History in JAPAN

[ 3 years old -> When she was in high school ]
Naoko started playing the piano when she was 3 years old. When she was 5 years old, she sang a children's song and played the piano in her concert. That is her first stage! Actually, she did not like playing the piano because her teacher was so stern. She was given lots of slaps by the teacher, so when she was in elementary school, she stopped playing the piano even though she loved music. When she was in junior high school, she picked up the clarinet, and had a goal to go to music university in Japan. She wanted to be a professional clarinet player, so she entered to high school that had a brass band that was strongest in Japan Kansai district. She was playing the clarinet as a concertmaster in the band, and the band had got gold and silver medals in the contests. She loved the clarinet, and practiced hard, after that, she entered to Music Department of SOAI University in Osaka, Japan.


[ When she was in University ]
While she was studying at SOAI University, she devoted her passion to music and was a hard working student. She was always strict to herself and worked hard everyday on her instrument. And as a result, she was selected to "Evening of Ensemble by the Society of music university" which was sponsored by the Japan Kansai district as a representative of the university. She also joined "Okinawa Music Camp" through a nation wide audition and her playing was featured by the "Music Today" magazine. With her aggressiveness and passion towards music she had attended many contests and played many times as a clarinet principal for the SOAI orchestra conducted by Tadaaki Odaka who is celebrated. She also took lessons from Karl Leister who was a clarinet principal of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and from the clarinet principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra. They offered to her she should have come to their country. Actually, she wanted to go to Germany to study the clarinet, but unfortunately it never came true because of her parents' opposition. She gave up her career as a clarinet player in tears when she graduated from the university. She felt of frustration and her heart was hurt, and finally, she left her all clarinets.


[ When she was an office worker ]
She looked for a new environment she could live. She decided to work at a company, and worked as an accounting, a clerk, a computer programmer, a keypuncher, and a secretary. She had many jobs and worked hard. She did every job perfectly, and had great prestige among her bosses, and was definitely an important staff in her companies because she had strong responsibility and honesty. After about 2 years, she got engaged with her boyfriend. But unfortunately, one day, he died by the car accident. It was unexpected event nobody knew. She lost her fiance in no time. She lost everything. Since then, she was living like she died. She killed all her emotions because she was so afraid of crying. No pleasure. No anger. No sadness. No laughing. No crying. No music. No fun. Killing all emotions gave her "nothing". It was just a way she tried to forget the sorrowful event. She had spent with "nothing" for 4 years.


[ When she started singing ]
One day, she met a famous Japanese rock singer by chance. She was revived and influenced by him, and then, she started singing and writing lyrics (Japanese) and songs, and looked for her own music. She entered into Japanese music business. She worked with Yuki Katuragi, Masahiro Kuwana and more who are famous rock singers in Japan. She loved rock music. Especially, the singer that influenced her the most was Janis Joplin. She was shocked by Janis' powerful sound, groove, emotions inside her singing. She always felt the same feelings as Janis' when she sang. Pain, sadness and desire for love. So, her performance had a hard edge. And for her, hard rock was the best way to express her emotions. In that sound and groove, she felt that music meant being a human. She used her own body hard and expressed herself. It was like a scream from deep inside that came out naturally. She quite often sang around Tokyo and Osaka, and made her office, "Office Noway( web site(English) )" to promote her songs and singing to record companies. But, they never received her. They never believed her talent, and said she was TOO OLD in the music business, and ROCK N' ROLL WOULD NOT BEAR MONEY in Japan. But, she never gave up because she already had given a lot of her dreams up before. She knew how much stopping her dreams and killing emotions were so hard. She kept singing with her soul and unstoppable passion. Her performances were so powerful. She realized singing was her only way she could express her emotions. One day, someone she worked with told her, "You never had a talent as a musician, so you should give it up and return to an office worker." She was so shocked, but she never gave her dream up.

[ When she started teaching ]
About 5 years after she started singing, she started teaching voice and songwriting at three music colleges in Osaka. And she established her own school, and managed it and taught. She had over 100 students. Her school grew soon, and she hold a recital at the "Umeda Heat Beat" which is the largest club in Osaka.( pictures of the recital ) Her school was featured in the newspaper "Daily Fuji", and the magazine "Learn and Study". Her policy to teach was very unique. She was not teaching only voice and songwriting. She gave counsel to her students as a human being. She thought music equaled human beings, so she wanted to take their worries to concentrate on their singing. She never wanted to be distant toward her students.


[ When she was thinking about moving to America ]
She also kept working as a local professional singer in Osaka. But she was still looking for the place she could express her OWN music. Also she started to want to have her music worldwide. She wanted to find out if she really had the ability and real talent for singing. One day, she decided to go to America to take voice lessons by Gloria Bennett who is teaching Axl Rose (Guns 'n Roses), Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Dexter (Offspring), and more. Gloria recognized her voice and said to her, "You have great voice and talent. All you need now is a good manager. Connection and luck would influence your music carrier deeply." But she knew she needed to get abilities of English to communicate in America, and write lyrics in English. She also needed her band in America. Gloria suggested her to go to Berklee College of Music to reinforce her weak points in musical expression and to find a band. She could not decide to move to America soon, because she had a lot of students and was managing her school. She was so distressed, because she knew that if she tried to get her dreams, she would lose her important things in Japan. Her friends, students, company and parents.... She loved them. After one month, she decided to visit to Boston to see Berklee, and contacted with Mark Baxter to take his lessons. Actually, she wanted to see him very much since she started singing, because she read his book in Japanese, and it was very useful for her. She could not decide her way yet, but her parents, friends and students definitely agreed with her dream, and told her, "You should go!" After her consideration, at last, she decided to move to America, and she stopped her school. She felt so hard to stop it, but also knew "Must leave something to get something." The school had existed for just one year. She told Mark and Gloria about her decision. They wrote a letter of recommendation to enter to Berklee for her, and she got admission from Berklee.


Finally she moved to America with her dream in Oct, 2000.
It was only for 6 month from the time she decided to move to the time she moved to America.
Continued on "History in USA"


"Music is a mirror that reflects human's life. The groove is human's breath, heartbeat and emotions. I have lost a lot of loves and important things since I was born. I have been alone. I have been lonely. I am very sensitive. I easily get hurt. I have had much pain. However, I have had much love. My great teachers, companions and parents are giving for me much love. My life has been changed many times. But, everything has meaning in the life. Even if I get unlucky. The grief makes happiness after I overcome. I have a lot of emotions in my heart, and strong desire for love. Therefore, I can sing with my soul. I keep singing, and never give up until getting my dreams!" by NAOKO