Finding Freedom in Music & Motherhood — Yukari Sekiya 関谷 友加里 at Studio T-Bone, Osaka (4/19/24)
Photo © by Christopher Pelham
While struggling to find contemporary jazz venues in Osaka, I stumbled upon Studio T-Bone, a venue supporting both live jazz and photography, which intrigued me. I couldn’t find much information about the two musicians scheduled to perform that night, but my intuition said go, and I’m grateful I trusted it as I was rewarded with an inspiring experience that continues to deepen.
That night, pianist Yukari Sekiya 関谷 友加里 and percussionist Naoto Yamagishi 山㟁直人 やまぎしなおと were improvising together. I arrived early to photograph their rehearsal and talk with them. I’m unsure if it was due to the language barrier, whether a foreigner’s sudden curiosity put them on edge, or simply because they wanted to focus, but they seemed reserved. I couldn’t get a sense of who they were.
I enjoyed their performance but didn’t think I had enough insight to write about them and didn’t follow up with them afterward. Then, months later, while organizing a concert series featuring musician-mothers, I discovered Yukari was part of a trio of parent musicians. I had no idea she was a mother. That revelation prompted me to reach out, and as we exchanged emails, I saw just how thoughtful, passionate, and inspiring she is — an artist and person with whom I’d love to collaborate. I hope by the end of this, you’ll feel the same.
But first, let me say more about Studio T-Bone. Since Yukari and Naoto were reserved, I took time to explore the Studio and talk with its staff, who seemed happy to speak English and took good care of me. Studio T-Bone is first and foremost the photography studio of Hideo Arimoto 有本秀雄. His wife, Tomomi 有本友美, runs the front of house, and their son, Rabito 有本羅人, a distinguished trumpet player, is committed to supporting the local jazz community by programming jazz concerts there. Weeks after I visited, NYC-based tenor saxophonist and composer Ayumi Ishito 石当あゆみ, whom I have presented several times in New York, brought her ensemble Entropic Hop to Studio T-Bone and performed with Rabito and one of Yukari’s band members, Yunaka Kouta 由中小唄. You can see the video below.
The performance space is a pristine, expansive white room designed for photo shoots — a stark contrast to the tiny lobby jam-packed with CDs, Hideo’s photographs, and a whimsical menagerie of vintage toys and figurines. It reminded me of those eccentric artist studios crammed with a lifetime of creations and accumulations that one stumbles upon. Tomomi said that her husband did not have many toys growing up and made up for it by collecting them as an adult. Though Hideo works primarily as a commercial photographer, he also took some stunning shots of butoh performers, which Tomomi took the time to show me. Regrettably, I could not meet him as he was out working that night, but I felt his strong spirit.
Photo © by Christopher Pelham
Studio T-Bone lobby
Photo © by Christopher Pelham
Studio T-Bone lobby
Tomomi herself is also an artist, having published numerous essays and novels, though they seem to circulate in underground circles — I couldn’t find them online. These days, she grows organic vegetables, provides banzai for live events, and blogs about sustainable agriculture when her studio duties allow. She kindly offered me a plate of her home-grown curried vegetables!
The show began. While Yukari and Naoto each compose music, they improvised freely on this night. Naoto’s website says he “is in search of music before its word and concept were formally defined. A music free from formal constraints, traveling between places with flowing motions and sounds initiating from daily life – its rhythms, sonority and space.” Incidentally, much later, I found that he and I did have a connection. He had collaborated with calligrapher Satsuhi Shiraishi 白石雪妃, whom I had once presented at CRS in NYC, on Shoju 松樹千年翠, a performance about the ever-changing yet constant aspects of nature that took place in a forest cavern.
Yukari also finds inspiration in nature and everyday sounds.
I often compose music when I’m inspired by nature, moved by emotions, or humming a tune in everyday moments.
During the pandemic, I started a solo project called Out of the Window, where I recorded and filmed performances alongside the scenery outside my window. If a venue has both a piano and a window, I believe I can do a live-streamed performance there. I’m looking for venues and collaborators who can help with recording and filming. I want to share the unique, fleeting combination of sound and scenery—like a flowing conversation in music.
Studio T-Bone was free of outside sounds, yet I imagined Yukari and Naoto listening to the wind through the trees, echoing its movement through their instruments. Piano and drums are not what come to mind when listening to the wind, but the musicians breathed through their instruments, shaping textures and rhythms that ebbed and flowed. Their instruments swirled together, drifted apart, and intertwined again, at times animated, at others, gentle and contemplative.
