What brought you to Hawai'i? I moved to Hawaii in 2006 to perform with the Honolulu Symphony while finishing my last year of graduate school long-distance. Being "hapa" and having grown up in Tokyo, I instantly felt a connection with Hawaii and knew that this was my future home. I love the food, culture, people and island life.

Compared to other places you have lived, what aspect(s) of Hawai'i do you cherish the most? I love the warm weather! I cannot handle the cold, and I am always wearing a sweater. I'm embarrassed to admit that I even have a down comforter on my bed year-round. I always turn off the A/C in my studio and don't realize it's hot until I see sweat dripping down the student's forehead. Oops.

What do you do to relax when you're not busy teaching and performing? I rarely have free time, but I enjoy doing New York Times crossword puzzles, drinking coffee, reading, cooking, and gardening (ok, so more like pulling weeds these days). I know this sounds strange, but I really like vacuuming! I enjoy spending time with my family, and having popcorn & movie night at home on weekends.

Did you always know you were going to become a violinist and a teacher? What other career paths have you explored before music found you? Ever since I was a young child, I pursued my dream of becoming a violinist, but went through a period of "burn out" as a teenager. In college, I studied both music and pre-medicine, thinking I wanted to be a doctor. I didn't particularly care for science so this was an act of rebellion. When I was a senior in college, my mentor asked me "Could you give up the violin to pursue a career in medicine?" I said no. She then asked "Could you give up medicine to pursue a career as a violinist?" I said yes. Music is a part of my soul. The violin is like another limb. I knew that I had to follow my heart.

How did the pandemic impact your teaching style, and what adjustments did you make that you will now be carrying into the future? Great question. I think the pandemic has forced us teachers to analyze how we teach, and to implement different strategies and tools to effectively instruct and communicate to our students (and parents). Before the pandemic, I had no knowledge of online platforms and technology, so I had to quickly adapt in order to keep my lessons going. I teach many young students, so I had to think of ways to engage students and instruct beginners without being able to manipulate their hands or play along with them. I realized that my choice of words had to be very direct and concise. I used gadgets and toys to count repetitions and made videos of my playing to demonstrate practice spots. Since I couldn't talk while students played in Zoom lessons, I had my kids make fun signs like "stop", "more vibrato" or "tone" on colorful paper. Teaching the violin online is not easy, but I am grateful for the acquired knowledge and skills to add to my "teaching toolbox".

What is the most recent Netflix show you have binged? I shamelessly admit, I love watching Asian dramas. I've binge watched too many to name...

What is the best advice you have ever received? My violin teacher in graduate school, Professor Ozzi Lehnert told me that teaching is a true test of your own skills. In other words, if you can't explain it to someone else, then you yourself don't really understand it. In lessons, he made me explain concepts (as if teaching a class of students) to see if I really understood.

He also told me that if you are explaining something to a student and they don't understand, it's your fault, not theirs. If a student doesn't understand, a teacher will often say the same thing louder, or more sternly. Instead, change the way you explain it so they DO understand.

The purple case girls, all students I've taught since they were 3 and 4 years old and off to college!

What is the worst advice you have ever received? I went to a doctor with hand pain/arthritis a couple of years ago and he told me that I'm only getting older so I should consider changing careers.

What's been the biggest challenge in your life recently? And what important life lesson did you learn from it? Being the President of HMTA has been a challenge since I had to learn how to juggle my teaching, performing and board duties with my family life in a healthy balance. My entire Presidency happened to coincide with the pandemic so the Board has been learning from each other to keep the music alive virtually. I walked into this with cold feet 4 years ago, afraid of public speaking and making decisions and clueless when it came to non-profits. But after a lot of practice and learning that this organization and membership relies on my efficiency, I've learned to be more assertive and confident. I am so grateful for this experience and the opportunity to serve HMTA.

If you can create a habit/ritual that every person on this planet is required to practice daily, what would that be? Giving a genuine compliment or expressing gratitude takes just seconds but can make a difference in someone's day. A few sweet words of kindness to a friend, coworker, child, stranger on the street can bring joy and make a person feel appreciated, respected, motivated or recognized.