Meet Liska Yamada | Harpist

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

Hi Liska, what do you attribute your success to?
Being open-minded to new and unusual opportunities to perform has been a large part of the success I have had in the last few years. As a freelance musician in Los Angeles, it can be extremely competitive, and I found that when I was willing to perform in a genres outside of my Classical comfort zone, I found new work presented itself. The harp is typically portrayed as a romantic and angelic instrument, and that was the mind-set I had when I began learning the harp about 20 years ago. My classical training allowed me to build a strong foundation performing for weddings, private events, and orchestral settings, but the harp is also an extremely versatile instrument in sound and it adds a unique visual that has recently become more sought-after in contemporary music settings including pop, R&B, and even rap music. Performing on the harp into these contemporary settings has allowed me to reach new audiences and expand my network exponentially.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started taking harp lessons after hearing the harp teacher at my elementary school perform at the open house, and I immediately fell in love with the instrument. It was not until my junior year of high school that I realized it was something that I could make a career out of. I continued my harp studies at the University of Arizona where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, and finally I received a Master’s in Music Performance and Pedagogy from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

After graduating from Peabody, I had an important decision to make on where I wanted to establish myself and continue my performing. Los Angeles made the most sense because I had a few connections already and there was a lot of potential for performing more contemporary styles of music. When I first moved to L.A. around 2005, I started out working a 9 to 5 office job to help pay my bills while I established myself as a professional musician. Every weekend and in the evenings, I was hard at work performing and taking any gig that would come my way in order to build a reputation in the music community. It was exhausting trying to balance my time and energy, but I was fortunate that my boss at the office was supportive of my music career and would let me take time off when I would get special gigs during the work day. Without her support, it would have been much more difficult to get started in music those first couple of years.

The majority of my gigs come from referrals by other musicians, so it is imperative to maintain a positive reputation and image. I had my first big television performance in 2018, where I performed with Miguel at the BET Awards. That was the performance that really helped me move into the mainstream media performing. The following year, another harpist, Gracie Sprout, referred me for another-life changing gig. The music director for Atlantic Records artist, Melanie Martinez, reached out to me about adding a harpist to her band for an upcoming tour. It is highly unusual for any artist to use harp let alone tour with one, so I was incredibly honored to be given this chance. Being a touring harpist allowed me to connect with a whole new audience around the world and share the harp with them, it was a wonderful and rewarding experience.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite parts of living in Los Angeles is the never-ending entertainment! Being half-Japanese, one of my favorite neighborhoods is Little Tokyo. There are some cute local shops to wander around in and my favorite udon spot, Suehiro Cafe. The Japanese American National Museum always has great exhibits going on, it’s another place I love to visit when I’m in the area. There used to be a fantastic Jazz club called the Blue Whale, but sadly it closed down due to the pandemic. Recently I found a new bakery with the best Japanese pastries and breads that I recommend to everyone called The Loaf in Santa Clarita.

There’s always an opportunity to see amazing live music, no matter what your preference may be. Depending on the time of year I like to visit the Hollywood Bowl or Walt Disney Concert Hall, and I also enjoy some Broadway shows at the Pantages. The venues are iconic and the music performed is some of the best in the country.

Of course living in Southern California, it’s always perfect weather to spend the day at the beach. I love bringing a good book or some music and finding a nice spot along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, the beaches are so beautiful!

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 would not be where I am today without the amazing support of my family members who put up with listening to me practice for hours everyday and have attended countless recitals and concerts over the year.

Website: www.liskaontheharp.com

Instagram: @littleliska

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCRk12FE9H2-a9UHZqgcgLvw