Conversations with Songbird Quartet

Today we’d like to introduce you to Songbird Quartet.

Hi Songbird, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
All of us have been playing our respective instruments since elementary school, and like most people, lived the experience of just playing music as part of an orchestra. We never really had the opportunity to play outside of a school context until we all met in our high school orchestra. We realized that we wanted more agency than we had in such a large group and the only way to do that was to find a smaller group. As a quartet, we can pick the pieces we want to play and find more opportunities to influence our community through music. In a small group we’re all more connected and have more control, and can play our music in more typical places. The “spark,” if you would call it that, is this: Kiyone was very gung-ho about spreading the jazz gigging culture to string ensembles.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No. Not at all. It has not been a completely smooth road. When we first started it was a huge challenge learning how to find and set up gigs. As we started gaining more experience we found our own system, but initially we didn’t know what were the right questions to ask to employers. Furthermore, all of us are very involved high school students and have a lot of clashes in scheduling rehearsals and gigs. Originally we were a group of 4, but we eventually invited another violinist for scheduling purposes. We love being able to interpret the music by ourselves and make it uniquely ours. However, rehearsals can be very involved, slow, or downright frustrating.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So far, we have performed at coffee shops, wineries, children’s museums, a preschool, senior housing facilities, club events, and an orchestra concert. Our repertoire includes classical music, pop covers, and contemporary works. We are known for delivering high-quality performances and for our ability to fulfill song requests within reasonable time constraints. Something we’re proud of is the way we work together as a group with openness, respect, and no major conflict. Everyone has the freedom to share ideas, and we make sure to listen and discuss them as a team. We take pride in preparing pieces entirely on our own without the guidance of a teacher or mentor, relying instead on collaboration, shared tips, and problem-solving until a piece is complete. This teamwork allows us to meet requests and prepare music for events quickly and effectively. We do both volunteer performances and paid events, allowing us to connect with a wider audience in the community. Although we are a young group of musicians, we approach the ensemble with professionalism and dedication. We take pride in providing precise, high-quality services that meet the needs of our clients and are dissatisfied when our client’s expectations aren’t met. We also take pride in supporting other local artists; it is just as important to champion the work of others as it is to celebrate our own. Over time, we have collaborated with digital illustrators to design our logo, t-shirts, and stickers, partnered with a local videographer to film and edit our promotional video, and worked with a neighborhood printing company to screen print our merchandise. This commitment to fostering artistic connections, while offering both charitable and professional performances, is a defining part of who we are.

How do you think about happiness?
Something we all share in common is a drive and joy for improvement. Our proudest works are ones which we found challenging or those which we built up on our own- sometimes note for note. It’s like growing a sapling in your garden and fostering it long enough to see it become a fully fledged tree. Sometimes progress is slow, but that makes it more fulfilling and meaningful. And speaking of meaning: when we can make people feel the emotions we are trying to convey, it brings us a feeling of fulfillment. I’d say that 10% of the music is playing notes… The other 90% is about telling a story- playing with intensity, playing with passion, restraint, elegance. Truly, expressing emotions through music and hearing that our audience was moved is something very special, and something unique to the performing arts. It is particularly satisfying when we receive feedback from our instructors, i.e. our high school director Mr. Fang and our various instrumental mentors. Working as a team also brings us joy! Individually we could grind away at a concerto until we burn out, but playing in a group is more fun; you could picture it like a high school rock band, but only a little less rock and a lot more string. It is fun to play music with friends just as it’s fun to go out and play tennis with friends. As “orchestral” musicians, it’s unusual that we have such liberties when it comes to playing, and the fact that we choose to show up and choose to go out there on our own opens the door to new challenges and avenues. It brings us happiness to have these freedoms.

Pricing:

• $120/h

Contact Info:

• Website: https://songbirdquartet.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songbirdquartet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Songbird-Quartet/61574671319419/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@songbirdquartet
• Other: https://linktr.ee/songbirdquartet?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadGK7M2YH7UjpskrLeoYPihkCnCyUxpg0kNEMREcCFfhE_u_IbSZ_1O50-Y8A_aem_3arpcRS-9_jqVF3DCzGVDA

Image Credits
One picture is taken by Masa Shirotani from SoCal Media Factory.

All the rest of the pictures are taken by our parents.