Tomoko American

Tomoko decided to come to America by the time she was in college. “In Japan graduation is the end, in America it is just part of life,” Tomoko says. She wanted to continue to learn and grow professionally, and she has remained in the educational arena ever since.   

She also came to the United States because of its culture and attitude about music. She recounts her career journey. “I wanted to get out of Japan. Europe was the cultural center, but the US was very welcoming to musicians such as Paderewski. I got an exchange student status. I wanted a Fulbright but was too old for that particular program. I had to have a job to pay tuition. Fortunately, UCLA had a special opera workshop, and a Japanese composer was there, so I was an accompanist for the program.” She also played at Stanford. “In 1965 I had to get a green card, and in five years I became a US citizen.” 
 
Tomoko recalls her arrival in California. “When I came to California, I picked up a couple of California poppies, which they didn’t have in Japan, and put them in my book. I’ve never gone back to Japan.” 
 
I ask her what she liked about America. “I love the freedom. It is very comfortable, like a flowing painting. There is not tension and stress that I felt in Japan. It’s “high tech high touch.” People need a balance, and I feel that in the US you can maintain an equilibrium in life.”  
 
Tomoko goes on to compare Japan and the US in terms of music choices. “When I was in Japan, I wanted to play Chopin, but they said I was too young. ‘You have no experience. You are not ready until you are a Junior.’” Tomoko contrasts that attitude to her own teaching. “For a concert, I assigned a Beethoven piece that was heavy for a 14 year old. I think it is better to start students early with substantial music, and have the experience rather than not have that challenge. Students need to be curious and courageous. How much they understand, we don’t know, but it’s better than to protect the student. They can always return to the piece later on, and bring in more interpretation based on their own lives. The technique is always there.” 
 
Tomoko continues to compare music teaching methods, “Japanese music teachers focused on the rules of technique. There was a pattern to the teaching, which was a kind of military training because of the strong music competition; 80% was technique. The teachers also controlled more power, and pushed students down. Only after years of lessons would the teacher become more generous.” Tomoko compares her teaching in the US. “I love this country to teach – I can do anything.” Tomoko expands on her attitude. “In Japan, the results are more important than the process. However, the process is so complicated, and there are so many ways to reach your musical goal. And you cannot know the process of development for each child; you have to look long term. That is why  I think teaching should be custom-made to fit each student.” 
 
Tomoko also notes her professional opportunities in the US. “I was the first Asian teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The first non-white was a black woman who did jazz.” Tomoko mentions the diversity of the conservatory. “There are lots of Eurasian students now. It is good for them to connect with different cultures.” Tomoko concludes: “Without music you don’t see as much of the world, and you don’t see the challenge.” 
 
Tomoko Hagiwara is a wonderful example of America: a land of immigrants who have contributed to this nation, making it richer in culture.

Back to Bach

Bach’s music is timeless – and Tomoko has played his compositions much of her life.

Growing up in Japan, Tomoko heard Bach for several reasons. The Japanese government encouraged European classical music as the country was looking to modernize. As nationalism grew, the government would adapt European music, adding Japanese lyrics, and then teaching Japanese children those now patriotic songs.

Tomoko played Bach’s religious music in secondary school and college. Her school, Ferris Academy, was established by the Dutch Reformed Church. Their academic curriculum emphasized classical music training and performance. Tomoko frequently accompanied the school’s choirs during the school’s  religious gatherings. In college, Tomoko was an accompanist at the local Catholic Church, which also valued traditional European religious music such as Bach.

Another case of connecting with Bach occurred when Tomoko performed at the Carmel Bach Festival in 1967. The festival began in 1935, and featured four days of concerts. By the time Tomoko participated, the festival had transformed from an amateur to a professional venue. The whole town supported this event, and even hosted the musicians in their homes.

More recently, in 2013, Tomoko performed Bach’s Capriccio in Bb major on KBAQ (Tempe, Arizona) radio.

And even as a tourist Tomoko perform Bach. When she visited her friend in Florence, Tomoko went to a Medici house museum. There she spied an antique harpsichord. The owners let her play: Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major. It felt as if the centuries melt away.

Now as a teacher, Tomoko recommends Bach for beginning students; “Bach is a good composer for younger students because of his structure and use of chords.”

Yes, Tomoko continuously goes back to Bach because of his rich and compelling work.

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

Remembering Hermann LeRoux

As a long-time piano teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Tomoko has connected with many talented musicians. One of them that she remembers fondly is baritone Hermann LeRoux.

Among other memories, Tomoko recalls his connections with Japanese students and the Japanese consulate. “He was easy to get along with because he was born outside the U.S.” 

Hermann LeRoux was Dutch, born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1945. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, taught voice, and served as the chair of the music department between 1991 and 1997. He performed professionally, such as the baritone in Robert Moran’s work Holderlin, premiered at the Conservatory in 1972. LeRoux also wrote compositions, including “Reflections from Childhood in South Africa”, which he sang – and for which he helped produce as a CD in 1997 titled The Musician’s Gallery Concert. 

LeRoux also directed the X-perimental Chorus, a 15-member music theater group in the Bay Area. Along with performing choral pieces written by composers from around the world, the group presented theater pieces and electronic music. They used improvisation, special effects and costuming to bring wit and humor.

LeRoux has a strong legacy in the form of his students’ success. Two of his students, Christine Abraham and Eun-Mee Ko, later joined the Conservaatory’s voice faculty. Another one of his students, Diego Garcia, composes music and oversees all musical expression at the Napa Valley Center for Spiritual Living. George Hernandez, who studied under LeRoux in the late 1980s, has sung with the San Francisco Opera since 1990, now teaches voice, conducts choruses, and composes. 

In 2003 The Conservatory honored him at his retirement celebration in August 2007. He now lives in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Harmony in Life

“Harmony is important,” asserts Tomoko. It is certainly a core sensibility in her life.

Tomoko remembers taking music theory when in secondary school, which included harmony. She and her classmates would sing in harmony in front of the classroom. The girls would perform in duets and quartets, personifying the core of musical harmony.

In turn, Tomoko weaves in music theory in her piano lessons. She says, “At the beginning, the child needs to learn the basics, like arithmetic tables.” She points out the importance of understanding a composition’s structure and patterns, just like mathematics. “And we strive for harmony.”

Tomoko also notes the link between harmony and mathematics. Both require precision and order. Both deal with proportion and use pattern creatively. Music is very measured, and mathematics has a certain rhythm. Einstein, who played the violin for his own pleasure, loved Mozart because of the composer’s expression of universal harmony,

Tomoko says of harmony: “There is something creative about harmony: it is stimulating.” Tomoko continues, “Art is supposed to have a sense of a group; it is communication.”

When people are in harmony with music, they are at peace and yet energized.  Tomoko talks about culture’s impact on music. “I have a student from India. Each country has a traditional music. The people in each country meet for a unique reason. During their gatherings a special harmony is produced, and even the way to perform that ritual music is unique.”

The saying “to make beautiful music together” is a sure sign of harmony, a sign that should be heard around the world.