Interview: Mike Shinoda
Licensing |
Michael Kenji Shinoda, a member of Linkin Park, was born and raised in Agoura Hills, a suburb north of Los Angeles, to a Japanese American father and Caucasian mother.
This album introduces the following 8 clips from his interview on January 16, 2006 followed by his profile.
1. First experience writing music
2. Drawing on paper napkins
3. Contemplating identity in Los Angeles
4. Connecting to Japan
5. Insights from family on Japanese American internment
6. Politics in music
7. Role as an artist
8. Being a good example for people
* Original interview clips were posted in the Discover Nikkei Interviews section.
Slides in this album |
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First experience writing musicI think the first experiences that I had with music as far as playing it would have to be when I was really young, when I was about 3 or 4. My mom enrolled me in a piano class. It was like a Yamaha piano workshop type of thing for …
Mike Shinoda Interview #1: First experience writing music |
Drawing on paper napkinsI started drawing and painting about the same time I started playing piano, maybe even earlier. My parents would give me like a pen and a napkin at dinner when we went out to eat basically to keep me quiet. They realized that if I got a pen and something …
Mike Shinoda Interview #2: Drawing on paper napkins |
Contemplating identity in Los AngelesThe question of, like, an identity or especially racial identity is something that always you’ll find with young people in LA, especially. It comes up all the time because LA is so diverse. I went to school in the Valley where a lot of kids got bussed in from the …
Mike Shinoda Interview #3: Contemplating identity in Los Angeles |
Connecting to JapanThe first time I went to Japan was on a tour with Linkin Park and I think it’s really interesting and fun for a person to be able to do something like that, to kind of like just get back to your roots and see where you’re from, to a …
Mike Shinoda Interview #4: Connecting to Japan |
Insights from family on Japanese American internmentMy dad told me about internment a long time ago. I think he told me really early. I know that when he told me, I didn’t quite grasp it. I was too young or at that point too interested in other things to be able to really understand the concept …
Mike Shinoda Interview #5: Insights from family on Japanese American internment |
Politics in musicWhen I was growing up, there was…I always loved the music of Public Enemy and Public Enemy’s a group that is very…was always very politically charged and they wanted to get into topics that people wouldn’t talk about, whether it be the…their disapproval with the response time with 911 or …
Mike Shinoda Interview #6: Politics in music |
Role as an artistMy role is always changing as an artist and part of that is because I’m the type of person that doesn’t stay…I can’t just be content doing one thing over and over again. I’m always trying to break out of and do something new. I think a lot of creative …
Mike Shinoda Interview #7: Role as an artist |
Being a good example for peopleWith Linkin Park, I think we all feel very fortunate to be where we’re at, just simply to be able to do what we do for a living is a blessing, you know? So when we’re…at a certain point, I think a few years ago, we thought we finally have …
Mike Shinoda Interview #8: Being a good example for people |
PROFILE: Mike ShinodaMichael Kenji Shinoda was born and raised in Agoura Hills, a suburb north of Los Angeles, to a Japanese American father and Caucasian mother. He first began studying music with piano lessons at age three. During high school and continuing while a student at Art Center College of Design in …
Mike Shinoda |