Chris Leone

• 06Mar

  Friday March 7th

  Aimachi No Comments

  Spirits are high.

  Two of the last three nights, I’ve laid in bed too excited to easily fall asleep. Have you ever had that feeling before? Playing off a quote I found yesterday, maybe this is because my reality is more exciting than my dreams. Sounds a little cliche, but I still like it.

  No monumental event has happened per se, but I’ve been getting very excited for what lies ahead, all the while enjoying the moment.

  My life is simple here. I have two responsibilities - the Aimachi Bass Line and finding a job post WGI competition in 42 days (!!!).

  Let’s start on the bass line:
  We are having a blast. We are a group of 5 guys who immensely enjoy being around each other and even with the thick language barrier, we seem to communicate very well. Our two hour rehearsals are enjoyable start to finish and we finish each night stronger than the night before. I feel very confident this is, and will continue to be, one of the strongest sections in the ensemble this season. Considering it was the complete opposite two years ago, I think we have a lot to be proud of.

  The job front:
  I don’t like to get to detailed in this area, but I will say I’m pushing along with enthusiasm and clear vision of what I want to do. While this may seem vague, it has personally re-lit a fire inside.

  I’m so excited for what lies ahead…

  C

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Tags: Aimachi

• 03Mar

  The past two weeks

  Aimachi No Comments

  Well, this nasty cold has finally started to break and I’m feeling a lot better. A lot has happened since my last post, so I’ll summarize a little…

  Mom and Dad’s trip here was fantastic. After they spent their first few days in Tokyo, they took the bullet train to Nagoya. We spent the next two days either on our own or with Sekine taking us around town. While my parents were in the Nagoya area, Sekine let us stay in a new apartment he purchased for “foreign VIP” guests. It was so nice to sleep in a room with heat!

  On Thursday, we travelled to Kyoto with stops along the way in Tenri and Nara City. It was nice getting to show my parents some of these places you wouldn’t normally think to visit on a trip to Japan - I’m speaking about Tenri specifically. As I’ve said before, Tenri City is to Tenrikyo people what a combination of the Vatican and the Garden of Eden is to Catholics. The next town over, Nara, has many interesting things to see as well - and feeding dear along the way is always fun.

  Kyoto was as great as always. My favorite place was the palace of the Shogun which Dan and I were about 5 minutes late getting to see when we visited there in December. After seeing this palace up close, it made me want to read my book “Shogun.” I’m halfway through this 1200 page epic but I’m determined to finish it while I’m still in Japan.

  When we dropped them off at the train station on Saturday it was a little sad, but we knew we got the absolute most out of this trip.

  I’m really happy both my parents and my brother had the chance to visit me here in Japan and see what the last 6 months of my life have been like. I’m also happy my situation has provided them the opportunity to see this beautiful country up close - not only as a tourist, but as someone immersed in the Japanese culture.

  The week after their visit was more or less quiet. On Thursday, Michael Gaines flew in to help us finish out our show. The weekend was incredibly busy to get this task completed, but it was worth it. We are very excited about what we have to bring over to America in 40 days - wow. 40 days left.

  I know when this is all over, I’m going to miss it a lot. In fact, I’m already starting to miss it. I won’t miss the days of having nothing to do, I’ll miss sleeping in, I’ll really miss all the drumming, but most of all, I’m going to miss the people. The people here are really something special and it breaks my heart to leave them - especially when word got out I was considering staying here after WGI. Now that my plans have me coming home and staying there in April, I have to face the reality of leaving these people I’ve grown so close to over the last 6 months.

  I’m anxious for the great things that are ahead once I return home, but for now, I’m focused on these next 45 days. I know how much I’m going to miss all of this, so I’m determined to never let a minute go to waste.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Tags: Aimachi

• 14Feb

  Happy Valentine’s Day!