Photo © by Christopher Pelham
Yukari Sekiya (p) and Naoto Yamagishi (d) at Studio T-Bone, Osaka
I wondered how Yukari had developed the freedom and ability to listen and play this way. Like many postwar girls in Japan, her parents had signed her up for piano lessons at a young age. Her teacher allowed her to play anime and J-pop songs alongside her classical repertoire, which made it more enjoyable for her and may have stimulated her to figure out some favorites by ear. But the thought of music as a future career never crossed her mind — nor did her parents ever imagine it.
That changed during her freshman year of high school when her older brother, a bass player in a band, asked her to join them on keyboards. It was her first time playing in an ensemble, and their eclectic jazz fusion of Weather Report, Japanese ska, funk, and originals was unlike anything she’d played before. Something awakened in her. Jamming with others felt exhilarating — almost addictive.
Yukari soon began taking jazz piano lessons and boldly chose to major in jazz at the junior college of Osaka University of Music. Little by little, she started composing her own music, visiting clubs, playing in clubs solo and with others, soaking up as much jazz as she could.
She discovered the music of Canadian jazz pianist Paul Bley and fell in love. On her blog, she said of his 1999 album “Not Two, Not One,” “If I hadn’t encountered this album, I probably wouldn’t be doing the kind of work I am now. This is where it all began.”
Bley was discovered by Oscar Peterson as a teenager, attended Juilliard, and went on to work with Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Chet Baker, and countless other greats. In the July 13, 1955 issue of Down Beat Magazine, he said, “I’d like to write longer forms, I’d like to write music without a chordal center.” Bley would take his place among those greats who pushed the art form forward. In the May 21, 2006 New York Times critic Ben Ratliff said of him, “Deeply original and aesthetically aggressive, Mr. Bley long ago found a way to express his long, elegant, voluminous thoughts in a manner that implies complete autonomy from its given setting but isn’t quite free jazz. The music runs on a mixture of deep historical knowledge and its own inviolable principles.” One can hear this influence in Yukari’s music, the interplay between compositional forms and free jazz.
In a wonderful article in Japanese by Rie Komori 小森 利絵 for Kansai Woman, Yukari offers insights (which I’ll quote here and elsewhere in translation) into her approach to improvisation. She likens the process of getting to know fellow musicians at nightly jams to the act of improvising itself.
When creating music spontaneously, the approach reveals not only musical direction but also aspects of personality and values.
Without exchanging words, simply playing together creates a deep understanding and intimacy. With the right musicians, you can *blend* seamlessly—it feels like becoming one entity.
— (Yukari from “Life and Music Are Inseparably Connected” by Rie Komori, Kansai Woman)
It’s a process of deep listening, reflection, and authentic response. Without prior discussion, simply by playing together, musicians can tell whether they “match” on a human level as well as a musical one.
Yukari’s hard work paid off. She graduated at the top of her class. Pursuing free improvisation and composition, Yukari quickly gained recognition and performed all over Japan, seamlessly connecting and deepening improvisation (abstraction) and composition (concrete). In 2004, she released her first mini-album of originals. In 2009, she was invited to tour Russia as a member of Melon All Stars, a large ensemble led by bassist Michihiro Morisada, which included musicians, dancers, and actors. She formed her own ensemble, Yukari Sekiya Trio and Yuko Tanaka, and in 2011 released their first album, “It’s an ordinary love and…,” a spirited, at times raucus, jazz brew infused with numerous flavors.
Over time, Yukari refined her own distinctive style. “Recently, I’ve also started composing experimentally, imagining the musicians I perform with and thinking about what might create an interesting sound.” Using a unique playing style, she tends to compose vivid original songs with, in her words, a sense of singing.
Marriage and Motherhood
Despite marrying at age 24 — earlier than most of her musical peers — becoming a mother, and lecturing part-time at Osaka University of Music, Yukari has remained deeply active and inspired as a musician and composer.
I got married at 24, right as my career was starting to take off. My husband, also a musician, was supportive, but at the time, he was working a corporate job, so I felt hesitant about imposing my music career on our home life.
Most performances and rehearsals take place at night, making it even harder to continue after having a child.
Meanwhile, my peers — who were single — were thriving in their careers. I didn’t want to lose to them, so I pushed myself to prove, “I’m still improving, I can still perform at night like before.”
