The marimba is still not widely known as a musical instrument since its history is young compare to that of the piano or the violin. However, I believe that it's a coming instrument of great appeal: the warm and dynamic sound peculiar to the woods, and the ability to collaborate with the instruments of various music genres.
Since I was inspired by the profound tones of a marimba at the age of ten, it has always been my motive to play such tones. And with the hope to share this great experience with many people, and to promote wonderful marimba music, I'm conducting various activities.
Click here for 'Event Schedule' >>
- Great moment with marimba music -
Top ▲
Other than performing at concerts, I visit schools, welfare institutions, and hospitals to play the marimba. The idea is to create opportunities for people to "experience the live marimba tunes at familiar places". I also hold workshops to create an opportunity for many people to actually touch and feel the instrument.
In fact, when I was five years old, I had a chance to see and hear the marimba performance right in front of me for the first time. And this started me on the marimba playing.
With a little talk, I'm sure everybody can enjoy the music in a relaxing mood. Moreover, having a record of achievement as the registered artist of year 2004 and 2005 Public Hall Music Encouraging Operation (The Community Creation Foundation), I've been performing mini-concerts at schools, welfare institutions, hospitals, and kindergarten in all parts of the country.
- Experience the live marimba tunes at familiar places -
My activity report
 |
Workshop at Ageo-shiritu Kamogawa Elementary School
A class room concert of the piano and marimba
(Ageo-shi, Saitama)
|
I visited Kamogawa Elementary School with a pianist Noriko Sato to perform a class room concert. The students had decorated their music class beautifully to welcome us. We had set up the program with ?gDANCE?h as our theme this time, and we had the students join our encore performance by clapping in rhythm to tango.
Comments from the students?c
?gI couldn?ft believe the size of the marimba. So big?c?h
?gI could feel that the two performers were having a lot of fun there. But I know it?fs all because they have been practicing so hard. And I believe I can also do something like that if I work really hard.?h
?gThe marimbist and the pianist who performed for us today were shining. And I was really moved by their emotion and feelings that we could feel while they were performing. It was such a wonderful concert. I?fm so happy.?h
?gEvery piece was beautiful. The marimba and the piano had a great chemistry that I got caught up in the performance. When it was our turn, I sang and played music at my very best because I really wanted Ms. Mayumi Hama and Ms. Noriko Sato to feel the same way by our performance. No matter how long it takes, I really want to be able to impress people like they do.?h
We had a great day talking and having a joyful time with the sixth graders. And we were very impressed by the performance they played in appreciation for our concert. Thank you very much.
|
Workshop at Shibaura Elementary School
A mini-concert of the marimba and the piano
(Taketoyo-cho, Aichi)
|
With a pianist Megumi Oohashi, I visited Shibaura elementary school to hold a rhythm workshop and to perform a mini-concert. In the 40 minute-workshop, together with the 34 members of the fifth grade, we created and practiced the rhythm using things we use in the kitchen, and we made one piece of music. Then, we performed that music at the mini-concert afterward.
Comments from the students
"The 34 members of the fifth grade had a performance using things we use in the kitchen. I was really impressed. I hope I will be able to do that when I'm in the fifth grade."
"I had never imagined that we could enjoy music like that using our own body and those kitchen items."
"I wasn't really into music but, after that performance, I got really interested in music. Listening to their performance, I was wondering how they can perform so cool. And I think I know why after participating in that workshop. It was fun. And I think people can perform great music because it's fun. So, I also want to be like that someday."
"I was starting to enjoy playing music. And I thought, people perform music so well because it's fun! So, I hope I'll be able to play music like that some day."
|
 |
 |
|
Housei University, Tamagawa Campus
(Machida-shi, Tokyo)
|
I went to the workshop organized by Housei University, whose aim was to raise the people's interest in art culture.
|
Daiichi nursery school & Mizuho-en
(Miyoshi-cho, Saitama)
|
I'd like to introduce some of the comments I've received from Daiichi nursery school.
"The performance made me feel tender"
"Now I want to play marimba"
"I want to listen to it once more"
"I felt like the evil heart was going away"
I was very impressed by the sensibilities of the five-year-old children.
The liveliness and the brightness of the elderly at Mizuho-en were just so amazing. I felt a lot of positive and cheerful spirits there.
I'm very happy that we could enjoy the music together.
Meeting and spending time with the people of a wide range of ages, from five to ninety-nine years old.
It has been a wonderful day.
|
Chikumazawa Kamitome Elementary School
(Miyoshi-cho, Saitama)
|
I visited the school's music room with a pianist Mr. Kenichi Nakagawa, and we had the students study the structure of the instruments and listen to our performance.
We also improvised a tune together.
By listening to the live performance and improvising a tune together, I hope that everybody could enjoy the music more casually. I enjoyed the moment a lot!
|
Workshop at Mifunegaoka Elementary School
A little concert of marimba and piano
(Takeo-shi, Saga prefecture)
|
I visited Mifunegaoka Elementary School with a pianist Kenichi Nakagawa to conduct a workshop there. There is an oak tree which is over 3000 years old in Takeo-shi. So we asked the children to imagine and make objects d?fart of the god that lives there protecting the children. Afterward, we improvised and played the tunes of the image we got from those objects d?fart made by the children.
Let me introduce some of the comments I received from the children.
"The greatest thing today was that the tunes were improvised out of the objects d?fart we made. There was a very wild tune as well. But I really liked the tunes Mr. Nakagawa and Ms. Hama performed for us. I never knew music was so much fun."
|
|
 |
"I was really surprised that they could improvise and play the tunes out of the objects d'art we made, right there, without even looking at the music. And it was fun to join the performance singing and playing other musical instruments. It was like my dream of singing, dancing, and performing came true."
|
|
 |
|
Kobato no Ie preschool
A little concert of marimba and piano
(Takeo-shi, Saga prefecture)
|
 |
I visited the preschool with a pianist Kenichi Nakagawa. We explained the structure of the musical instruments visually, and improvised tunes with the children using our bodies and some musical instruments.
|
Izumo Science Museum
"What is sound? One, two, three! "
(Izumo-shi, Shimane)
|
We looked at the wonder of sound through scientific experiments.
Many joined our performance with the handmade musical instruments and the body percussion.
There were five different experiments such as using liquid nitrogen to experiment the difference of sound depending on its hardness, looking closely at the waves of sound using an oscilloscope and more.
By not only listening to the performance but by also studying sound through several experiments, I think many people got more interested in music.
I really appreciate the museum staff for their great cooperation!!
|
The Lake Kawaguchi Stella Theater
"Enjoy music in the great nature! "
(Kawaguchiko-cho, Yamanashi)
|
This event, aimed at raising the environmental awareness through the experience in the great nature of Mt. Fuji and enjoying the music, was set up, prepared and managed by the local high school choir group "BEATS"
We picked up the garbage while hiking in the forest, and used those to make very creative musical instruments. The participants joined my marimba performance with their handmade musical instruments and body percussion. I also performed a mini-concert there.
I think everybody, from five-year-old children to adults, could enjoy the music in a relaxing mood in the great nature. This is one of the most memorable concerts I had.
Hats off to the group management capability of "BEATS"!! |
|
 |
|
If you have any requests for concerts and activities,e-mail me here. >>
Please leave your contact information: name, address and e-mail address.
|
Top ▲