  Aimachi No Comments

  It didn’t occur to me until I glanced down at my Calender that today is Valentine’s Day! Technically, it was yesterday - but nonetheless. In case you’re wondering (I know I was) V-day IS celebrated here in Japan as well. Of course, it’s not without its own little twist. In Japan, on Valentine’s Day, girls give guys gifts. They usually consist of sweets/chocolate/other special foods. For instance, I received cookies, many different kinds of chocolates, and….KFC. Nothing shows affection like deep fried fowl! Now before you start getting all, “OoOooO, it sounds like many girls have a little crush on Chris,” know that these gifts were handed out to several people at the same time, i.e. there was no singling out. It’s ok, though. I wasn’t expecting too much. Also, March 14th is “White Day” when the guys return the favor to the girls, so no one gets left out.

  Today three designers came in from the U.S. to help put together more of the show. We got right to work tonight finishing some more drill. It’s very cool stuff as was to be expected. Bret Kuhn, the main drum guy comes in tomorrow. This weekend will be busy but VERY productive.

  When we weren’t at the airport today picking up the guys (and getting Starbucks and another one of those bagels), I was busy putting together the Aimachi Bass Drum Exercise Packet. This is something I set out to do when I arrived and after several months of trial, error, more error, and successes, I had a good idea of what I wanted to include. Just to be clear, this is about 6 pages of very short exercises that will help the bass line maintain good fundamental technique and timing. Every good percussion program has an exercise book, but when I came here, I saw lack of a good one. If there’s something I love doing, it’s looking at something and thinking about how it can be improved. That’s why I took on this project so enthusiastically. I wanted to improve the process and the system. Sometimes I think other people view this approach as “sticking my nose in other people’s business,” “over stepping my bounds,” or something to that effect. Honestly, I can’t see such complacency getting anyone very far - or least not as far as I hope to achieve. If, for instance, my position here was defined as being low on the totem pole, I would keep my mouth shut - like I did at the Cavaliers. In 2006, I was new to this scene. I was there to play my bass 1 notes and march bass 1 dots. But here, I bring experience and ideas that I know will further this program. I can’t comfortably lay low when I know I have so much to offer.

  It makes me happy knowing I’m doing things that have both helped our designers thousands miles away and also take a section to a level higher than it ever has been. I’m not trying to brag by any means. I just love knowing I’m helping people and am having very positive impact on this special program that is the Aimachi.

  C

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Tags: Aimachi

• 12Feb

  2-12-08

  Aimachi No Comments

  So it’s been a few days…or a week to be more precise. Sorry about that. It’s not that I’ve been busy. I’ve been the complete opposite. I usually feel most inclined to write in this blog when I have something to share. This week has been so quiet I haven’t really had anything to write about.

  The biggest event of this past week was a nice snowfall on Saturday. It was unexpected, for me at least, which made it that much more enjoyable. In all we got around 6 inches and it all came during mid day. The warmer temperatures made it perfect for snowballs and snowman. From what I could tell, the roads were in pretty bad shape and as a result, very few people showed up for rehearsal that night. By Sunday, almost everything had melted which allowed for a much better rehearsal turnout. We had a very productive day and the show is sounding better and better.

  To keep myself “busy” these last few days, I wrote a percussion piece. I’m pleased with how it turned out. I did it both for fun and for the experience of writing. If you’d like a listen, click

  I’m in the middle of reading three books right now. I started the first book, “Shogun” several months ago and have been picking at it every now and then. I have been reading the second book, “Thank You For Arguing” almost every day. The book is about rhetoric and how to win in an argument. It’s an entertaining read. It works on the “win, lose” philosophy which bothers me some, but it has several interesting suggestions that I find myself employing without knowing it half the time. The third book is about music theory. I have taken a music theory class in the past but it has been so long I wanted to freshen up on some things. I really enjoy writing music and would like to start toying with more melodic stuff (opposed to non-melodic percussion stuff exclusively). I want to start playing the guitar again when I come home so maybe that will open some more doors in my brain. Something I have noticed about song writing is that I get into a state of mind where I start shutting off everything around me and continually hear music in my head - not in a crazy way, though. It’s more of a “zone.” The hardest part about this is when I want to go to sleep and I still hear music ideas in my head!

  I have more to share but it’s time for church and then dinner. I’ll save the rest for another day when I’m short on things to talk about

  C

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Tags: Aimachi

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