I forced myself to keep up, but it was exhausting.
At live venues, I started hearing comments like, “You’re married now, right?” “Your husband supports you, doesn’t he?” “How do you manage with a kid?” “You’re amazing for a mom!” Even well-meaning advice like, “A musician shouldn’t let their ‘mom’ identity show too much,” made me feel conflicted.
The more I heard these things, the more I became determined to hide my home life.
— Yukari from “Life and Music Are Inseparably Connected” by Rie Komori, Kansai Woman)
Photo © by Christopher Pelham
Yukari Sekiya at Studio T-Bone, Osaka
When my second child was born, my responsibilities doubled, but strangely, everything became clearer.
I finally understood — I can only do what I can.
Looking back, I see that I had been striving for an ideal version of myself: “Even as a wife and mother, I will keep working at full force and become a strong, cool musician.”
But by trying to separate “home me” and “musician me,” I was creating an exhausting internal divide.
Now, I see both as me. Music reflects who I am, and because of that, I also want to live my daily life with care.
— (Yukari from “Life and Music Are Inseparably Connected” by Rie Komori, Kansai Woman)
She says that motherhood has directly influenced and inspired her music. Last year, she formed the trio Mapatenal alongside musician parents Megumi Otsuka 大塚恵 and Hiro Omori 大森ひろ. “The name is a combination of maternal and paternal. We all have children in elementary or middle school while continuing our musical careers. Playing in this trio brings back the pure sense of wonder I had as a child. When I was in elementary school, I freely played melodies on the piano while humming tunes.”
At age three, her first child was diagnosed with an intellectual disability. That, too, led her in new creative directions.
Through my eldest child, I’ve become deeply interested in working with children with disabilities. I now work once a week at an after-school daycare for disabled kids [until 2020].
Many families feel hesitant about attending concerts due to concerns like, “What if my child makes noise?”* or *”What if they move around?”
I want to create live performances in bright, spacious venues with gentle lighting and sound so that these families can enjoy music freely.
Additionally, I want to explore ways for deaf individuals to experience music visually —such as through artistic projections and dance integrated with live music.
This dream was born because of my child. My life and music continue to blend together.
— (Yukari from “Life and Music Are Inseparably Connected” by Rie Komori, Kansai Woman)
Mapaternal is a piano trio formed in the summer of 2024. The three musicians — Yukari Sekiya (piano, Osaka), Megumi Otsuka (bass, Kyoto), and Hiro Omori (drums, Nagoya) — are connected by a common thread: they are all raising children.
For them, “creating music” and “raising children” exist on the same continuum, and they deeply understand both the joys and challenges of each. The music they weave together is warm and enveloping, embodying both maternal and paternal qualities — what they call “Mapaternal.”
Their sound is free-spirited and spontaneous, sometimes stimulating, sometimes watchful from a distance. It gently awakens the dormant sensibilities within you, stirring something deep in your heart.
To a public kindergarten in Takatsuki City.
We were invited to perform a music concert—together with longtime bandmates.
Today, we also had the chance to listen to the children’s performances and songs, and I found myself tearing up. Lately, I get emotional so easily.
There were all kinds of children, each with their own strong feelings, and teachers who acknowledged and supported them. It was a warm, comforting place—a space that felt just right.
When both adults and children experience something that moves their hearts, even familiar scenery starts to look different.
Today, it felt like we were able to help create one of those moments, and that made me truly happy.
Yukari’s work in this area resonates deeply with me. When we embrace, rather than exclude, those we perceive as different, we reveal the loving essence and corresponding creativity that we all share. We learn that giving is receiving. To me, this reflects art’s highest purpose, making accessibility and inclusivity essential considerations for artists.
Despite its pressures, motherhood has freed Yukari from an initial sense of separation, offering her profound inspiration. She has consciously chosen to view it this way, allowing it to deepen her art.
She says, “Children are incredibly perceptive and sensitive to even the smallest changes. Living with such intuitive individuals every day has made me realize how similar it is to performing—especially in improvisation. Human conversations are just like conversations between sounds.”
Of course, motherhood’s impact on her career is significant. As magical and inspiring as parenting can be, it also demands time, energy, and sacrifices, inevitably shaping the choices an artist can make.
The first challenge is whether I can even go to work—whether I have someone to take care of my child during that time. In my case, my husband is fully supportive, and I’m very grateful for that. We share our schedules to make sure our work commitments don’t overlap.
