The Touch of Music with Dr. Pianist, Makiko Hirata

Dr. Makiko Hirata (“Dr. Pianist") is on a mission to promote the power of music to heal and unite. 

In this episode, she talks about reconciling her training in classical piano with being a woman in music as well as how musicians have a role to play as first responders in times of climate catastrophe. She has shifted her career from being an "Olympian pianist” performer who uses performance to demonstrate ever increasing mastery of challenging piano pieces to instead playing simpler pieces that better connect and resonate with her audiences.

Bio:

Dr. Hirata collaborates with neuroscientists to quantify the benefit of music and promote the power of music as an overlooked social resource through speaking engagements, workshops and writing. Her doctorate is a DMA, Doctorate of Musical Arts from Rice University. In addition to her concerts, she collaborates with neuroscientists to quantify the benefit of music and promote the power of music as an overlooked social resource through speaking engagements, workshops and writing. 

More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

 

More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.

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