Today we’d like to introduce you to Madoka Oshima.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan.
I was always surrounded with music. My parents weren’t musicians, but my dad used to work at a jazz cafe in Tokyo that was owned by his sister and brother-in-law. Dad had a lot of old jazz records, and he’d play them on Sundays. One of my very first memories is that I was 1 or 2 years old, sitting in front of a big speaker in our old living room. I remember feeling acoustic bass sound booming in my back. My mom loves classical music. Some types of music were always playing at our home since we didn’t own a TV (my mom’s choice not to have it at all until I was 10).
I started formal piano lessons at the age of six. I also studied violin for five years that gave me the ability to learn string instruments later on, such as the guitar and a Japanese traditional instrument, Sanshin (a three string instrument).
I went to a school near Tokyo, which emphasized the performing arts, fine art, and music. This allowed me to explore various forms of art including music, visual art, and theater. I gained experience composing and arranging music for plays, learned to play Japanese traditional drums, and gave many musical performances. I went there for six important years between ages of 12 and 18, and I cannot avoid talking about this school. I met so many interesting people through the school and other places that I got access to because of this school. During this time, a variety of musical styles, such as world folk music, R&B, gospel, and jazz provided inspiration for my development. I absorbed everything! This school let me do anything I wanted – there were no traditional exams or grading systems. We just had to prove what we were doing by showing projects or performances etc.
I moved to the US in 2002, first living in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I began to study jazz seriously, concentrating on the voice and piano. Three years in this city was amazing! Music there is just so rich. I followed the second line with funerals often, always going to Frenchman street to hear jazz, and went to dance with New Orleans funk at clubs in the 9th ward. It was Hurricane Katrina that forced me to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia. I lost everything and had to start over. I decided to focus on piano further and gained a full-scholarship in piano performance at a college near Atlanta. Later on, I wanted to study jazz in more depth and meet jazz musicians, so I transferred to Georgia State University and finished my degree in Jazz Studies.
I have been always fortunate. I have met a group of wonderful musicians and people who gave me work even while I was in school. I have been active as a performer in Atlanta in a variety of genres for the past decade. I believe Atlanta has a rich music scene with many different genres. There are so many great musicians with exceptional talent who are sometimes even hidden. I would have never gotten to where I am musically if I was just playing by myself. It’s been a great learning experience for me to play with anybody I met here and played gigs together.
It’s the most thrilling thing when I feel so free making music on the stage in front of a great audience who is so supportive and helps me to get to that state. I cannot make this happen always yet, and that moment is what I am really working for still now everyday.
I was also offered a teaching job at a private school in town at the last year in college. I still teach at the school and also run a piano studio of my own.
I have also done graphic design as a side project, specializing in CD design and concert posters since my background is music. I have worked with many amazing local jazz artists and learned so much about bringing creative ideas from the digital to the physical world.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. First, I had a language barrier. I came to the U.S. when I was 21, and at that time, I could not speak or understand English very much. For some people learning different languages may be easy but not for me! It took me more than a couple of years to be really comfortable using the language, but the hard work paid off. I am so happy I became a bilingual person, and my children are also becoming bilingual as well because I know the value of it.
The hardest part was the college years of studying all subjects in a non-native language plus practicing piano for at least about 3-4 hours per day during the week and all day on weekends, as well as working a part-time job. This trained me to have strong work ethic. I was also pretty lonely without family and very close friends, though I had a couple of really sweet people near me. Living in a foreign country is not as easy as people may think. I was always homesick. But being alone made me work harder. I am actually glad I have that foundation. I think it has helped me cope with difficult situations.
I had my first child in 2015, and the second one in 2017. They are still so young, 4 and 2, and need a lot of attention. After getting pregnant in summer 2014, nothing was the same. I often forget I had more people and things in my life but tried to work as much as I always did, or even more. My daughter is 4 and 1/2 years old now, and I’m still learning how to adjust the balance between my carrier and life. I really had no idea taking care of two small children would be this hard.
The most difficult thing after having kids was that I don’t have the same time and energy to practice music as before. Now I have to do more with less (I make it work, though)! That actually made me transform my life more simple and manageable so that I could clearly see the priorities in life. After all, having kids did help me to focus more on music and other important things.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I have been active as a performer in Atlanta since 2007. I mainly play jazz, but I also enjoy playing other styles such as R&B, pop, rock, and church music. I was trained classically up to college, so, I am fortunately comfortable taking different types of jobs from jazz performances, to cover band gigs for weddings, to playing church music or classical pieces, and accompanying choirs and singers/instrumentalists.
I am planning on recording a piano trio album next year. I’m currently working on writing arrangements of songs I love as well as original compositions. It’s a very exciting project that I have been waiting to get on.
I have also been teaching for last 12 years, and now I run a piano studio.
I love teaching piano and music. For me, it’s a win-win situation if a student is into music. I get to talk about what I love, and students love to learn anything new about this beautiful art form.
I have started a pre-schoolers piano program in 2018 that has been a great success especially at Winters Chapel Learning Center (dual language kindergarten run by a Japanese owner). Because I have two small children, early childhood education is just a hot topic for me. I know each child is different, and I focus on working with each child’s pace.
I teach both in English and Japanese – my native language.
Everyone is welcomed in my studio. I want to emphasize each child/person’s individuality because I believe music and art are a form of expressing and celebrating everyone’s uniqueness and beauty.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My husband, Akeem Marable.
I actually have never met anyone like him. Akeem is a person who knows his goals and what needs to be done always. If there is any project in his mind, he’d find time and plan to make it happen. He’d just take the first steps without any hesitation.
I have had so many ideas about everything since I was really young, but often, I was not able to make it happen because I was either lazy, afraid, or not sure where to start. He has inspired me to figure out practical solutions to any problems I would face and encouraged me to work on the solutions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.madokaoshima.com
- Email: moplusmusic@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Photos from Jazz Matters Concert series: Shawn S. Shepard (http://www.triplesshots.com/); Photos in my living room; Sahile Chawla
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
