Eva Alkula

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Eva Alkula

Participating Project	Research Residency Program
Activity Based	Finland
Period	2013.6 - 2013.6

Purpose of the residency

I am working on a new solo album where the main theme is Japanese influences in kantele music. Japanese music has had a strong impact on my artistic activities and I have examined e.g. the fascinating connection between the Finnish kantele and the Japanese koto, first by learning koto playing in Sapporo 1999-2000 and during the past years by collaborating with a professional Japanese koto artist. Also the sustained and incredibly colorful surrounding sound world of Tokyo has been one of the major inspirations for the project. For the album I want to A) create sound landscapes in which I will combine recorded sound material from Tokyo and sounds played on musical instruments such as the kantele, the koto and the tonkori and B) arrange koto works for the kantele. Spending a month in Tokyo gives excellent possibilities for gathering the needed material and starting the creating process.

Plan during the residency

Recording will be done in various places of the city, anywhere where something typically Japanese is audible e.g. in trains, stations, gardens, temples, markets, harbours, even toilets. I am basically going to go around the city and record almost daily. For researching the koto works the music library of Tokyo University of the Arts, some private collections and The Michio Miyagi Memorial Hall provide a wide collection of works to look at. For this I will get assistance from koto artist Tomoya Nakai. While staying in TWS I will also start making the kantele arrangements and drafts for the sound landscapes.

Creator Information