Interview

The two days were most rewarding to me, being able to learn together and share ideas with colleagues from around the world. The presentations were very interesting, because I could discover how other teachers are conducting lessons, and their experiences and ways of thinking have extended my views on teaching. It is 25 years since I started teaching at Yamaha, but the environment around children has drastically changed and I'm afraid people are losing warmth of heart, even as their lives become wealthier. Therefore, this must be a time when music education can do much for human beings. I hope I can do something through music education to aid in the regaining of human warmth. By attending this Forum, I reconfirmed the significance of music for our lives.

The Yamaha Music School in Korea has just started, so I was very happy to have the chance to participate in this Forum together with many experienced teachers from around the world. I had never thought of teaching the JMC, but through four years of experience, I am really amazed with the results of this education system, which is unique in the history of Korean education. In July 2008, the JOC Highlight Concert was held in Korea for the first time, and that was a great step forward in our Yamaha Music School history. I could not stop crying while watching the children who had completed the Junior Music Course playing their own pieces on stage. I am really motivated to promote this system in Korea by emphasizing the creativity it can foster in children.

I was a Junior Music School student when I was four years old, participated in the JOC myself, and have been a teacher for 20 years! I am proud that I learned in Yamaha and now teach in Yamaha. This time, I came here with my student who will play in the International JOC(held the following day of the Forum). I feel a bit nervous, as I am concerned about my student's performance. Yet, I am very happy that I can participate in this Forum. In February this year, Italy hosted the first European JOC, and I believe this was the fruitful result of the efforts we have continued to make. I believe that creativity is the most important advantage of Yamaha's music education, and I will continue to do my best with confidence.

It was a really exciting experience to join in this Forum! I had a strong impression that I am a member of the worldwide Yamaha family. Yamaha's education program teaches children how wonderful music is, and can foster various abilities including concentration and memorization, as well as confidence. To tell you the truth, my own children are Yamaha students! Australia is a unique country, as there are many immigrants from various countries, so teachers are required to teach students of different cultural backgrounds. The social environment has been drastically changing during the past 20 years, so based on this fact, I would like to convey the love of music, beyond races or eras, as this is really important.

It is amazing that Yamaha teachers throughout the world can gather in Tokyo and exchange their opinions. I am so glad that I could join them. I was able to learn a lot from the experiences and ideas of teachers from various countries. I would like to share these ideas with the teachers of Latin American Yamaha Music Schools. Teaching music is really a rewarding job, as music can enrich people's lives. I was encouraged by this Forum to keep on learning myself and to teach Junior Music Course children always with a fresh mind, in order to give them the gift of music for their entire lifetime.

Having the chance to talk with enthusiastic teachers from around the world, I feel as if we were in a family. I myself was a Yamaha student a long time ago, and I am still occupied with music, because I learned that "music is fun" in the Junior Music Course. Music became a part of my life when I was small, and now I share it with the children I teach. I think we have to keep thinking and introducing new ideas in order to improve ourselves as teachers. In this respect, I was able to learn a lot at this Forum from the presentations by other teachers, and came to know the great efforts they are making in their own unique circumstances.