Today we’d like to introduce you to Marika Takeuchi.
Marika, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I always loved music. I started learning classical piano at the age of three, played violin and french horn for a few years in my youth, as well as singing and Japanese taiko drums. I was always passionate about playing and listening to music. When I was in high school, I suffered from depression. I spent a lot of time alone listening to music and watching films and started making up songs. I decided to formally study composition and music production in college, and it completely changed my life. Writing music made me confident and gave me a way to connect with other people. I eventually overcame depression through writing music. I wanted to study composition more deeply, particularly film scoring, so I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston. While at Berklee, I met a lot of great fellow musicians, and I recorded and released my first single and EP. I also scored student films and independent films, which helped me gain followers of my music. Since graduation, I have worked on numerous projects, including short films, commercials, music libraries, and video games, as well as continuously releasing my own albums. I feel fortunate to work with companies and clients all over the world and always look forward to connect new creative people through my music.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Making a living by doing what you love is never easy. I have definitely had many struggles to get here. Overcoming depression and insecurity, language problems when I first moved to the U.S, building a career far away from home, dealing with tons of rejections as you do, and finding a balance in your life and career. It is very important to keep working hard, not take rejections personally, and believe in yourself. But at the same time, we should have a life outside of careers to actually enjoy life, which gives us more inspiration for our creations.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a composer and pianist, and I write music as a recording artist and media composer. As a recording artist, I release my original compositions, which are modern classical and ambient music. I have released 6 albums and numerous EPs/singles, as well as participated in multiple compilation albums. My specialty is piano ambient music – My latest album Dreamer in the Dark was released on Sep 30th and is available on all platforms (https://ffm.to/dreamer-in-the-dark).
As a media composer, I have written music for many short films, commercials, music libraries, and video games. When I write as a media composer, I write all kinds of music upon my clients’ preferences. It is very important to know what the clients want in music to support their projects in order to deliver the perfect music for them.
I always enjoy writing for both myself as an artist and for clients. They are so different in processes, and it gives me more inspiration and creativity.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Being flexible, not being afraid of making changes, and not limiting yourself are the most important lessons I learned. There are many ways to get to the same destinations, so be creative and find your own way that could be different from others.
Also, it is important to always say yes to projects that inspire you. A few months ago, my label asked me to make another album before I told them I was pregnant. I wasn’t planning on another album until after the baby, but I decided to make an album that could be lullabies for my baby and for everyone to relax and sleep. The album, Dreamer in the Dark, turned out to be one of the most personal albums I have made, and now I can use it to put my baby to sleep. We never know where the inspirations come from, so not limiting yourself is very important.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marika-takeuchi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marika_takeuchi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarikaTakeuchiMusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwO4nhIc41gJP_54F1zTNzA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0lsDi98XEKVkgN2kdZWBHT
Image Credits
Jesse Lirola Alexander Haessner
