I am writing this blog, as I enjoy my first weekend home in six weeks, after a three-week tour in Japan, and a week at a chamber music festival on the East Coast. It’s been an eventful summer!
Los Angeles Public Library’s “LA Made” series presented me in branches throughout the LA County in my lecture-concerts. I presented on topics ranging from “Music as a Universal Language: History and Neurosicence” to “Jewish Musicians in WWII Japan,” promoting music as a healing, and uniting agent. Kawai America Corporation generously provided the piano for me, supporting my activities as a Shigeru Kawai Artist.
I spent a part of my summer in Europe! I played my recital “Piano Waterscapes” for a scientists participating in a machine learning symposium in a beautiful Greek island of Spetses.
In Japan, I got to tour presenting “Piano Waterscapes” participated in the 20th anniversary celebration of US-Japan Leadership Program, conducted two “Team-building and Leadership Program with Music” workshops and gave a lecture presentation on music as healing to a medical device manufacturing company. Oh, and I got to climb Mt. Fuji for the first time in my life, and saw the sun rise from its summit!!
I was home for exactly 36 hours, before I headed to Lenox, MA via NY. ArtsAhimsa is a chamber music festival for music lovers, where amateurs of various levels get to be coached, as well as play with, professional musicians. It takes place in a breathtakingly beautiful nineteenth-century mansion, Belvoir Terrace. I got to play the Ravel Trio, and Hindemith Quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, both amazing pieces I was playing for the very first time. I also got to play Beethoven’s trio Op. 11 with my favorite clarinetist in the whole wide world, Maiko Sasaki.
Having taken a break from social media and blogging for the last month or so, I now resolve to update those who are interested in following my activities by uploading at least one post in the form of a blog, Instagram, or Facebook post. I do also want to keep records of my developing career, and perspective as I go through my life’s journey. There are too many precious moments with wonderful people and opportunities to just let them go by.