Audience in a frenzy to LiVEJAM All Star teachers’ band at last month’s recital. KEN TAKAGI
Music school LiVEJAM’s student recital JAMOUT! Vol. 4 was held on October 8. About 40 students in ten groups performed in front of a record-breaking audience of nearly 200.
Yuki and Ran, two junior high school girls from a private Japanese school, formed Lady Bug and sang “Speak Now” by Taylor Swift. After starting guitar lessons only in June, this was their very first time on stage — they said their legs were shaking, but they performed the song flawlessly.
Whiplash — half made up of international school students — invited Gyo, a vocalist from a private Japanese school, to sing a heavy metal song by Iron Maiden. Thunder Goat also invited a Japanese vocalist, Miya, to sing a Demi Lovato song. This mixture of local and international school students was a common theme.
Ethan, a 10-year-old American and, the newest and youngest member of LiVEJAM, stole the show when he performed “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. Although he was supported by an instrumental recording rather than a band, his Mohican hairstyle and choreography were huge hits.
About 40 percent of the audience was parents and other middle-aged adults, which is unusually high for this type of “rock concert.” Parents who attended said, “The show was a blast! I am still stomping my feet!” “Seeing my son sing on stage for the first time, I could not help tears falling down my cheek” and, “Thank you for providing a venue where parents and children can share a valuable experience and become good friends again.”
The event was a chance for the students to really immerse themselves in music, and for parents to share a common experience with their teenagers. — KEN TAKAGI
