François Du Bois

François Du Bois, born in La Charité-sur-Loire in Burgundy, France, is a composer, marimba virtuoso, as well as professor, columnist and author.

Musical debut

Du Bois began to learn music when he was 8 years old. By the age of 17, he had already become a professional. At 16 years old, François Du Bois embarked upon a career path as a symphonic orchestra percussionist and a jazz drummer, which he pursued until he was 26. In the classical field, he has worked with Lorin Maazel, Olivier Messiaen, and Mstislav Rostropovich,[1] and in the field of jazz, he has worked with Richard Galliano, Trilok Gurtu, Dominique Di Piazza, and Abbey Lincoln.

A detour

Dissatisfied with the lack of artistic substance in his music, Du Bois left France at the age of 20 for Africa, in search of experience and inspiration that would lend his music greater substance, a journey that led him to Burkina Faso. During his first year there, Du Bois caught malaria, but he fully recovered. Several years later, Du Bois' musical education had become complete after having studied under his mentor, Ray Lema.[2] Lema is an African singer and composer who founded the National Ballet of Zaire (today Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Career as a marimbist

Du Bois played in a duet with the Canadian violinist Hélène Collerette, who is currently the premier soloist of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Later he played in a duet with the Australian violinist Jane Peters—winner of the Tchaikovsky Prize—in a concert tour through Germany.[3] He also performed with the pianist Ludovic Selmi,[4] in concert tours throughout Europe and Japan. The two of them collaborated with Les Tambours du Bronx, among other groups.[5] After the dissolution of the duo, Du Bois began to concentrate on composing music and recording it.

Other duets created by François Du Bois

In 1998, Du Bois left Paris for Tokyo on a quest to discover new horizons in the field of music. Keio University invited Du Bois to create a special class in musical composition for the Political Science department. That same year, he created the “Orchestre d’autre part”, an ensemble that consisted of 14 marimbists and taiko players. Keiko Abe, a key person in the development of the marimba, introduced Du Bois to two of her former students with whom he would record the album “Origine”. Soon after the album's release, NHK broadcast a live 30-minute programme “Studio Park: François Du Bois Special” that reached 10 million viewers during primetime.

In 2013, François Du Bois composed a double album, recorded in October of that year at the Meguro Fudoson Buddhist temple, accompanied by the temple monks. Out of their collaboration arose a new sound to stimulate meditation. The music was inspired by the Chinese concepts of “Liu Zi Jue” and “Medita Music”.[6] In September 2014, Columbia Records released the corresponding double CD Dive Into Silence.

Awards and accolades

The Marimba Manuals

François Du Bois is the author of a complete 3-volume manual of playing the marimba: The 4 Mallet Marimba, distributed by IMD. Keiko Abe remarked in the preface, “This method's pedagogical approach—a product of a certain creativity—is an invaluable contribution to the study of the marimba.” The method is available in French, English, and Japanese.

Discography

Films

Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola. Accolades

Du Bois Method

Capitalising on his experience in education, music, and martial arts, François Du Bois established the method of career management that bears his name. He first employed the Du Bois Method in the Personal Career Management class he was giving at Keio University,[8][9] in which many people, including Carlos Ghosn,[10] participated in order to share their knowledge.

In 2003, Du Bois began to lead a seminar called Personal Career Design — Du Bois Method at Academyhills,[11] adapting his approach to suit a general audience. Since 2005 his company, D-Project, has managed the Du Bois Method seminars.

The Du Bois Method focuses on improving the creativity and energy of both entrepreneurs and employees through balancing the physical and mental condition, as well as intelligence and sensibility.[12] Seminars are based on four steps: games; physical exercise based on Chinese martial arts and Chinese traditional medicine; discussion in a psychologically-controlled environment, and African music.[13]

Du Bois's books cover the practical application of the Du Bois Method to everyday life.

Since 2012, Du Bois has taught a class on the Du Bois Method at "Attackers Business School", Kenichi Ohmae's prestigious business school based in Tokyo [1]

Martial Arts

Du Bois is also well known for his practice of Kung-fu. He received the title of "first international successor of Wudangshan internal martial arts" in 2009, after undergoing training in the Wudangshan Mountains in 2008–2009. Du Bois created the first Wudang Kung-fu school in Tokyo.[14] At the fourth World Kung-fu Championships in 2010, his team earned one gold medal, one silver medal and two bronze medals.[15] For the 2012 competition, Du Bois was selected as the leader of the Japanese delegation that comprised 94 athletes; his own team of six competitors took home seven bronze medals.[16]

Journalism

Books

External links

References

  1. 1 2 3 Iuchi, Chiho. "From marimba to career", Japan Times, Tokyo, 14 March 2016. Retrieved on 22 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Batteur Magazine 88, Mars 96
  3. ↑ "The violin and the marimba at its summit!" in the Mainzer Rhein-Zeitung, December 8, 1990.
  4. ↑ La Tribune de Genève, 04/04-05/1992
  5. ↑ Le Journal du Centre, 02/17/1992
  6. ↑ Yuhobika, April 2015, p. 145, 146, 150.
  7. ↑ L'echo Charitois, 01/21/1994
  8. ↑ Daily Yomiuri, 08/07/2003: Career management part of education: The course was complemented by the university's management as being "Outstanding"
  9. ↑ Financial Times, 24/06/2004: Mentors find the way for "lost" students
  10. ↑ Daily Yomiuri, 8/07/2003: Career management part of education: Carlos Ghosn visited Keio in June 2002 as part of the program
  11. ↑ http://www.academyhills.com/artelli/personal/tqe2it0000018lf5.html
  12. ↑ Nikkei Shimbun 06/02/2010 (evening edition): The Du Bois Method Develops the potential capacities through games and playing music.
  13. ↑ Yomiuri Shimbun 07/07/2007 : The characteristic of the "Du Bois Method" class is its interpretation of the management of career: it focuses not only on the ability of the person and the selection of the jobs, but also focuses much on the direction of life. The Method enables the change of the consciousness through musical and physical activities.
  14. ↑ "Hiden" Magazine 301, January 2013
  15. ↑ "Result Volume" by the International Wushu Federation
  16. ↑ "Grade Book" by the International Wushu Federation
  17. ↑ Yomiuri Weekly 3010, 02/12/2006
  18. ↑ AERA Eng. 1, 12/12/2005
  19. ↑ http://st.japantimes.co.jp/st_contributor_profile.htm?f=017
  20. ↑ Nikkei Ecolomy Online, 09/18/2008
  21. ↑ http://joblabo.asahi.com/category/exercise?page=2
  22. ↑ Ie no Hikari 87
  23. ↑ "唱歌と瞑想" 12 January 2015. Retrieved on 22 June 2016
  24. ↑ Yuhobika "Yuhobika" April 2015, p. 143-158
  25. ↑ "Adomachic Tengoku" February 21, 2015
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