Olympican Recitals

                Millions of people watch and read about the Olympics. This time is particularly special for Tomoko and her family because in 2002 her daughter Beata and husband Charles exhibited their ice dancing expertise at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

               In a way, piano recitals mirror that same kind of high-stakes public performance. To motivate students and give them opportunities to perform in public, Tomoko plans recitals twice a year to display her students’ efforts and encourage others to learn how to play the piano for their own enjoyment. As the impresario for her students’ recitals, Tomoko chooses pieces according to each student’s ability, wherever they were on the performance spectrum. She puts together the program with a clear path in mind, and then matches the details, preparing all the music. Tomoko says: “I see myself as a designer and fashioner of the musical program.” It takes up to four months to get ready for the recital. “Students need time to memorize well, but they can’t peak too early,” Tomoko knows by experience. By the time of the performance, everyone is be excited: the students, the parents, and Tomoko herself. The recitals are stimulating, like a good game; all the students try their best. Tomoko concludes: “Recitals are not the time to criticize but rather a time to celebrate, like the holidays.”

The music of Japanese poetry

Over the centuries, poetry has often been set to music. Indeed, Tomoko’s brother Hidehiko became a composer who would draw upon Japanese nature poetry to inspire his own compositions. On May 5, 1997, at the San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor, Tomoko and a handful of other instrumentalists performed music based on the poetry of Hojo Nakajima.

Hojo Nakajima is a contemporary of Tomoko. He was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and was educated at Kyushu University. The first anthology of his poetry was published in 1990, and that decade was his more productive one. He rose to become a Chamberlain to the Crown Prince of Japan, taking charge of the royal family’s daily life. In particular, he was responsible for music and ceremonies.

One of his most important duties was serving as special assistant of the New Year Poetry Recitation Commission (KyuchuKtakai Hajime), one the most popular and famous imperial ceremonies. This annual event is a legacy of Japanese courtly literature, dating back to the eighth century. Each year the Emperor chooses a theme, and anyone can submit an original poem. Specialists perform the winning poems performed in a traditional manner. The defining Japanese poetry form is tanka, a short poem of 31 syllables arranged in lines of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables each. Not surprisingly, Hojo Nakajima is a master of this form.

 On the international scene, Hojo Nakajima has been honored in Brazil, Finland, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States.  

Tomoko appreciates the importance of lyrics in musical compositions. She advises her students to study the words of a piece before launching into the musical notes because that exercise helps her students understand and interpret the music. Tomoko knows: “The power of words is made stronger by music.”

Student Success

How much of their success is due to their teachers? Several studies state that the teacher is the most important factor. That certainly applied to Tomoko and her piano students. She asserts, “I see the potential in my students, and help them to build their expertise and self-confidence.” In either case, many of her students have blossomed in their lives. Here are a few examples of her more recent students.

Matthew Blair Vorsatz, who studied with Tomoko, graduated with honors from the Conservatory. He said, “From Tomoko I learned how to learn. I became thirsty for success. Learning piano from her was the single most contributing factor in defining my life.” Matthew went on to double-major in economics and Chinese at Georgetown University, with a 4.0 GPA and now teaches at Harvard in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. He also learned from Tomoko “how important to be humble. Once you perform  you have a different kind of connection with audience.”

Emma Rose Wirshing recently graduated from Cornell Univeristy in Computer Science. Besides studying, Emma served as a career peer advisor, led the Speech and Debate Society British Parliamentary team, and worked remotely for a fintech start-up in San Francisco. In her college essays, Emma wrote a lot about Tomoko as her piano teacher, quoting one of Tomoko’s favorite pieces of advice: “ Be the best you can be.” Emily’s mother Karen Melander appreciated being able to listen in on Emma’s lesson. Karen stated, “Tomoko has raised so many children; we’ve all grown because of that.”

