Hello everyone!
 |
| Kai Shibuya |
My
name is Kai, and I am one of the interns at IfCM for this summer! I was
born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Currently, I
am a rising senior at Princeton University, majoring in Anthropology
with minors in Musical Performance and East Asian Studies.
Although it is not my major field of study, music is definitely something I’m very passionate about. I’ve grown up listening to (everything from classical to electronic to heavy metal and everything in between) and playing music (violin - mostly classical) for basically my entire life. At school, I’m part of the Princeton University Orchestra and also participate in chamber music ensembles whenever I have time. I also recently completed a junior year research paper analyzing the state of classical music (through the symphony orchestra) in modern-day America, looking specifically at the way assumptions about the genre have been constructed and how those affect the way the genre is perceived by the general public today. Which is a very complicated way of saying that I looked at what we really mean when we say “classical music” and what that means for the industry.
Although it is not my major field of study, music is definitely something I’m very passionate about. I’ve grown up listening to (everything from classical to electronic to heavy metal and everything in between) and playing music (violin - mostly classical) for basically my entire life. At school, I’m part of the Princeton University Orchestra and also participate in chamber music ensembles whenever I have time. I also recently completed a junior year research paper analyzing the state of classical music (through the symphony orchestra) in modern-day America, looking specifically at the way assumptions about the genre have been constructed and how those affect the way the genre is perceived by the general public today. Which is a very complicated way of saying that I looked at what we really mean when we say “classical music” and what that means for the industry.
What
brought me here? Having played the violin for many many years and
completed a semester abroad at the Royal College of Music in London
during the fall, I was interested in continuing music-related activities
over the summer to supplement my main studies in anthropology. While my
adventures in music have been almost exclusively in the classical
tradition, I believe that learning music of all kinds is something that
everyone should be able to experience, and experience as an actual joy
rather than something tedious and difficult. I have a lot of friends
who have shied away from music because they see it as something that is
too complicated, too esoteric. Perhaps learning an instrument does take a
lot of time and dedication, which can be difficult to commit
(especially for busy college students - they do say, “Studying, social
life, sleep - pick two”), but it’s a form of expression that I’ve found
to be worth every second of my time, every ounce of my energy. So
naturally, I try to encourage everyone to at least dip their toes into
some music-making.
But
I understand that some people might not have had great experiences - if
any - in creating music, for reasons extending beyond personal ones of
time - namely reasons relating to lack of resources or opportunities.
With this in mind, discovering IfCM and what the organization does
seemed like an answer. IfCM’s vision of a more holistic, interactive,
and fun approach to music education for a broader audience especially
intrigued me. (Plus I watched some of the videos on the website and -
let’s face it - IfCM is doing some pretty cool stuff!) I was hoping that
I might be able to help out in expanding that vision and turning it
into real projects. So here I am now!
I’m looking forward to a summer of creative thinking and of course, creative music!
