Music: Something to Appreciate | Yoko Sato (Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)
June 15, 2006
For me, music is something to be enjoyed exclusively by listening. I rarely play an instrument or sing myself, at most humming a tune when I'm in a good mood. I don't have a habit of playing music in the background while doing other things. Some people work while listening to music, but for me, music during work just sounds like noise. Therefore, when I enjoy music, it's usually at a concert. In my twenties, I was a fan of Fubuki Koshiji and went to her annual recitals at the Nissay Theatre many times. I still clearly remember her unique stage presence, her voice, and the Givenchy costumes she wore. Both Givenchy and Fubuki Koshiji have long since passed away.
Most recently, a performance I heard last fall at Minato Mirai Hall was exquisite. It was a performance by the Orchestra of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, conducted by Kazushi Ono, and I was particularly captivated by Ravel's Boléro. A single instrument starts the rhythm, drawing out the sounds of other instruments. These sounds eventually swell into the full orchestra, surging and filling the entire hall. Since "Ravel's Boléro" reminds me of an ice-skating performance from an Olympics a few years ago, even I, a complete novice in classical music, was able to fully immerse myself in it and experience a moment of bliss.
As for enjoying music by playing it myself, I once started learning the mandolin in my twenties, wanting to be able to play. I stopped attending classes after about six months, but for a year or two after that, I would find spare moments to strum it on my own, enjoying it in my own way. I had completely forgotten about it since then, but after receiving this topic, I remembered and searched for it. I found my old mandolin sleeping in a corner of a closet, untouched, having survived several moves without being thrown away. I'm not even sure if it's still playable, but I feel like it might be nice to start again when I have a little more free time. However, unlike an electronic piano, a mandolin cannot be muted, so I'm sure it would bother those around me.
And so, it seems my relationship with music will continue to be one of enjoying it by listening, rather than creating it myself.
(Date of publication: June 15, 2006)