Meet Mikiko Sato

We recently connected with Mikiko Sato and have shared our conversation below.

Mikiko, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

Practicing a mindset of optimism is what gives me optimism! Being optimistic is sometimes not easy. Our emotions and the situations we are in affect our feelings. When we are too exhausted to have room for relaxing, we tend to be pessimistic and negative, don’t we? For me, everything about living in the U.S is challenging, because of the differences of culture and language between here and my home country of Japan. It’s so exciting, and at the same time, there’s a lot of energy I have to spend for everything, even small things. So it’s easy to be tired sometimes. So when there are a lot of things that I have to do and I’m feeling stressed, I start to think negatively, it’s a sign I need to take a rest. When I focus on something, it’s easy to forget to take a rest, stay hydrated, and have healthy foods. But treating yourself is the tip to being optimistic, isn’t it? Especially after trying something challenging, I talk to myself, like “I did all that I can do. So no need to worry further, let’s try to be optimistic!”, and do something fun and relaxing for myself such as walking in nature, drinking hot tea, having sweets or meeting friends. It’s not necessary to be something big, even though it’s a small treat it makes me relaxed and happy.

To be optimistic, it’s important to have good balance between challenging work and taking a rest and having fun. So my mindset of trying to be optimistic makes myself optimistic!

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 composer, music director, pianist, and singer-songwriter from Japan. My recent focus has been on songwriting, where I draw upon my unique musical background and incorporate a subtle Japanese sensibility for seasons, nature, and scenery. I have performed my originals in various countries, including Japan and the US, and as an educator in Boston I also teach music sometimes with a focus on Japanese seasonal songs.

I entered the Tokyo College of Music, majoring in classical composition under Professor Shinichiro Ikebe, and also pursued jazz piano under Professor Rick Overton. I earned my Master’s Degree in classical music composition. Since then I have worked in various roles, serving as a music director in theater and as an educator in composition, piano, and vocal performance. My passion and eagerness led me to pursue further learning at Berklee College of Music in 2017. I studied in Boston under Professor Lisa Thorson and graduated summa cum laude in December 2020 with a Professional Diploma in songwriting. In August 2021, I released my first original single, “My Wishes for You”, and followed up with my original album, “Mikiko’s World,” in the fall of the same year. I was appointed the Concert Series Director at Kaji Aso Studio gallery in fall of 2022.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

“Be yourself” “Listen to others”
“Embrace new challenges”

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Listen to your inner voice and learn from the diverse perspectives of those you trust.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

My next challenge is releasing new songs. I’m currently in the production process and am very excited to share them with everyone. Please stay tuned!

Contact Info:

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