Niraek Jain-Sharma, who studied piano with Tomoko as a youth, now attends UC Berkeley as a math major, ans is the administrative assistant for Berkeley’s math circle. Nireak remembers Tomoko’s advice: “Do life to the fullest; when you practice to it to the highest; solve problems when you have difficulties.” Her words certainly resonated with Niraek’s math focus.

Niraek’s brother Vishank Jain-Sharma also pursued the sciences after studying piano with Tomoko. He earned a BA in physics at UC Santa Barbara, and served as a graduate lab assistand there. Recently he earned his graduate Certificate in quantitative and computational biology from Princeton. He said that Tomoko “opened doors” for him. She told him to follow his dreams, which he is doing very successfully.

Shruthi Sukir is a recent student of Tomoko. Shruti performed on the piano with the Livermore-Amador Symphony Youth Orchestra as a ninth grader. That year she was also on the Lawrence Hall of Science robotics at UC Berkeley. Shruti is indeed talented: as California National Merit Semifinalist, as an intern for Harvey Mudd College Computing and Information Services Centerr, and as a  top-notch athlete. Her father stated, “Tomoko taught Shruthi how to behave in a tight or tense situation. Tomoko would advice her: ‘Have the right focus, calm your mind, and know when to relax and when to practice.’”

Rowan Whitteny is one of Tomoko’s youngest students. He started at age 7 with her, mainly because his Kenyan mother loved music. However, Rowan hated the piano, and wanted to escape from it. Tomoko advised his mother: “Love your dream and it will come true. Don’t have him drop out now; it is not good to stop possibility. You need to read to your son; read about opera, for instance. Who knows what experience leads to.” Rowen learned the importance of reading and playing music. Hearing about Tosca turned Rowan around. He joined the San Francisco’s Boys Chorus, and continued piano lessons with Tomoko. 

Linking Students with Music

It’s the beginning of the school year, so it is a good time to focus on Tomoko Hagiwara’s role as a piano teacher, which she has done most of her life. “I started when I was 18, when neighbors asked me to teach their family.”

When asked what she likes about teaching, Tomoko responds: “The challenge, and the communication. You need music, and I prepare the next generation.”  Our conversation focuses on her students.

“I don’t make distinctions between students in how I treat them. I treat everyone as a professional.” On the other hand, Tomoko understands developmental differences among students. For instance, when asked if she goes into the history of a piece with her students, Tomoko responds, “Until they are 12, most students are not so serious, and are not interested in history.” She continues, “I like adolescent students because they are discerning. They know themselves. Some are over-confident. I tell them to look at the whole world; there are so many things in the world. I ask them to compare themselves with their possibilities so they can put their efforts into perspective.” Tomoko adds, “I learn from their growth.”

Tomoko also talks about motivating students. “I push students who are not interested. I use points, which can be reinforces at home with parents.” She shares another technique, “I will teach with two pianos side by side. I tell the student to watch while I show the music’s structure. No time is free.”

Tomoko also mentions the importance of choosing music carefully. Tomoko says, “Anthologies include pieces that are not good. I have the knowledge of 5000 pieces in my head. I stick with the classics, simpler music by famous pianists. Small songs help.” With her knowledge, Tomoko can judge the ease of each piece with the student’s ability; “Music is a scaffold.” Tomoko goes on to say, “A teacher always has to be on the outlook – watching out for what’s coming up.” Because Tomoko knows each student and each composition so well, she can anticipate where the student might encounter difficulties. For instance, she sometimes says to them, “Don’t get upset – this is hard for me too. This is a big bumpy road.” Tomoko explains, “I help them keep moving, meeting the challenge of each piece.” She also comments, “Disappointments can make you stronger.  I tell my students to never be discouraged, never give up.”

Tomoko concludes, “Why do I give so much to my students? You have to have sympathy with students. They want to grow, but they need direction. That is the biggest job of the teacher. Sometimes a miracle comes for a student when I work with them. That accomplishment gives me a mother’s feeling of joy.”

Listening to strong performances of beautiful piano compositions can motivate families to learn how to play. Tomoko is inspiring in all of her albums, which are available at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TomokoHagiwara