Kaoruko PILKINGTON / Lecturer, Berklee College of Music / Boston, USA

A jazz singer living in Boston.Lecturer, Department of Vocals, Berklee College of Music.
In Japan, he was a professional singer, but he went to the United States for the purpose of improving music.Learn jazz voice and composition at Berklee College of Music.After graduating, he stayed in Boston and started his musical activities in earnest.As a jazz singer and bandleader, he is active in jazz clubs and live spots in and around Boston.He has a lot of experience as a voice trainer and jazz voice coach, and currently teaches at his alma mater, Berkeley.Her scat, which she learned from jazz improvisation guru Hal Crook for many years, has a high reputation among local players and singers.He is also a certified voice trainer for the featured voice training method Somatic Voicework ™.
The self-produced CDs “Joy Spring” (2000) and “Bright Side of My Life” (2014) are a mix of standard, Brazilian and contemporary jazz.Enjoy the performances of top local players and her own, as well as original arrangements by Greg Hopkins, Bob Pilkington and Mark Shilansky.Both CDs are on sale at Amazon.com (USA), iTunes, and CD Baby.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei In Japan, while singing in a band, I used to play and talk in Shinjuku.But I wasn't satisfied with my musicality.Around that time, my friends went to Berklee College of Music, so I decided to study abroad there.Then I graduated, got married here, and have lived there for a long time.I used to do singing and piano in Japan, but I started teaching singing after graduating.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Yes.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.Of course, I've been singing songs for a long time, but when it comes to so-called full-scale study, that's the first thing.I used to learn the piano when I was a kid.I took lessons and sang, but when it came to vocalization, there was only classic sensei at that time.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.For the time being, there was an environment for teaching songs, but I feel that the proper environment was not in place (as it is now).When I came here, Berkeley's voice department was much smaller than it is now.After that, it became very big, and now there are the most vocalists in Berkeley.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei It's completely different.The characteristic of Berkeley here is that it gathers artists and teaches them, so there are many forms that respect what each artist is doing, and in that sense, this method must be used. There isn't.Of course there is some uniformity, but it really varies.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei It's a form of teaching policy, or with regard to sensei, respecting what each sensei is doing. The curriculum (mainly popular music) is also different from other music colleges in the United States, as far as I know.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Berkeley taught at Five Week in the summer of the last few years, but official recruitment is from this year.It's a very popular workplace, and I can't get into it.This time, another Korean was hired together, and I think these two are the first Asians in the voice department.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Maybe it was because she was persistent.

Kaoruko Pilkington sensei I didn't grow up in a special environment like growing up in a musician's house, but I just loved music from the moment I really remembered it.Especially, I really like American pop.It's like I've been listening to it since I was a kid.I don't know if it's there now, but there used to be a US military broadcast.I wonder if still there for?

It was Pilkington Kaoruko sensei AM, but there was such a thing in the past, and I just heard that kind of thing.It's like that.That's why I fell in love with it, and I didn't speak English, but I like the pronunciation of English.Something in American English.I also liked English songs for that song.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei I liked Motown and so-called R & B after all.I was singing jazz, but it was still halfway.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Yes.I loved Motown and the Jackson 5.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei The Jackson 5 was cool.So, a little older, but older, like Otis Redding.Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Marlena Shaw are some of the most popular jazz singers in Japan, but I really loved Marlena Shaw and Chaka Khan.

I wanted to be Pilkington Kaoruko sensei.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei I started jazz when I was in the light music club of Nihon University College of Art.I had many friends playing jazz around me, and I started singing naturally.I often went to jazz cafes and listened to them.That's why I started playing jazz a little, but I really like R & B.As soon as you enter Berkeley, you're Lalah Hathaway right now, right?By the time he graduated, I was in my first year and was overwhelmed by the performance at a school concert.There are many other wonderful student R & B singers, and they are singing naturally and are very cool.I was very impressed and thought that I couldn't do it.When I was in Japan, I vaguely thought that if I could sing better, I would suddenly be able to sing like that, but I think it was different and I wanted to study more about the music of jazz. ..I was wondering if I could make my own music.The reason I decided to play jazz in earnest was that I thought, "Oh, this is fun" in the scat class.Then I started to study improvisation in earnest.Then, I came to want to be able to absorb various things and make music that only I can do by taking music theory, advanced arrangement and composition classes.Living here, I strongly feel that original things that are not imitations are important.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei The good thing is that jazz is born in the United States, so you can study while absorbing its culture and soil.However, sadly, jazz tends not to be respected in this country.The number of places where you can listen to live jazz is decreasing compared to the past.After all pop music is popular.I heard from someone that this has happened recently in Japan as well.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.Speaking of jazz, there are people who have the image of ignoring the audience and ad-libging endlessly.If you hear only such performances, the customers will go away.I think that really good jazz should be enjoyed by amateurs as well.And I think the good thing about America is that anyone can participate.Especially here in Boston and New York, there are a lot of musicians who are very good at it, but there are also many people who are not good at all.There is an environment where anyone can enjoy playing.Jam sessions are actively held.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei It's about people from Japan, but there are quite a few people who are also playing and teaching.Japanese people start learning the piano when they are about XNUMX years old and practice it a lot, so there are many people who have a solid foundation.Recently, the number of people who are good at not only piano but also various musical instruments is increasing.Singing is difficult because of English.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right, because I didn't grow up in English.The reason I wanted to study here was because I wanted to sing a song in English.Not only did I understand the meaning of English, but I also wanted to be able to sing in English in the true sense of the word with the nuances of English.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei First of all, I think it's English.But more important than that, the determination to do it absolutely.And is it a sense of purpose why you are here?Without it, it will be washed away.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.Looking at the people who are successful here, after all everyone is enthusiastic. After all, there are people who say, "Oh, that's amazing."

