Six of our Resonance Jazz Orchestra members will travel to Japan from 26 September to 5 October for SHOWAYJO, an international exchange with Showa University of Music.

This year, Monet Schutte, Amelie van Wyk, Emily Scully, Reef Crew, Curtis Hardwick and Jack Nankivell will cross the Pacific, joining students from Showa University for rehearsals and performances, while experiencing Japanese music and culture along the way.

Trombonists Emily and Reef answered a few questions about their expectations of the trip.

For Emily, one of the most exciting parts of the trip will be meeting the Showa students and finding ways to create music together.

“I am super excited to meet the students at SHOWAYJO and exchange our knowledge and create some really cool music together.”

With limited time to rehearse together, Emily is particularly interested in how the musicians will find their individual roles within the ensemble.

“I am the most curious to learn about how the players can fulfil individual roles of the band, considering that we would have spent limited time with each other.”

Reef is also looking forward to learning from the Showa musicians, particularly when it comes to their approach to practice and music education.

“I’m curious to see how their teaching styles and practice habits are different to Australia.”

The students will also sit in on classes at Showa University, including opportunities to try traditional Japanese instruments such as shakuhachi, shamisen and koto.

Beyond from the university, the tour will offer plenty of opportunities to experience Japan, with visits to Asakusa, Mt Fuji, Harajuku and Shibuya, as well as the musical instrument district in Shin-Okubo, as well as attending a performance by Yellowjackets at the Blue Note Tokyo.

The musical highlight will be a performance at the Kawasaki Jazz Festival, where the WAYJO musicians will share the stage with their Showa University counterparts.

And there are, of course, some important non-musical priorities. Emily is looking forward to plenty of traditional food and sushi, while Reef has his sights set on sashimi.

More importantly, both musicians are hoping to return home with new ideas, techniques and friendships.

“I’m hoping to be able to take on board some new techniques and habits from the University students,” says Reef, “and I am also hoping to be able to make some friends who I can keep contact with.”

Emily is hoping for a similar mix of musical and personal experiences.

“I am hoping to bring back a lot of new musical knowledge and some very good memories made with the students from SHOWA and from WAYJO.”

For six of our musicians, SHOWAYJO will be an opportunity to learn from new musical perspectives, share their own experiences and build connections that extend beyond the rehearsal room.