Beyond Perfection: Ayatake Ezaki Reflects on His Diverse Piano Experience

The Piano is Not Just About “Playing Well”

I think there are many people who quit because they dislike practicing, but the key to continuing is likely the amount of “fun” experiences one can accumulate, right?

Ezaki: Yes, that’s true. However, I also think it’s important to have the mindset that “playing well is not everything.” In the music industry, the work involves more than just performance. There’s sound recording, balancing, finalizing, arranging, and composing. When you think about it that way, even if your fingers don’t move quickly, you might still be able to determine “which piano sounds better” or “having your own unique sound” can lead to work opportunities.

That makes sense.

Ezaki: When you’re attending a music school, it’s easy to get caught up in completing the tasks in front of you, but if you take a broader perspective, even if your efforts aren’t immediately rewarded, they may bloom in another form later. With that in mind, I think there’s a lot of value in “just enjoying and continuing” itself.

For me, the influence of my family environment and friends was also significant. I didn’t particularly enjoy private lessons, but I always looked forward to group lessons where I could meet friends my age. Playing ensemble music together was so much fun, and it made me genuinely think, “Wow, music is so interesting.” Music isn’t just about facing your instrument one-on-one. Once you realize that, I think you’ll find it much more enjoyable to continue.

There are various ways to engage with the piano. I think there’s always a method that suits you, so I feel it’s a bit of a waste to say, “I don’t like scale practice, so I’m going to quit.”

Ezaki: If you tell someone who dislikes practicing, “Just practice properly,” it can have the opposite effect, and sometimes, being told that makes them dislike music itself. Even if someone isn’t that interested in playing the piano, they might be fascinated by the texture of the wood, or become curious about how tuning works. The piano isn’t just an instrument; it’s something full of possibilities.

Ezaki: So, I think it’s important to cherish the initial reason of “Why did I want to face the piano in the first place?” and really delve into that. I hope the number of people who quit the piano because “I didn’t like the lessons” or “The teacher was scary” decreases, even if just a little. a little.

By the way, Ezaki, is there something you’re really interested in right now?

Ezaki: Right now, I’m fully in a mode where I’m facing film music. The number of films I watch at home has increased significantly, and my perspective when watching them has changed. Over the past 20 years, I’ve been involved in music not only through the world of bands but in various forms. From here on, I plan to seriously focus on film music, taking full responsibility for all aspects of production. It’s completely that kind of phase now.