We recently connected with Shihori and have shared our conversation below.
Shihori, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I was always that girl who was different from other people in the room. People bullied me for that reason time to time.
But I just didn’t care about being different, or couldn’t care, it may be because of Asperger syndrome?
I always had something to pursue and focus on, enjoyed educating myself and growing, so there was no space to are about others.
Although being humiliated everyday was very very tough, but they couldn’t stop me from pursuing what I loved.
I knew that I was right and I wanted to be somebody… a star, to save the world, that dream kept me thriving even when I was almost broken.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a singer songwriter currently based in LA.
I was born in Japan and I’ve been a professional singer since 2002.
I debuted as a singer songwriter in 2007, I’ve created hit songs in J-pop world, including many theme songs for the anime shows and video games.
I relocated to the U.S. in 2008 after I enjoyed some success especially as a songwriter, I’ve been performing all
across the U.S. and oversea countries, and have written and performed theme songs for popular video games such as League of Legends, Omega Strikers, PUBG and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, alongside my own solo releases.
I am specialized in J-pop style of songwriting and vocals, I provide top-notch and authentic J-pop songs to my clients.
I also enjoy exploring American pop music and collaborating with other creators, I am honored to introduce J-pop to the world.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. I have perfect pitch from the birth, it might be because I was born deaf in one ear and God may balanced things out. This ability has been very helpful for my entire career.
2. I have a background in classical music, (even though it was not very formal) I really appreciate that I have the basic knowledge of music, it is extremely helpful to communicate with other musicians.
Many vocalists tend to have poor knowledge about music or about other instruments or theories, these basic knowledges help a lot.
Also I can write down the melodies in my head on the notebook, anywhere, I love this skill. It is also helpful when you wanna explain something very specific in music to other creators.
3. Outstanding reading and analytical skills have helped me writing great theme songs for anime shows and video games. Theme songs have to represent the world of the show, so you have to have these skills!
Even after I moved to the U.S. people ask me to localize their English lyrics into Japanese, I realized how they are crucial skills. Because English and Japanese have too different structures, you can’t just translate but need to summarize the messages and fit them into the melodies properly.
It requires a lot of skills.
For people who are at their early stages, I would recommend to learn the basic music theories, at least being able to read the chords and music sheets. (Mainly for people who you work with, since music is about teamwork.)
Other than that, you should keep refining your strengths to stand out in your field.
I don’t think you should necessarily follow the common sense that people tell you to follow. Don’t be afraid of being different, and keep going.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
The most impactful (and influential) person ever I worked with was Yoko Kanno, a music producer who’s known for her music in the anime show “Cowboy Bebup.”
She has been my Godess since I was a high school girl, and I happened to work with her in 2008, for an anime movie “Macross Frontier.”
I was a huge fan of music in that anime, I was speaking out loud my dream of working with her, and one of the people who heard it got an appointment with her producer.
They got us a special competition for the lyrics in “Macross Frontier the Movie,” she chose my lyrics and we made a song together!
During the process, she strongly told me that she prefers “unordinal / unseen phrases with ordinal word.”
She dislikes “ordinal” or “right” things and doesn’t care any common sense. She loves absolute freedom, exactly the same as her music.
Which was quite opposite to what I’d been told by other industry people, she blew my mind and saved me from the cage that I was trapped in at that time. (Because other industry people had tried to get rid of my uniquenesses and had forced me to do something typical and boring.)
My Goddess set me free, complimented me a lot and my traumas in songwriting were gone!
I got back my confidence again, my songs started to picked up by many artists and shows.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shihoriartist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shihori94
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shihorine
- Twitter: @shihori94 (Jp) @shihoriNY (En)
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@shihorinyla3586?si=-hLu-qFxW2_ruOzy
Image Credits
Some photos that I’m wearing dirty clothes, by Chis Cole
