Paint The City band members performing at a recent LiVEJAM gig. KEN TAKAGI
Big speakers booming from your belly to your toes, and lights flashing wall to wall on stage. No it’s not the Eagles, it’s your sons and daughters on stage!
According to music school LiVEJAM’s founder Ken Takagi, “LiVEJAM is the first ‘rock’ music school in Japan that is exclusively for teenagers.” With programs created specifically for students’ needs, an internationally diverse group of professional instructors, and a main focus of encouraging performance in a band setting, this unique music school is perfect for junior and senior high students in the international community.
Mr Takagi created this performance-based music school after seeing “a tremendous pool of excellent teenage bands and musicians … left without opportunities to perform.” Founded just last summer, LiVEJAM has already held three concerts called “JAMOUT!s” performing rock to pop to J-pop music, and has attracted students from international as well as local Japanese schools.
Current students consistently talk about how much they like their teachers, and love the way they are pushed to achieve more than they had dreamed of. But by far, their favourite aspect of LiVEJAM is Mr Takagi’s commitment to providing teenagers with the opportunity to perform.
“I want LiVEJAM to be more than a music school,” says Mr Takagi. “What kids do in their teenage years can change their life, and I would like LiVEJAM to be not only a place for teenagers to express themselves, but to explore and develop important skills in a safe and healthy environment.”
Trial lessons are provided free of charge, and all lessons are one-to-one, and flexible in schedule so that busy teenagers don’t need to give up on any other commitments or interests. With frequent performances to work toward, and the enthusiasm of fellow musicians, this is one school where parents don’t need to worry about their child’s motivation running low.
LiVEJAM accepts students of all abilities, including beginners. Students receive tailor-made lessons, quarterly live performance opportunities, and free use of studios. Teenagers can join as an existing band, or as individuals — LiVEJAM will form a band for them!
See http://www.livejam.co.jp for more information.
