I am writing a book on my 15-year-journey to understand and conquer my stage fright. In the process, I am starting to listen to my very old recordings, and read my journal entries as a teen. The earliest recording is from the three-year-old Makiko, before her first lesson. She is constantly singing, and laughing at […]
I am a writer, a dancer, an actress and a dreamer… Read More »
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!! 2017 was an important year of milestones, and new beginnings for me. With the love, help, and support of many people, I finished my Doctoral Thesis “To See Music in your Mind’s Eye: The Genesis of Memorization as a Piano Performance Practice” and graduated Rice University with my Doctorate
Looking back at 2017. Read More »
What can I do for the world, and its problems and sufferings, as a classical musician? I’ve been reading many books in my quest. I just finished “Children of the Stone: The Power of Music in a Hard Land” by Sandy Tolan (https://www.amazon.com/Children-Stone-Power-Mu…/…/1608198138). It is a nonfiction about a Palestinian violist, Ramzi Hussein Aburedwan, and
Book Review: “Children of the Stone: The Power of Music in a Hard” Land by Sandy Tolan Read More »
It’s been around for a while. Most famously, Hilary Hahn took on the challenge. You commit yourself to making a video of yourself practicing for 100 days, and sending it out to the internet world. I decided to do this, partially because I met (virtually) a piano-lover, who’s been teaching himself how to play by
Taking on 100-day Practice Challenge! Read More »
I have amazing gift givers around me. They give me such thoughtful gifts that the thoughts behind the gift makes me tear up, as much as the usually-much-needed-gifts themselves. One such friend, my duo-partner, clarinetist Maiko Sasaki (with whom I co-founded ensemble MATIMA: http://matima.org/), gave me a page-turning pedal one year for my birthday. If
Gifts for Pianists. Read More »