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Honorary Mention of 2011 International Web Concert Hall
Competition
Takeaki Miyamae (Flute - Japan)
 Where were
you born and where do you live now?
I was born
in Nagano, Japan. Currenly I live in Pittsburgh in the U.S.
What do you do in Pittsburgh?
I have been in the
U.S. since 2002 and maintained two tracks of life style. When I moved to the U.S., due to the perplexing immigration
law restrictions, I was required to work as a medical researcher and
now, I work as a
musician professionally. I wish I could dedicate all my hours in music,
but I have turned to think that pursuing both music and medicine
is not a bad idea because they are deeply relate with each other.
Playing the flute requires us to understand our body and its
physiological functions; for example, how to use and maintain breath,
tongue and inner muscles, how to make them relaxed while playing in
order to produce beautiful and resonant tone, how to prevent muscle
fatigue, etc. As a university research staff I can access to
numbers of articles/research papers with respect to the relevance
between music and science especially on respiratory physiology and
cognitive sciences, which are very helpful for developing my own playing
and teaching methods. Though I became free from the visa restrictions
about one year ago, I keep balancing and taking full advantage of these
two tracks, which may distinguish me from others, and I believe that
this is my mission. Currently I teach flute at Suzuki music schools in
Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. area and Matsumoto, Japan and provide
private lessons and master classes in the U.S. and Japan. I appear in solo
and chamber music performances on demand. Also I am a medical research
staff at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
What
period music do you enjoy playing the most and why?
I really
do not stick to one particular period music. I enjoy playing music
especially when I feel blending myself into music and portraiting the
thoughts, feelins and images of music.
 Who are your teachers?
Toshio Takahashi
(Suzuki Flute School founder), Marcel Moyse and Louis Moyse
Did you learn from them in Japan? Or in the US? How did you meet Marcel
Moyse?
I have been studying
the flute with Toshio Takahashi in Japan. I first met Marcel Moyse at the
age of eleven when I participated in his masterclass held in Matsumoto,
Japan. The following summer, he invited me to his home in the U.S. and
gave me private lessons. During my school vacations in summer and
winter time, I visited Marcel Moyse home in Brattleboro, Vermont and
Honolulu, Hawaii (his winter home) for the lessons. Due to my age (minor)
at the time and international trips, I was accompanied by Mr. Takahashi for these
lesson trips. I met Louis Moyse during my stay with Marcel. Then,
after many years had passed, I participated in Louis Moyse’s masterclass
held in Kyoto, Japan in 2000. He remembered me and said, “Long time no
see, Takeaki! I know why you came here today. Decided to return to
music, huh?” I attended his master classes held in Vermont and in Canada
from 2003 to 2007. My last lesson with him was done a couple of weeks
before he passed away. As you may notice, my performance at the Web
Concert Hall Competition included his composition, First Sonata. This
father and son are very special for the flutists, but much more so to me.
 How did your teacher influence you as a musician?
Toshio Takahashi has
taught me that playing the flute and music is fun and he always leads me
in the right direction. He is my role model as a teacher. Regarding
Marcel Moyse, I took private lessons with the best flute player in the
world at my early age and was directly exposed to his music. He
was and still is so special. His music interpretation, tone development,
approach towards music, everything is beyond expression. I always
remember his lessons which do not fade no matter how many years has passed,
priceless opportunities. He is my extraordinary role model as a
musician. Louis Moyse who was a great flutist, pianist, composer and
the son of Marcel taught me how to incorporate my own identity as an
artist into music, express myself through music and develop them
together. He helped making me a professional musician.
Do you teach? If so, where?
Yes, I teach
private/group lessons for those who studying with Suzuki Flute
method and those studying with traditional method from child to adult,
beginners to professionals. I also conduct master classes in the U.S. and Japan as well.
If you teach, what do you mostly emphasize to your students
and why?
For beginners to advanced
students, I emphasize them to listen to the music very carefully, grab
the images and feelings of the music, and express them by making
beautiful resonant tone as much as possible because the images of music
leads to music interpretation and beautiful resonant tone is the basis
for music no matter what musicians play. For advanced to professionals, my approaches are specifically as follows: 1 ) Why and What to do
= top down strategy
Careful interpretation
of music tells us the context of the musical work and it can determine what
types of phrasing and tones are suitable and/or ideal in order to exteriorize the
context.
2 ) How to do = bottom
up strategy
 First, learn
the tone
technique associated with appropriate fingering technique. Second, learn how
to recognize reciprocal relationship between property of tone, property
of air stream and somatic sensation of body muscles, and learn body
muscles that are working under less stressful balance when beautiful tone is
produced.
What do you hope to accomplish as a musician?
There is no goal for
artists. I will keep cultivating and developing my music
interpretation, skills and techniques as much as possible.
On be half of the Web Concert Hall, we would
like to thank you for your time and we wish all the success.
Interviewed by Webconcerthall in March, 2011
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