Everybody’s Hope is Here: Otto’s report about the charity concert at Tohoku area

Sunday 17 July, Japan time 13:00　on board of the flight
Tokyo/Moscow
Ottaviano Christofoli
Principal Guest Trumpet, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra

I have been asked to write some impressions and comments about Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's charity concert in the region of Miyagi, known for the recent disaster which occurred last March, during the great Tohoku Earthquake.
The 2 day activity took place in the town of Minamisanriku, on the 11th and 12th July, exactly 4 months after the quake.
The program they gave me was very clear and detailed as usual by JPO punctual organization:
-Leaving Tokyo on the morning of 11th, departing to Sendai city by Thoku Shinkansen train, Drive to the Shizukawa High school
- Brass and woodwinds quintet rehearsal, and a joint rehearsal with the School wind band.
- Move to the big Hotel, where the local people who lost the house were living.
- Evening concert at the hotel.
- Day 2 in the morning Joint rehearsal with the Shizukawa Junior High School
- Lunch
- Brass/ Woods Concert, and school bands/ JPO members joint concert.
-Return to Tokyo.

This may look to everybody like an ordinary outreach project, similar to many others we have done before. But it was not. This time I knew and everybody knew that we were driving right to the heart of the big tragedy, not somebody's, but whole Japan’s tragedy. And one of the worst that the country has ever seen.
I did not know really well what to expect for this trip, I did not ask too many questions, I knew that we were sleeping in a safe, big place and that the schools were working normally, the wind bands were rehearsing regularly.

I tried to look, during the ride, for the signs the earthquake could have left on houses or buildings, and of course I found many of them. But they gave me the impression that these architectures have been done a great job against the quake, it seems nothing fell completely, or, at least,
not collapsed. Those buildings may not be usable anymore because damaged in the frames or with any structural problems, but it gave me the hope that the people that were inside at the time had the time to find cover, or better be safe. It was relieving. I felt hopeful, in front of a just
damaged roof, of a broken street, because many years of prevention and development of safe manufactures in this cases saved many lives.

Unfortunately the scenario changed after one of the many turns going down the hill... from this point on, no more hope, and no more safe places. Just the feeling that everything there was gone, no difference between old or new house, no difference between big or small building, no difference in front of old people, or children.
I was facing, for the first time so clear, the actual demonstration who decided to give us life, can take it away, in the same easy way and at any time.
Everything appears to me lost forever. I'm not going to describe once more what you all have seen through pictures, videos, in many networks and newspapers; I would just say that from the television, you can not SEE the SMELL of death. You can not hear the unreal silence of desperation.
You can't taste the hopeless faces of grandmothers or fathers, digging deep in memories while watching the silent land, spoiled and naked of all those sons and brothers who are now gone.
Nothing to say now, the silence took place in our mouths and minds, no more comments or questions. And by me, no more hope, no idea of how this piece of land can stand up again, no idea about who is going to raise it from the nothing.
The answer would have come very soon, with my big joy and surprise.

When we arrived we had a rehearsal and a joint rehearsal with pen of the school bands, then we went to the hotel, and we performed our concert. In an atmosphere of respect, and sobriety we played in a big hall, where people are usually having dinner, it is a luxury hall with big ornaments, and precious things, I could imagine that many of the people having dinner there would have been very happy to be there if it were one year ago, in this beautiful hotel listening to the concert and watching the sea over the big windows.
But nobody there was feeling in that way, every one of them would have give up immediately the luxury to go back for one second in their homes. So there we were, playing for constricted guests, trying to give few minutes of fresh air for them minds, trying not to look like not respectful,
handling the situation with white gloves.
Once more the dignity and politeness of Japanese people show up in all their greatness in the way they thanked us and they treated us.

The 2 schools of the town, the junior high school and the high school are situated on the top of two different hills, between them was laying the town. From the schools you can see the entire beautiful bay, surrounded by mountains and hills.
At 14:46 of March 11, the students were having lessons there, they were all safe. And right here begins our and everybody's hope. After the quake, the people that could escape faster went all to the schools hills, and from there everybody could witness the Tsunami, that few minutes later erased the town.
All these kids have probably lost most of their families in those minutes and they were forced in the school for few weeks, because there were no place to go, and for at least one week they stayed without light or water, and not so much food.

However just four months after the quake we were there, watching the school band rehearsing, in a perfectly candid uniforms, and perfectly folded ribbons, showing and following all the beautiful etiquette that always impresses me.
Listening carefully the teacher, and playing the pieces in an ordered silent…

…which is something that really surprises me all the times in Japan, since I used to see the bands rehearsal more like an Arabian market taking place in a Jungle. It was just like being in a ordinary Japanese school town, where all the kids are exited to have professional players from Tokyo, where they shine the instruments before go to school, when they go home at the end of the day and they are so happy that they upload pictures on their blogs, showing families and friends the photos and maybe deciding to study music and become a professional. They ask me how to improve the piece they are studying for the upcoming concurs, because... it's important to play well, I know they feel like that, and everybody is trying hard, proudly pulling up the instruments together when the conductor raises the baton.

We played the concert, and I felt the eyes of the students on us. We were all in the same room. Performers and audience were the same persons, and everybody there was into the music we played together with the students. What a great thing is music, the closest thing to God that human invented! In front of music we are all the same, everybody understand it, everybody get pleasure from it.

In this schools that day, we saw the symbol of the hope for this country, the demonstration that there will be a future there, the insurance that Japan will raise again through them, like many times has done already.

Everything was normal in that school that morning, the sun was shining and from the sea, the nice breeze was blowing.
we ate a nice obento and we could hear the kids talking loud during the lunch, laughing many times and playing out joyful Fortissimo from the instruments warming up. Some old ladies were laughing and smiling a lot when I said that I had to watch TOTORO many times because I wanted to play it that day, but I did not understand much!!

We took many pictures and we signed many autographs when the day was over. They thanked us hundred times, bowing, shaking hands, waving and screaming "Tank you!" and even one "I love you" to me when I was on the car driving away!!!

About 50 meters down hill, the joy of a morning concert ends and drag us back to the reality. For many of them, there is no more family to show the pictures of this day, no more friends who read their blog, no more wall where to hang our autograph… Just Hope.
They are everybody’s Hope.

がんばって！！