Meet Hitomi Oba | Saxophonist, Composer, Improviser, and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hitomi Oba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hitomi, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
It’s tricky compartmentalizing “work” and “life” because music sits in both categories. I’ve had to make a conscious effort to regard exploring and creating music as an essential portion of my “work hours” as opposed to my “personal non-work hours.” This frame of mind allows me to prioritize those things alongside or even over the more straightforward parts of working as a musician and educator. It has also allowed me to more clearly identify and regularly focus on non-work aspects of my life. As I get older, especially after having children, being present and engaged in the moment has become both increasingly important and rewarding. Sometimes the two overlap in delightful ways! But for getting through most days, keeping things separate seems to work best for me.

On the other hand, life and work affect one another constantly. The music I make is a result of who I am, and who I am as a person is shaped by my creative work. This oneness is both inevitable and intentional, and I’m grateful for it. To maintain a healthy balance, we must nurture every side of ourselves.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My primary musical backgrounds are in Black American and Western Art musics. My work is also influenced by experiences – both educational and professional – in other musical genres including commercial, popular, and various non-Western practices. I believe my music contributes to a diverse world of possibilities that is constantly being energized by the ever-expanding(!) number of musicians straddling genres and approaches to music. I’m particularly interested in the intersections of precomposed music and improvisation. For a long time, my improvising and composing felt like separate endeavors, both in language and process. This led to feelings of doubt about the honesty and authenticity of each side. Over the past decade or so, I’ve been experimenting with how the two influence, mix with, and morph into one another. I’ve recently arrived at a place where the synthesis no longer feels like an obligation, but rather an exciting realm of exploration where I get to play with the two sides as they approach and interact with one another. 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach and Descanso Gardens in La Cañada are beautiful places to spend time in nature without having to drive into the mountains. And they’re both very kid-friendly! My recent favorite taco spot is Str8t Up Tacos in Lakewood. They have lots of unique offerings, including some fun vegan options. The best tempura is from Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior in Torrance (they recently opened a location in Pasadena too). Los Angeles is home to the incredible and diverse food offerings in places such as Koreatown, Thai Town, Little Ethiopia, Little Tokyo, Little Osaka, and the San Gabriel Valley. And, of course, I’m excited by the recent news regarding the re-opening of Joon Lee’s Blue Whale, the beloved jazz club in Little Tokyo that closed during the pandemic. It was an influential force and center of community for the creative jazz scene and its hopeful re-opening in a new Atwater Village location has musicians and patrons excited and joyful.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been supported, from early on, by many individuals, communities, and organizations. One formative organization was the UC Berkeley’s now-defunct Young Musicians Program (YMP). I owe so much to YMP. In addition to a comprehensive music education, it provided an environment in which middle and high schoolers could develop within a community of diverse peers, gain valuable experience, work towards increasingly challenging goals, and thrive as both musicians and people. Other youth programs, including Oaktown Jazz Workshops, Berkeley High School Jazz, ACF Composers in the Schools, and SFJAZZ Education also provided nurturing, rich, and multi-facetted opportunities for growth. The many, many brilliant and generous instructors I had the fortune of studying with as a youth have left enormous and lasting impacts on who I am now as a musician, educator, and person. 

My life and career as an adult has also been greatly shaped by numerous organizations and the amazing people driving them, including the UCLA Music and Jazz programs, the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, the ACO Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, and Asian Improv Arts. Jon Jang and James Newton are two important mentors whose enduring, wise, and generous support have been invaluable.
 
I also must stress the importance of my fellow musicians, family, colleagues, and friends; they have shaped and pushed me forward along my whole journey. They are as influential as any instructor I’ve ever had and there would be no music without them. And I am ever grateful for my partner, who continually shares the responsibilities of life with me while helping me pursue my artistic goals.

Website: https://www.hitomioba.com/

Instagram: @hitomimusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hitomiobamusic

Other: https://hitomioba.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Ben Tarquin, Erich Chen, Nick DePinna