Interviews
On music
[Playing violin]
I’ve been playing violin since I was seven maybe? But I never…I never thought it could be a profession.
I was pretty heavy into classical music in high school, as well as metal, which is what everybody my age was into. After that I went to jazz improvisation and so I really got heavy into improvisation which is a very social art form.
My parents encouraged, I went to engineering school first and I flunked out, but they knew how much I loved music, so they let me go…
I think I use it as a shield to hide behind. Because if I didn’t have my music I feel like I’d be kind of worthless. That might be a part of, maybe my minority identity…that’s hiding behind my skillset.
Date: August 21, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sharon Yamato
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Results of being more American than Japanese
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Trying to convey the meaning of the songs
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Internship on a Native American reservation in Arizona
(b.1952) Master drummer, artistic director of the Taiko Center of the Pacific
Different tension between East Coast and Los Angeles
Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan
Reasons for starting taiko in America
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Japanese musical education
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Differences between American and Japanese taiko
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Meeting Japanese Americans from the mainland in MIS
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Dream of "taiko" in the English dictionary
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Blue-eyed doll
(1914-2018) Founder of the largest gladiolus bulb farm in the United States.
Sudden acceptance in Japanese society
(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan
Ring name: "Yamato Damashi"
(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan