Mikiko MOTOIKE / Piano / Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg / Halle, Germany

Mikiko MOTOIKE / Piano / Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg  / Halle, Germany
Started playing the piano at the age of 4, and learned composition at the age of 6.Graduated from Tokyo College of Music after graduating from Kanagawa Prefectural Yaei High School, Department of Music.Currently enrolled in the graduate school of Martin-Luther-Universität in Germany, studying piano and piano education.Received the 2012 Encouragement Award of the Japan Piano Culture Association Fresh Contest and the 32nd Japan Piano Education Federation Piano Audition Encouragement Award. In 2010, I took a public lesson by Vladimir Ovchinnikov. In 2015, he took lessons from Iliya Scheps and Jochen Köhler at the Euro music festival and performed at a concert. Performed at the 2016 Tokyo College of Music Piano Graduation Concert.
-Can you tell us your background as a simple self-introduction?

Motoike: I entered the Yamaha Music School at the age of 2 and started playing the piano at the age of 4. From 6 to 14 years old, I studied composition at Yamaha and studied classical piano.Although high school is prefectural, I entered the music department, then graduated from Tokyo College of Music, and now I am in the piano education department of Martin Luther University in Halle.
-What made you start thinking about studying abroad this time?

Motoike: Since I was little, I had a desire to study abroad in the future, but I made a clear decision last summer, and I was taken care of by And Vision at that time, but I participated in Halle's summer class. Then, I went to Germany alone for the first time and spent about two weeks, but it was more comfortable for me than Japan, and I didn't really know anything about it, but from the day I came. I opened my heart and thought that this was the place where I was at that moment.I definitely wanted to study here, and I had a strong desire to meet sensei, who had a good relationship with me, and to study under that sensei, so I decided to study abroad.
-Did you always think that you first went to summer?

Motoike: That's right. There was a time when I was lost, and I was wondering whether I would continue to work in Japan and become a piano sensei, go to graduate school, or study abroad, so I decided to take the plunge and go once. Therefore, I decided to consult with my family.
-I think there were some twists and turns, such as talking with our counselor before choosing the current school. How was the process when choosing the school?

Motoike: I had a summer class at Halle last summer, so I came to Halle for the first time at that time, but at first I nominated a different sensei.However, the person who translated there was a student at that school, and that person's sensei was also attending the class, and the interpreter said, "If you like sensei because you have time, why don't you learn from sensei? That's why I met the current sensei.The sensei was really great and I wanted to study under this sensei.After returning from there, I immediately started preparing.
-I think you had some experience learning in Japan, but have you ever felt something different from Japan?

Motoike: In the lesson, I have the strongest impression that I can talk to sensei on an equal footing, and I can ask anything, and I can usually ask, "I think this, but what do you think of sensei?" I think it's an environment where you can study music with peace of mind because you will be really kind to me.
-That was something you didn't really feel in Japan.

Motoike: I think it depends on sensei, but my sensei in Japan has become very friendly and I have grown a lot, but that's why I'm still fulfilling here. I think that I can talk about various things with sensei because I have cultivated various things in Japan, but I feel that they are really equal to each other in Japan. It feels like musicians can talk to each other rather than sensei and students.Of course, I get a lot of information, but he talks about various things.
-I'd like to hear about your application, but what kind of documents did you need for the exam content and means?

Motoike: Documents are written in German, like a resume so far, a resume in Japan, but also Japanese university transcripts and graduation certificates, high school transcripts and graduation certificates. It was a song, an application form, and a language certificate.
-Are there any documents that this was painful?

Motoike: I was able to go relatively smoothly with the help of And Vision, but it is my resume that it would have been difficult if I was alone.I also think it was difficult to read the essential points.
-I think that resume is like selling to a stationery store that Japanese people usually imagine, but isn't a university resume different?

Motoike: That's right.It's a little different, it doesn't matter if you have a photo or not, but I wrote the name of the sensei I learned so far, the prize I got in the competition, the grade I have, etc.
-What was the actual exam like?

Motoike: In the test, each song was one song for each era, so if you passed all the songs, there was a practical skill of about 1 minutes and a simple interview.
-Do you mean that you can choose the song you like?

Motoike: It depends on the university, but at my university, the composer and the era are decided to some extent, such as Bach's equal temperament, and I was able to choose freely from there.I prepared 7 songs in total and took 2 other graduate schools, but they were really free and I was thinking about a 45-minute program, so I was very happy that I could use the same program. is.I learned by playing a lot.
-It's not easy to finish the number of songs up to that point in a short time, unless it's a recital.

Motoike: That's right.The atmosphere of the exam was very peaceful, and I was asked "Welcome" and asked "What do you want to play at first?"I wasn't tingling at all, and taking the Japanese music college exam was really tingling, but I was also very surprised and thought it was good.
-What kind of interview was a simple interview?

Motoike: "Why do you want to go to this school?", "How much did you study German in Japan?" Or "What did you want to study at this school?" It was done.I wasn't asked much about difficult things, and it was like having a small talk with sensei.
-So you can see most of the practical skills, right?

Motoike: That's right.
-I think there are various procedures when you pass and go to school for the first time, but were there any difficulties?

Motoike: The university started on October 10th, but I was told that you should complete the procedure by the orientation at the beginning of October, so please tell me all the necessary documents for September. I went there, but I waited for about 10 hours.There were too many students and everyone was lined up.The procedure itself wasn't as difficult as I expected, but the waiting time was quite painful.
-You have to go to the counter instead of online.

Motoike: That's right.I got a ticket with the number written at the counter and just waited.For the actual procedure itself, I showed my pass certificate, handed me a photo that would be my student ID, and later I received an admission permit and a student ID by mail.
-At the same time, I feel that it is difficult to study abroad because the reason for giving up is money. How did you prepare for this study abroad fund, Motoike?

Motoike: My parents pay for my study abroad, and I promise that my parents will pay for my tuition and living expenses for the first two years, and I will do my best from two years later.
-There aren't many people who go that way, but how do you plan to go in the next two years?

Motoike: In the last two years, I would like to improve my language skills and teach the piano to earn money.Teaching is a good experience and I think it would be best if I could live on it.
-If you succeed, you may be able to stay as it is.

Motoike: That's right.I will do my best.
-Did you feel that you can understand German normally when you were studying a language?

Motoike: It's still about my daily life, so I went to a language school in Japan for the first time in June last year, and two months later I went to a summer class, but at that time I still needed an interpreter for lessons, so my basic language skills It was, but since I came back to Japan, I've been studying hard, and although the classes are still quite difficult, I'm able to speak more than before.
-By the way, in terms of the submitted language proof, what is the grade?

Motoike: It's B1 now.
-It's amazing that you got there in a year.Do you like studying languages ​​originally?

Motoike: That's right.I haven't done anything special, but I like studying languages.
-Are you still attending a language school there?

Motoike: I haven't attended the current semester, but I would like to attend a university language course from the next semester.There are really few Japanese people, so if you go to a cafe for lunch every day with your friends, you can speak German.It's very good for me, and I'm having a hard time in class, but I live a life of recording recordings and listening to them again after I get home, so I think that's also good for improving my language skills. increase.
-So it feels like you're taking a German shower every day.By the way, how many Japanese are there?

Motoike: One of the people I know was an interpreter for the music department last year, and there are also people who are studying different things or working ... Is it about 1 people in total?There are many Chinese and Koreans, but there are really few Japanese.
-What is the actual atmosphere of the school?

Motoike: The atmosphere of the school is very good, and everyone is studying hard, but that doesn't mean that they are rivals, but they exchange opinions, and even if it's not a lesson or a recital, everyone usually plays together. I'm sharing opinions with each other.I think that I'm laughing while having lunch and talking about interesting stories, and the story of politics begins, so I feel that everyone is studying seriously, and everyone really likes music. I feel that I am doing it every day.
-Are there people of the same age group?

Motoike: I'm 22 years old now, but there are also people around 35 years old.I'm a master at university now, but from the perspective of the master, I feel like a really small child has arrived, and many people are around 30 years old.There are many people of my age in Bachelor, but in Japan it seems that 22 years old is employment or graduate school, but in this case I asked "Why do you master even though you are still 22 years old?" I'm sorry.Because I am Japanese, I was seen younger and was told that I was about 18 years old.There is an interesting episode, but when I took the exam, I took an airplane and went to a different city to take the exam.At that time, when I made friends with a Mexican grandmother sitting next to me and said, "I have an examination tomorrow," I was asked, "Are you in high school?" When I said "I'm in graduate school", I thought I was a genius child, and I was told "I'm uploading a YouTube song. I definitely want to listen to it." I didn't expect to be seen as young as 7 years old.
-I've heard that Japanese people tend to look younger, but it's rare for them to be seen as young as 7 years old.How many people are there in the school?

Motoike: The number of people in the music education department is about 20 at the graduate school alone.There is a group of music education and musicology, and I think there are about 40 people including musicology.In the whole school, not only the music department but also the philosophy department and German literature, there are campuses all over the city, so I think that the total number of students will be about 1000.
-You are in a affiliation like a so-called piano pedagogy major in an integrated university.What is the big difference between Japan and your study abroad destination?

Motoike: There are quite a lot of things, but the first thing that surprised me was that everyone was really kind, and when I was just coming and there were a lot of things I didn't understand, I was asking people who didn't know anything about it. , Everyone was kind enough to teach me.There was a time when I made a mistake on the tram, and when I asked the person behind me to sneak, everyone in that car was worried. When I was told to get off at the next station, the aunt who got off with me wrote down the numbers of the trains that stopped at my nearest train station.I was really happy and cheered up.I go shopping in various places every day, but I always think that it is not in Japan to say hello.We do that for granted here.Even when I go out after shopping, I talk to each other like "Have a nice day", so I think it's good because that kind of culture is not in Japan.I live in Kanagawa and my university is in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, so I think it's really different.I really like the family-like atmosphere of where I am now, rather than the city, so I feel comfortable.
-Did you have any problems in your daily life?

Motoike: I have everything for shopping, and thanks to the help of the people around me, I don't have any particular problems.I don't think 160 cm is so short in Japan, but I'm really small here, and I had a problem because I wasn't tall enough.When I changed the light bulbs in my house, the landlord said, "I can use the ladder," but I couldn't get it even if I used the ladder.
-Do you mean that the ceiling of the house is high?

Motoike: That's right.Everything is big size, and you may have trouble with your height to do anything (laughs).
-Even in such a case, it means that the people of Halle will help you.

Motoike: Yes.A tall friend at the university says "come a little" and asks for help.Actually, I think that I have to help the people around me, and I think there is a part that helps me.I'm sometimes confused because the culture is different, but every time I'm a sensei or a friend, the people in the city really get close to me and ask me, "What's wrong?"Even during the admission procedure, when I was registering for a class or had something I didn't understand, I just got to know each other, but when I asked everyone, they kindly taught me how to do it, so I'm really grateful.
-It's an enviable environment.I'd like to hear about music lessons, but what is the content of school lessons?

Motoike: There are some lessons that I take from sensei, and some that I take lessons for students because it is a piano education department. There is a class where you have two students and take lessons once a week.After that, in a group class, one person brings a student, has a lesson in front of everyone, and then there is a class where everyone discusses, or a piano method class that just listens to sensei's story. And musicology classes.
-Where do you bring your students when you have them?

Motoike: I find friends who are interested in the piano in other departments, and have them introduce me to acquaintances.After that, sensei is always recruiting, so I will introduce you from there.
-The class where you bring your own students is a class where you can get credit.

Motoike: That's right.There is also an exam at the end of the semester, and lessons are given in front of sensei.
-Does sensei usually look sideways?

Motoike: No, I haven't seen it.It's completely independent and I'll show it at the end.I take students to the class where I sometimes have discussions, so I have sensei at that time, so I think that sensei can understand what the situation is, but in the end there was an exam at the end of the semester. I think you'll see how sensei grew there.
-I think there is a possibility of hitting a student who doesn't listen at all.

Motoike: That's right.But that was also a good experience for us, and there was a time when I was teaching small children in Japan, but really small children do not have the ability to concentrate for a long time, so how to attract interest. I thought about how to give an interesting lesson without making me feel boring, so I think it's a great experience to be able to do that.I was surprised when I first saw the curriculum when I had such a class.
-How often do you have that group discussion?

Motoike: Once a week.It is once a month to see my students instruct me.
-The content is that you can experience teaching more than that while receiving guidance yourself.I think this is a very rare experience, but there are so many people who want to study abroad, is there anything that should be prepared in Japan?

Motoike: It's a musical term.I think it's easier when you start a lesson to remember what the terms used in the music are in German as much as possible.
-The lessons are in German.If it doesn't come out right away, do you feel like supplementing it in English?

Motoike: I supplement in English, and I always have a table of terms with the book, so I cheat.My student has one student, so I ask him to teach me German.
-I felt that the way you spend your time is very different from that of a normal piano department, but how do you prepare for your own piano practice and instruction on a daily basis?

Motoike: I want to study in the same way as other music college students in terms of performance, so I have a hard time using my time.Basically, before class in the morning, I go to college to practice, take classes, and after I get home, I think of a teaching plan for myself to take lessons, but most of the time I practice outside of class. You are doing it.I've been studying a lot of different songs, and I've been studying concerto accompaniment, song accompaniment, and ensemble songs, so it's a lot of fun, but it's hard to spend time.
-Are you sleeping properly?

Motoike: I don't think I can get rid of sleep and food, so that's okay.There were times when it was full, but even then, when I consulted with a friend, he told me that I should make a timetable, and he taught me to concentrate on what I had decided to do. ..
-It's amazing.

Motoike: Ultimately, I want to be a teacher, but I also want to be a pianist, so the professor I'm learning now is also in charge of regular lessons and practical lessons. Since I am in charge of sensei, I think that if you study under that sensei, you can learn deeply.
-I think you mentioned the timetable earlier, but how do you feel about your daily schedule?

Motoike: I went to college around 8 o'clock, and the time for classes is different every day, but I practice until class, take classes and piano lessons, practice again in the evening, and have a concert at night. There are many days, but on days when there are no concerts, I practice a little at night and then go home and make a lesson plan.
-Is the concert quite popular in the city?

Motoike: Yes.It's done every day, which is really good for me, but because the students are at college, doing concerts and exams, listening to it, and massing at church, I go to some kind of concert twice a week.The opera is also very cheap, and students can listen to it for around 2 yen.
-If you listen to it in Japan, it will cost about 1 yen.That alone seems to pay off.I think that you usually practice yourself, write teaching plans, and spend a lot of time, but do you have any connections with local musicians and musicians?

Motoike: There is.There is a curriculum called Concerto Guzam that can be taken by those who have graduated from graduate school, and if you take it for two years and then pass the graduation exam, you will get a national qualification as a performer.Such students also come to the professor with me, and that person is doing a lot of performance activities, so if you usually talk to such a person or go to that person's performance, the circle will expand after all. ..
-Are there few people who have that national qualification?

Motoike: That's right.I think there are few.I think I was really blessed with the connection with sensei.If possible, I would like to move on to Concerto Guzam after graduating from my current graduate school.I want to study for that.
-As for other students, I heard that there are many serious people, but is there anything that is unique compared to Japan?

Motoike: I thought that being able to talk about music on a regular basis is different from Japan, and of course everyone is serious, but when they make a lot of noise, they make a noise and have a party or go for a walk together. Or, the sharpness of on and off is clear.Yesterday, when a student who was playing the same song as me happened to follow the lesson of that student and listened to it, he said, "sensei also plays Mikiko," and listened to each other's performances and took lessons. There was also a case.Everyone is very open.
-Is your current residence a student dormitory?

Motoike: No, I live in an ordinary apartment.The landlord also lives in the same building and rents one of them.Of course, there are many student dormitories, but since student dormitories are in the form of room sharing, I'm not familiar with them, so I thought that one person would be more comfortable, so I've been living here for two years. If I decide to pay it myself later, I can't pay it, so I'm thinking of moving to the dormitory.
-By the way, how much is your monthly living expenses?

Motoike: Living expenses are about 10 yen including food and rent.I don't have time to go shopping now, but it's dangerous when I have time in the future.
-A question from Shimizu, do you remember what you needed to get a residence permit?

Motoike: Passport application form and ID photo taken within 6 months, university admission permit, expense pledge from parents, German health insurance contract and resident's card that I applied for after coming to Germany, and It was a contract I got from the landlord when my house was decided.
-There are so many.Did this go smoothly?

Motoike: The documents themselves were collected smoothly, but I had to make an appointment with the Foreigners Division myself, and I had to make a reservation for the date and time to apply, so I called for a reservation. , I was told, "I don't have time to spare this year."After all, I was told "Please come on the date and time set up for students", but I thought that Schengen would pass, so I sent an email to the Foreigners Division again and said, "This afternoon. I was able to apply for a special application by being asked "Can you come to Schengen?"At that time as well, I consulted with Shimizu about what to do.
-What was it like to register as a resident?Was it smooth?

Motoike: I had to make an appointment with the city hall, so I needed the contract and passport I got when I made the appointment and signed the contract with the landlord.
-What did you need to get a proof of the rent?

Motoike: I think it depends on the landlord, but in my case, he was a very frank landlord, so he trusted me and didn't need anything.Normally, it seems that there are many places where you need a certificate of expense burden from your parents and a passport.
-I'm very happy because it was fulfilling without any major troubles.Also, I think some people will be coming from And Vision next summer, but if there is a timing, I would be grateful if you could talk about that time.What kind of course are you thinking about in the future?

Motoike: From now on, one goal is to go to Concerto Exam if possible after graduating from the current graduate school and get a national qualification as a pianist in Germany, and the other is in parallel. As a leader, I hope I can do it in earnest in about two years.I'm still thinking about whether I'll stay here or return to Japan, but if I go back to Japan, I'll make use of the piano education and piano methods I learned here and do a different piano education method in Japan. I hope to spread it.I myself don't know the future yet, but for now I'm thinking of studying and strengthening myself.
-Thank you.So the last question.If you are thinking of studying abroad in Germany, please give us some advice.

Motoike: I think there are things that I have to think about, such as consultation with my parents and money, but if possible, I think it's best to study at home. In my opinion, there is an atmosphere that can only be experienced in the home, and there are relationships with the home, so I can get a lot of inspiration from my daily life, and I can take lessons that are completely different from Japan in terms of music. I'm very happy to be able to make different friends and to be able to enjoy such things because every day is soaked in music and I'm very happy.I think you should be careful when you come, because if you do not clarify what you want to study and what kind of performance you want to be able to play, you will end up living somehow. , I think I should be careful there.
-Thank you for telling us a valuable story today.

Motoike: Thank you very much.
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