On a mental level, balancing music and motherhood is extremely difficult. Even now, I struggle at times. But I believe two things are important: first, continuing to do whatever I can, no matter the circumstances; and second, maintaining my identity as a musician, even if I can’t be as active as before. Children eventually grow up, and when that time comes, it’s important to have something meaningful beyond just being a mother. This applies not just to musicians but to all women.
New Album "DUETS: Till Now, From Here"
Despite this, Yukari has continued to play many of her own gigs, to join collaborative projects, to develop the Mapatenal and Out the Window projects, and, most recently, to compose and record a double album of 16 duets, which will be released on April 23 on Umishima Records. Her first new album in many years, this is a milestone in her career.
I gathered eight musicians with whom I have a deep connection and performed duets of my original compositions with each of them. It’s a double album: the first disc is Till Now, and the second is From Here. The title DUETS: Till Now, From Here reflects my desire to bring together the music I’ve worked on so far while also facing new musical challenges moving forward.
When one is feeding and caring for children and working, too, it can be hard enough to figure out how to keep everyone fed and clothed, much less reflect meaningfully on one’s past and present and visualize how one wishes to develop artistically. Yukari must be very organized and efficient! I feel so inspired, not only by her music itself, but by her mind and determination. By not giving in to being tired while managing all this planning and responsibility, by continuing to hold space for her inner child and imagination to play and share, Yukari demonstrates what it is to be a working artist, to live in inspiration on a daily basis. Her life must be overwhelming at times, but her love shines through.
This past month, Yukari has been finalizing the new album. She shared a bit about the challenges it presented, how she met them, and what she learned from the process.
It was a month full of administrative work, judgments, and decisions — one that required a lot of thinking.
It truly felt like a form of training. I often encourage my children to make their own decisions, but experiencing a continuous stream of decisions myself was both enjoyable and exhausting. I found myself agonizing over a single sentence, a single millimeter, or even four seconds… More than once, I thought, I’ve been too quick to tell my kids to decide things on their own — I’m sorry! (lol).
I have a renewed respect for musicians who consistently release their work. At the same time, I am deeply grateful to the many specialists who responded to my vague requests. Some things I chose to delegate—by talking things through, the vision of what would be best became clearer, and I was able to communicate that. I was genuinely moved, not just in an exaggerated way, by the knowledge, skill, and kindness I encountered. And to the musicians who offered their advice, I can only say thank you. I hope that one day, I, too, can give back and be someone who helps others.
I also hope to take my time introducing everyone involved in this album.
To conclude the interview, I asked Yukari what advice or words of encouragement she would give to young artists, especially female musicians.
Pursue your own music. Finding and refining your strengths will make you stronger as a person. Also, leading your own projects will change how you see things. Don’t aim to succeed because you’re a woman — strive to be a musician whose playing makes people want to work with you.
This also speaks to me. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a writer. But I could never think what to write about. When I did write something I liked, it seemed almost accidental. I didn’t know how to use my imagination really. I thought too much, not realizing that thinking was getting in my way and that imagination springs from a different part of the mind.
While pursuing acting, I learned to give myself permission to relax, empty my mind, and invite inspiration into my consciousness. Through spiritual healing, I further developed it. It took a while, but I found my voice, my inner vision. I found what it is to freely allow authentic and deep inspiration to come through in a way that can be received and understood by others and connects with their own inspiration. I found freedom. Yukari has found it, too. What is jazz but sharing freedom in the form of sound vibrations?
To think, I almost didn’t go to her concert and almost didn’t follow up or learn much of anything about her. Now, I am excited to welcome her new album and to explore possible future opportunities to support her dream “to organize concerts that are not exclusively for children or handicapped people, but for children, adults, able-bodied people, handicapped people, and animals (!) to share a place together… where we can spend time together sharing the place in a sustainable way.”
Yukari has just refreshed her website. You can learn more about her work and her new album from her links below. When it’s released, you should also be able to find it on iTunes Music.
https://www.instagram.com/yukari.sekiya/
https://www.youtube.com/@sunsetglow13
https://sunset-glow.dreamlog.jp
You can find “Life and Music Are Inseparably Connected,” Rie Komori’s article about Yukari Sekiya, here:
https://www.kansai-woman.net/theme682.html
Studio T-Bone
https://www.instagram.com/studio_t_bone/
Naoto Yamagishi
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