In the first half of the workshop, participants will learn how Otonowa formed to help with fundraising and awareness efforts in Tohoku, and how participants can channel their own life experience and musical background to help with social justice causes. In the second half, Akira will overview how Otonowa turns a specific Japanese folk or pop song into a jazz tune that they play regularly. Participants are welcome to bring their own instruments and learn a new tune (melody and chord sheets will be provided), and also try out a few traditional Japanese instruments (woodwind/reed). Participants are encouraged to think about what tunes they might adapt into a jazz piece, and to experiment with instrumentation.

Otonowa began as a trio, formed to play at an art gallery in Fairfax, California to benefit for the communities affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster of 2011 in Northern Japan that claimed over 20,000 lives. It developed into a full- in studio recording and outreach, touring project offering spiritual support through music for the affected communities of Tohoku (Northern Japan). Drummer and leader Akira Tana assembled a group dedicated to treasured Japanese folk and pop pieces that were common to them all. And if jazz is indeed, a universal language, then that fact is certainly never more evident than what these talented artists have done with this music. The traditional Japanese songs they perform are re-harmonized, arranged and adapted for the jazz lexicon. The ensemble features traditional Japanese instruments including the shakuhachi and taiko drums.