Meet Ryota Sasaki | Saxophonist & composer

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

Hi Ryota, why did you pursue a creative career?
My mother plays piano and has been a huge fan of music, especially Jazz, for a long time. I am so sure about becoming a Jazz musician at the age of 12 when she took me to a Jazz club in Japan for a live Jazz performance for the first time. I started clarinet and saxophone in the school band at the same time. I was not young compared with other musicians and any other Berklee Student which is the college I belong to now.

In the meantime, I also started listening to a lot of legendary Jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Charlie Parker, and more. John Coltrane especially inspired me a lot. It was totally different music than what I had listened to before I was introduced to Jazz. And This is the biggest meaning why I started practicing as much as possible in middle school life. When I listened to him. I felt huge flexibility and freedom for music based on the amount of practice and contributions to music. I couldn’t catch what is going on because I was young but at least I could catch they were trying to make something more than music. Or More likely What Music is.

Now I’m a student at Berklee College of Music in the USA which is a pioneer and one of the best music collages in the world all the way from Japan, practicing Saxophone, studying music theories, Composition, and taking great lessons from legendary Jazz musicians every day. Personally, it is because of the desire to understand what John Coltrane and my heroes did and to be equal to them. This is why I’m still pursuing Jazz Music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a Jazz Saxophonist, composer, and arranger. I’m a Jazz composition student at Berklee College of Music in Boston MA as well. I have been inspired by mainly old/modern NY-ish contemporary Jazz and Japanese contemporary film music. I have so many reasons I left Japan to study in the US. Needless to say, studying Jazz and Music in the US has a big meaning no matter what. As long as the US is the original place of Jazz. I also wanted to improve my composition skills for a long time.

Since I’ve been here for one and half years. I learned so many things musically. For example, I could take a private lesson with two of the world-level greatest saxophonists Mr.Tony Malaby and Edmar Colon. Each person has a totally different musical background. Tony had been a free improvisation saxophonist in NY for a long time Edmar came from Puerto Rico and He has a Latin music background. I get to learn a variety of skills and perspectives in Jazz which I can never get in Japan. One thing I decided in my college life is that I’m gonna practice every day to get used to what I learned from them. Though It’s not easy for me to keep doing it, I want to thank Berklee for letting me practice in this perfect music environment.

Here is one more thing I started to emphasize now, which is studying composition and arranging as long as I’m a Jazz composition major in college. My main classes are based on composition and arranging techniques. This is totally new for me because I have been a musician for a while. I’m very excited to learn new techniques and knowledge every day being surrounded by jazz composition friends/peers. They make my musicality more mature even for my saxophone playing style because studying the core concept of anything is essential and effective, music is exactly the same. I enjoy being in this situation although it’s super hard to keep practicing saxophone and studying composition with a ton of assignments.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Boston has a lot of beautiful places I want to show you. Boston Common which is a beautiful and the oldest public park in the US is the perfect place for picnics. It’s so enjoyable even to walk around Beacon hill or Newberry street. For the food, There is a Korean town in Allston, Chinatown Downtown. Speaking of Boston Lobsters, We can get a variety of food. I live in Back Bay, so I’d like to recommend Pad Thai cafe and Tori Japan in Back Bay Area. As We know, Dunkin Donuts are everywhere because Boston is the original place of DD.
Also, I know somewhere I have to recommend in Boston. It’s called Berklee College of Music. People are jamming constantly, and some other people are singing the solo transcription of Giant Steps alone in the hall. It might be the most dangerous place in Boston. No, It’s a very interesting place in Boston for sure.
I’m sure Boston is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I got athletic motivation from the beautiful view of Boston every day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Alright, so let’s jump right in! 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 a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

I still can not believe I’m in the US studying Music, because my English grade in high school was not great at all. Nobody in my family can even understand English. My Imagination of the US was almost a different universe. However, I want to shout out my appreciation to my Family, to trust me, paying tuition, and letting me go to the USA.

I was born in the Japanese local Temple as the oldest Child. Basically, the Oldest child in the temple should learn Buddhism in the university to take over the temple as a custom. But my family understands I want to do music. They allow me not to study Buddhism in Japan as well. I really appreciate the flexibility of my family. Especially, for my Dad. We haven’t talked about it a lot before but I think his perspective is so modernized and really loves me. As I explained before, My mother gave me an opportunity to get interested in Jazz music for me. Moreover, My grandmother and father love Jazz. They gave me a lot of CDs and supported me to buy an instrument. Fortunately, my entire family encourages me to study Music In the US to pursue a music career. Furthermore, My brother is interested in studying Buddhism at university. I think It’s a super lucky situation and I have to try to respond to them. Though It’s never been rich, I’m so happy to be born into my family.

In the end, I also want to appreciate my local community. I was born in Yokohama in Japan which is the original place of Jazz in Japan. Historically, after WW2. The Central US army base in Japan was built in Yokohama. Jazz was brought at the same time because there were a lot of night club for the US army. I’m super pleased to be encouraged by my local community not only by Jazz people but also by my neighbors, my friend, my parent’s friends, and whoever trusts my success.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryota_sax/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryota_sax

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010946538747

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHjkW9ATYK8

Image Credits
Photo / Jonas Cho