Keiko Matsui has been touring the world as a jazz pianist for years. Her instrumental melodies have inspired crowds all over the world. She has released approximately twenty records and her newest CD, Moyo, seems to be her best one yet! PCM's Julie Kissane talked with Keiko Matsui one afternoon about her experience as a Japanese composer and the release of her exciting new album.

Julie Kissane: How are you, are you doing well?

Keiko Matsui: Fine, thank you, I'm traveling a lot but I'm doing fine.

J: Where are you right now?

K: Mexico City.

J: Wow, that's amazing. How's the weather down there?

K: Hot! Where are you?

J: I'm in Delaware, so the east coast. I've been looking up a lot of information about you online so I'd love to start shooting out questions to you if you don't mind?

K: Sure, sure!

J: Great, I understand you were born in Japan and you're mom was actually the first one that took you to your first piano lesson, correct?

K: Yes, yes, that's correct.

J: Right, so when did you feel that you were beyond piano lessons and you knew that entertaining and making music was something that you really wanted to do?

K: Actually, I never thought about becoming a professional musician or anything, I was a good student, I was so much into studying and school so I was a busy student but somehow very naturally, in the elementary school era, I started composing more tunes and writing diaries whenever I saw beautiful scenery or something special happened to me, then I wrote a tune. So that's why I started to compose, but as far as taking private lessons, I didn't imagine that I would write tunes for a living.

J: So this was something you feel like you almost gradually became passionate about?

K: I think so, especially after making my own album and the way I compose all the songs but the way I compose is very mystic process and that convinces me to write so it is very, for me, a very spiritual time. Writing the tunes and also performing at the concert is as a musician is like therapy and I can feel we connect with each other through the music. The U.S. and Japan and traveling to South Africa and many countries, I really feel that music is a gift from God or somebody from the universe to make us unite together.

J: I actually saw a quote that you had written, "We are connected by music, as the oceans connect the continents," and I thought that was a great quote and it holds very true so I do agree with you. Do you find differences or do you see similarities between Japanese audiences and American audiences and how they react to your music?

K: Actually, sometimes even in the US, each city has difference audience and crowd but I felt when I played in South Africa, they are the most passionate audience, I thought. I was at a festival outside and when I start playing, I heard everybody singing and most my tune is an instrumental tune and no lyrics. I was wondering, "why they were singing?" and then I found out that from the second melody they started singing along to the melody, either humming or saying, "keiko, keiko, keiko matsui," and it was unexpected and it was amazing and I felt so much passion towards the music from them.

J: That must make it even more special for you when you have such an audience that's so interactive with you that's really taking something out of your music, that's great.

K: Compared to Japanese, they are, very kind of shy, but basically I think when people listen to the music, I think we are the same. Sometimes the expression is different and American audience is more natural and they show their feelings compared to Japanese. Like when I played in Russia, it was like a very formal type of audience. But at the end, they applauded and they didn't stop clapping, it was very special when they were going, "Bravo, bravo." And it was very nice.

J: Are you still visiting Japan these days, back and forth?

K: I live in U.S. and Japan so I go back and forth. I live in Toyko.

J: Got it, do you miss it when you're gone?

K: I enjoy tour so much and the schedule I have. Somehow I am charged and people smile and give me the energy to keep running, I think.

J: Can you remember some of your first impressions about America when you came here to the U.S. to record an album?

K: Actually, I didn't really. When I first recording in U.S. that was magical planning. We had a great time and it was a magical time.

J: So you enjoyed that whole process?

K: Yes, I enjoyed it. But for this new album, I had another, well the greatest time, producing the album by myself and had great recording progress so I was very happy about that and it was the highlight, I think. This was the first time I produced myself and it was a very exciting project I had. It was a great experience.

J: Do you enjoy being on tour and performing live, do you enjoy that aspect more than recording an album and being in a studio, which do you prefer?

K: It's hard to compare. With recording, it starts from writing the material and building up the tunes for each song and inviting musicians. But, I'm enjoying performing too.

J: Speaking of touring and traveling, you met George W. Bush in 2002, is that right?

K: Oh right! I was invited to a welcoming party and it was very nice.

J: Let's talk about your latest album, Moyo, which you recorded in South Africa.

K: It's an African word in Swahlia, meaning "heart and soul," and it has many meanings.

J: That seems like it was probably an amazing experience. {I had the chance to study abroad and chose Australia over South Africa and it's a place that I would personally love to visit.}

K: Oh really? Well, I've been performing there for four years or so, but I had never spent enough time there. This time I produced and spent some more time and I was there writing new material for a few weeks and I could see more scenery, people, cultures and the days influenced me to write the songs.

J: So you think that environment {in South Africa} helped you produce this record, and maybe if you were in a different spot, it could have come out sounding different?

K: I think so because so many any tunes came to me while I was there to compose and at that time, I started to record in South Africa and inviting great musicians for drums, bass, guitars and percussion and all these people became new friends and I had a great beginning of the recording process.

J: Do you think you'll ever go back?

K: I think so, we are planning to go back to do a few special concerts in different cities for Moyo.

J: Do you have a favorite song on this album {Moyo}?

K: All of them, of course!

J: Can I tell you my favorite?

K: Yes, please, I want to hear.

J: Mine was "A Great Romance." I felt like it sounded like a relationship and a great Hollywood romance, just in music form.

K: Ahh! I'm so happy to hear that! That whole melody came to me the first day of writing.

J: Do you find when you are writing songs, that most of the time they will just come to you or do you write them in pieces?

K: Sometimes in pieces but sometimes, like A Great Romance, the whole thing will come to me. I do need to concentrate and have a quiet special time with the silence. I have that time to sit in front of the piano and then just begin to write things down. I start from there and after, I collect enough to create an album.

J: Keiko, if you had to collaborate with any other artist, whether realistic or not, is there someone you've always wanted to work with?

K: In the near future, I'd like to have a full orchestra. I had an opportunity before to do an orchestra show and maybe just to do that in the future would be great.

J: Where else to do you see yourself and your career going within the next five years? That sounds like a job interview question, I know!

K: I hope Moyo reaches more people and probably continue traveling.

J: I have one last question for you! I am a college student, how do you think your type of contemporary smooth jazz music can relate to the college crowd? I had listened to it to relax and de-stress.

K: Maybe you can make a new category of music, like "Keiko's Music." For me, music has no borders and I don't mind the title but my music has many elements, sometimes classical, sometimes jazz. I don't care about the name.

J: I think for college students, Moyo could be an album to just wind down with at the end of the day or help as background music when studying!

K: I'm happy to hear that. Actually, one Russian skater use my music and one actually won the Gold Medal while she skated and won the gold medal! It was a great moment seeing her on TV.

J: Well Keiko, I really appreciate your time and good luck with your upcoming concerts and music. I really appreciated this interview and thought you were just lovely!

K: I look forward to seeing this online! Thank you!