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Personally, I don't think it's a great advantage, I don't have any Japanese culture, dancing or koto.I'm doing it without giving out (identity) of Japanese people, so I think it's actually a big loss.After all, there are people who have Japanese culture (background) properly, can make koto and shamisen, and do things like doing it well with Western music. However, those people can get the color that is unique to Japanese people.But maybe there are people who say, "What kind of jazz is Japanese people doing?" And think it's a little interesting.I'm not sure if it's a loss or a gain. (Laughs) Isn't there a part where I'm a typical Japanese person in a sense, or somehow Japanese people feel embarrassed about their Japanese style?Do you say that you are Japanese and feel the shrinkage?It's not like that, but somehow it seems like I'm one step below the Americans.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Well, I think it's useless to have such an inferiority complex.I also tended to do that, but for the past few years it has reopened and I'm wondering if this is all right.When I remembered that, it became a little easier, and I was able to move myself forward and get a job.It doesn't make anything different, but it's important to be confident in yourself.No matter what you do, you shouldn't have a feeling of inferiority.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Open, so I feel like I'm going to go on my own, rather than being Japanese.I grew up in Japan and came to the United States with Japanese culture, but I think it's very important to have that kind of attitude to do it.Going back to the previous story, people who have it have been successful.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.it's difficult.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei I don't write songs by myself.However, what I do is to arrange so-called jazz songs in my own way, and then change them into my own or the form I want to express. That's it.It's the same with standard jazz songs, and recently I've been doing something like old pop, but that's interesting.After all, it's really fun to arrange various songs (in my own way).And after all it is a scat.I like it the most.
It's fun to be able to teach students from all over the world at Berkeley.There are also quite advanced people, and it will be useful for studying here.I see people from Europe, but it's a different approach to jazz than Americans.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei After all, when I say America, it's blues.Starting with jazz, the origin of pop music today is Pruss, isn't it?American jazz is a personal feeling, but I always feel it somewhere.But when it comes to Europe, I get the impression that the earthy odor has disappeared.And I think that jazz is more important.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei It's interesting.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Well, I released a CD last year, so another one.This time I want to make a CD with a little more improvisation.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei I used to work at a restaurant and was told, "Don't scat so much."That's why I didn't do much scat (on the CD released last year).At the center of arrangement.This time, I'm thinking that I want to focus on improvisation, but I haven't boiled it down yet.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Of course.The previous CD was pretty much like the culmination of a band I've been with for many years, so it was like the music I've been doing all the time.The next one is still in the planning stage.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.But, as I said earlier, having passion is the best thing, and successful people are business people.Someone who can do that kind of thing, such as calling a customer.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei I think there are many ways to do it, but after all, for example, I go to a jam session, meet various people, and expand my network.So when I get a job.When it comes to my own story, I went to jam sessions around there and live concerts where I could jump in, and expanded my acquaintances.Most of the connections I have now are made there.After all, when I said that I could get a job, I would go by myself, sing by myself, and exchange business cards.I got to know that, right?Is it the only one?Listen to various stories and exchange information saying "This is in such a place".Now I can use more social networks to expand it, but in the end, I'll return to the previous story, but if I feel inferior, I can't.After all, if you don't have the power to push yourself out, you can communicate yourself firmly, regardless of whether you are Japanese or American.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei That's right.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei Just because she's not good at it or because she can't speak English.Sure, it's better to be able to speak English, but even if you can't speak English, there are people who push it through.Isn't that all right?It doesn't matter if you're not good at it or if you make a mistake, I think it's better to be prepared to convey what you want to do.

Pilkington Kaoruko sensei I want you to think positively, not that you can't do this or that you can't do that, but that I can do that and that you can do this.And a decent sense of purpose, conviction that I will do it, and work hard.
good luck! !! !!