Let's "Make a Forest"

In February we recorded a song which was chosen as the official song of the G8 Summit in Hokkaido at Lake Toya.


We performed the song several times this spring around Hokkaido, ending with our final performance at a concert on July 5 in Furano.
Backstage during the last concert, the perky female MC asked if I understood Japanese and when I said I have a little we chatted a bit. When she introduced me onstage I entered and stood near the mic, ready to sing. But before we could begin the music she wanted to ask me some questions, which I had to answer impromptu in front of the audience. Luckily my friend/colleague Inugami was there to allow me to answer in English with his translation. (Something about that slightly nerve-wrecking experience reminded me of the judges' questions onstage during the Miss Omaha Pageant when I was eighteen. Funny.)
Another surprise was in store for me, however. At the end of the concert I was unexpectedly asked to join the others in singing "Make a Forest" in Japanese. Oops. I tried to keep my distance from the microphone, for the benefit of the audience, but in the middle of the song Ms. Perky McHelper kindly offered me my own mic, to be sure that all could hear my mangled nihongo skills.


You can see the video of our final show here. (It's my first video I've posted on YouTube, so I'm feeling proud of my techie-prowess and simultaneously nervous for the publicity.)