can see in the beginning of the video, I’m in a totally separate room from the rest of musicians. I also wasn’t sure if I was allowed to record the whole mix and post it without violating the copyright.

[@SolomonDouglas]

@@Chihiro-Percussion Ah fascinating! I didn't know the percussionists weren't in the pit with the rest of the ensemble. Thanks for sharing this.

[@JamesMarler]

Who's the guy sitting at the music stand? What does he do?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

I happened to have my future sub watching me play the show with music that day. He is learning what kind of mallets I use for different places, when to move, what to pre-set, etc. I have also had many guests who sat in the same spot just to observe. I've watched my colleagues who play on other shows that way, and it's a great way to learn different musicals and how other percussionists deal with small space & quick instrument switches!

[@michaelwilliamybarra2409]

@@Chihiro-Percussion Could you recall what cymbal instrument the second percussionist was playing with the snare drums? It sounds like he's playing a Piatti(crashing two cymbals together, for those who ask about music terminology) with China Cymbals, but it sounds like he's doing other stuff as well(like at 4:40 after each hit of the Bass Drum and Odaiko Drum). Does he have like two China cymbals set up on a hi hat, set as like a makeshift Cymbal Guy(a devise used to make loud cymbal crashes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6OVlZifYq5op6M), or something? Was it something like what this solo percussionist used in the 2018 Tour in LA(at 4:16)? kzbin.info/www/bejne/e53VnKmbfc51prs

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

@@michaelwilliamybarra2409 Hello! Thank you for asking. Yes, there is another person who plays Drumset/ percussion on the right of me. You certainly hear him playing. Yes, he has a high hat with China Cymbals in his set up. I don't know exactly what he is playing right at the moment without checking the music, but you can check out his set up from the below link. If you love looking at percussion set ups, this is THE SITE for it. setupshots.com/files/2017-05-17-miss-saigon-broadway-ray-marchica.php

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

@Michael William Ybarra > and here is more close up pictures of my side of the set up. setupshots.com/files/2017-05-17-miss-saigon-broadway-chihiro-shibayama.php

[@justingarde181]

Do you own all of those instruments? Or who provides them? The theatre or the production team?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Justin Garde > it was actually mix of all 3! Some of the large instruments like timpani, tam tam, gongs came from the company’s warehouse, I provided specialty small toys, and the rest was a long term rental from a local company. I made so many lists to organize the plan!

[@chair547]

You guys get a separate room? I'm stuck in a corner of the pit lol

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Yes, we were quite far from the pit! Perhaps your production has less musicians total or have larger pit? We couldn’t have fit in the pit even if we tried! lol

[@chair547]

@@Chihiro-Percussion yeah its all of those. Big pit, fewer musicians, less percussion (were doing birdie), lower budget, etc

[@joshuanesbit]

what are the funny sounding high gongs called?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

Thanks for asking! I think you are asking about Peking Opera gong - it has a pitch bend after striking. They are the two gold ones on the right. I hope that’s the one you are talking about! (If not, please give me a min: sec of the video when I’m playing it so I can identify which one - I do have MANY different gongs in the set up)

[@joshuanesbit]

@@Chihiro-Percussion thanks so much - thats exactly the one. And on the score there's an instrument called 'kin' is this like singing bowls?

[@Chihiro-Percussion]

@@joshuanesbit yes, that’s right!

[@BrennoLimaMusic]

Awesome!