Translated by azmikun
I can’t live without music. That’s my feeling that have never changed.
On the (CD) jackets, she always leaves her hair down, her eyes are gazing far away. Wherever we see, she is a lovely girl. But, her sounds are heavy and carved by clear messages. Where does she get that power from? When we think about that, the person herself appeared with her hair tied up. That gaze is a story. It tells that the things she wants to transmit are overflowing. YUI’s figure is surely here.
I decided a “Singing Life” when I was 15 years old
Yuumin (*Yumi Matsutoya) was playing in my mom’s car stereo. I learned the song by heart and I loved to sing along. “To become a singer”, I have always enjoyed to sing, even since I was so young that I can’t remember. My mother told me that.
The first part time jobs that I had was at Chinese restaurant and lunch shop. I spilled water on costumers and dropped the food….. My careless self, like a manga character, rapidly came out. I made mistakes all the time, but I don’t know why I used to feel really comfortable and I thought “Part time jobs are nice”. That’s why, on a corner of my heart, the desire of becoming a singer and the puzzled feeling of not knowing if it was correct to spend my life in music were whirling…..
That time was my crossroad. Everyday felt like I was standing on a forked road that I never saw before. “I can’t stay like this. I need to decide which path to take, a life as a singer or a life without singing”
I pictured each way of life as hard as I could. When I considered a “life with no music” I felt like there was a big black hole in my gaping chest. I felt crushed. Part time job is fun. But, if I worked desperately only for the sake of living, I wonder what would I become. I couldn’t imagine a live without singing. That’s why, I chose a singing life. This path has extended from that moment until today.
I Stepped into music because of the encounter with street.
Although I say that, back in those days, I had just started to connect sounds fumbling my guitar, attaching fragments of lyrics to it and nothing more. I really had no idea of what to do to become a “Singer”
Something that expanded my world at once was an encounter with this street musicians. They were enjoying singing on the street. When I saw their performance and people listening attentively to them I thought “These persons should be able to show me the best thing to do” and my body moved spontaneously towards them. I told them “I want to follow the path of music. Can I become a singer if I do that? Would it be better if I went to a special school?” I asked question after question, and he kindly replied: “There is this very good cram school!”. I entered immediately.
That was my first experience on music learning. My “way of view” music changed completely. I learned about the existence of chords for the first time too. When I played chords, songs came to my mind. When I played new chords, songs were born. I made melodies feeling the chords, it was really enjoyable. Songs kept being born one after one. I held them all, and I started playing on the streets too.
In the beginning, my mind, eyes and front of me was all white (she was really nervous). When I realized, it was all over. But little by little, I could finally see the scenery (stopped feeling nervous). After that, impressions came directly to me. People suddenly stopped their pace, entrusting their bodies to the music that I played. I felt the greatest joy.
Enjoying the space, I delivered my own thoughts through the music, and the they could receive it. I could finally taste such delight.
After that, when I was 16 years old, I passed the audition.
Walking forward together with my songs. This is my life
Unexpected, it was really sudden. I passed the audition that students from every music school participate at.
I had a lot of anxiety when it was decided that I would move to Tokyo, but I thought it was a big step. I left my hometown Fukuoka along with my guitar, turtles and also my goldfish.
A new city, with new things to see and experience. All that, along with my feelings came down to music. If there was a phrase floating in my mind, I would write it down. If I had favorite words I would attach rhythm to them.
My songs are born from my heart, my feelings and from my daily life. At the beginning I was worried of whether I could make songs for promotion or commercials, but when they are finished, they are a reflection of myself.
This time, ?HELLO ~Paradise Kiss~?is also a song that expresses my heart’s feelings after watched the movie. I’ll happy if my song gives courage to the listeners. Because that is something that I can receive.
Walking along with songs, 7 years have passed. Something that has changed is the birth of a desire to challenge myself trying carious sounds. In the past, I sang when I was happy or sad, But now, my desire is to give energy to people who listen to my songs. In the other side, what has never changed is my desire of always live with music.
My starting point was street lives. Whether in Tokyo’s streets or Fukuokas’s Tenjin’s streets, when I sing, they’ll give me a cheerful feelings and a smiling faces in return. I realized that they are same. I want to treasure this happiness.
If there is music, I can live on. I believe that.
Message to my 5-years-later me
Relax & My Pace
I think my feelings and thoughts will not change in 5 years from now. But I have an image of myself a little more grown up. So, I want to send my favorite words “Relax & My Pace”.
I wish I was the same as I am now. I want to protect the origin of my songs and my important feelings to keep them unchanged. Motivating myself a little I want to enjoy everyday. It will be nice if I was like that.
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