The Tohoku Youth Orchestra relies on your support. We sincerely appreciate your generous contribution. We always accept donations by bank transfer. If you are considering a donation, please email the following information to info@tohoku-youth-orchestra.org and make a deposit to the bank account below. Thank you in advance for your attention and cooperation.
*Currently we are not able to accept donations via credit card. Thank you for your understanding.

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●Name of your group
●Amount
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【Name and address of designated bank account】
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
1-8-6, Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
【Swift Code】
BOTKJPJT
【Account Name】
Tohoku Youth Orchestra
【Branch Name】
Higashi-Ebisu Branch
【Account Number】
3080490

Hello everyone!!
This report is brought to you by Wagatsuma Makuai, a member of the 8th generation trumpet section!

(I couldn't find a decent photo from the front, lol)

I usually send out an email newsletter to all TYO members as part of the volunteer crowdfunding team.
I'm not really good at putting my thoughts into words, but our PR representative, Mamei Ichikawa, told me, "It's fine to write it like it is in the newsletter!" So I'll go ahead and do it at my usual leisurely pace! ♪

1. My Encounter with Music
I started attending music classes at the age of two, singing, moving my body, and generally enjoying myself freely. I don't remember, but my mother says I would run around the classroom during lessons and make strange remarks like, "I can't move because I'm Ariel right now." That must have been very troubling for the teacher...
I think the instruments I played were probably keyboard instruments. (I'm not sure if it was the electric organ or the piano!) When I was little, I would record my own songs (anything anyone could come up with) on the digital piano at home and dance to them. It seems I've always been the type to enjoy music with my whole body. ♪

2. My Encounter with the Trumpet

Now, a turning point in my musical life came in the fourth grade of elementary school.
My elementary school was recruiting for the brass ensemble, and I applied without hesitation. My mother had a trumpet at home, and I was destined to play it.
I joined the club and chose the trumpet without hesitation.
A few years later, my younger brother, Senon Wagatsuma, also started playing the trumpet. He recently wrote about this in his member report, saying, "It was because my older sister looked cool." I'd never heard anything like that before. ^^

3. My Encounter with TYO and My Anxiety
I joined TYO in its 8th term. It all started with an invitation from a friend who was already a member. I heard that almost all of the 7th-term trumpet members had graduated, and since I'd always dreamed of joining an orchestra, I thought, "This is my chance!" and applied impulsively!!! And that's how Wagatsuma became a member of TYO.
Now that I've explained how I ended up applying, next up is the story of Wagatsuma Beniai joining TYO!
Reading the member reports so far, it seems like quite a few members are shy...I'm one of them.
I'm not good at expressing myself in front of others, and I'm not good at letting others hear my musical expression. Even as I write this, I'm feeling a little nervous.
I'm not sure if there's a connection between my instrument and my personality, but I've been told that I don't have the personality of a typical trumpet player. (Tears)

4. The growth I gained from solo performances and the support of my peers
Despite being such a shy person, something major happened to me when I joined the 8th-term.
I was entrusted with the solo performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 5. When the piece was first selected, it was probably decided that someone other than me would play it, but when that person left the orchestra, it ended up being me.
Of course, I was happy that they chose me to play the solo, as there were other members who wanted to play it.
But more than anything, playing the solo was scary for me.
I was really unsure about the fact that my sound would be the only one echoing in the venue, and that the other members, conductor Yanagisawa, and the audience would evaluate my sound.
Perhaps my anxiety was evident, because they gave me lots of kind words and specific advice, such as,
"I know you're worried, right?"
"How about trying this here?"
Every time we practiced, they would say things like,
"You've practiced a lot!"
"You're getting better and better,"
and that really supported me.
That's really what's great about TYO!!
No matter age or experience, there's an atmosphere where we encourage each other and move forward in the same direction.

Then came the first performance of the 8th term's concert tour, in Morioka. After playing all the movements and receiving the solo from Yanagisawa-san, the faces of all the people who supported me flashed across my mind, and I nearly cried. Just remembering it now brings tears to my eyes...tears.

5. Facing the Disaster
The 9th term Tohoku Youth Orchestra decided to shift its activities from those who had previously been on the receiving side of support for the Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction efforts to those who provide support and pass on the story of the disaster.

I experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in Fukushima City when I was 7 years old. However, listening to the stories of orchestra members affected by the tsunami and learning about the actual issues occurring in the affected areas, I realized that the reality of the disaster I thought I knew was only a small part of it. As TYO shifted from being on the receiving side to being on the providing side, I began to think about how I should act.

As part of TYO's reconstruction support activities, I toured the Kesennuma Earthquake Memorial Museum and performed with volunteers, as well as in Himi City, which was hit by the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

There was an atmosphere there that can only be felt in a place that has suffered such great devastation.

The words of the people I met in the disaster-stricken areas, the atmosphere there, and the music I made in those places.

Through these, I was able to connect the memories of the disaster and pass on my role from "being supported" to "being the supporter."

I was once again reminded of the important role that the Tohoku Youth Orchestra has played.

6. Becoming a Presence that Passes Warmth

Time passed, and I became a fourth-year university student. It was finally my graduation year.

Before I realized it, most of the members were younger than me, and I had gone from being the one receiving warmth to the one giving it.

When I joined the orchestra, I said, "I absolutely have to wear full makeup to practice...!" But by the start of my second year, I had become so comfortable that I attended most practices without makeup. That's how warm TYO is, a place where you can be yourself.
(Because of that, I had a really hard time finding photos of myself with makeup on to use in this report...!)

I'm sure there are still members who feel the same anxiety I did when I first joined.
My contribution may be very small...or even microscopic, but I would like to continue to pass on that warmth so that TYO can continue to be a place where people can enjoy music with peace of mind.

7. Thoughts for the Future
And, I plan to study music therapy next year!
Music therapy is a field that values ​​connections between people.
Having experienced the joy of "connecting with people through music" so many times at Tohoku Youth, I now want to learn more.
I will continue to cherish the connections that music weaves, and move forward step by step!!
And, and! Speaking of connections that music weaves!!!
There's the TYO Crowdfunding Team, of which I'm a member!! Our weekly email newsletter features daily practice sessions, detailed stories from volunteer performances, and even some very personal stories from our crowdfunding team.
It gives us great joy to feel the connections we make with our supporters through crowdfunding!
Please take advantage of this opportunity! ^^

Thank you so much for reading this far, even though it's a bit clumsy!
We hope you'll continue to support the Tohoku Youth Orchestra's future activities. ♪
Trumpet section: Wagatsuma Benia

The Tohoku Youth Orchestra relies on your support. We sincerely appreciate your generous contribution. We always accept donations by bank transfer. If you are considering a donation, please email the following information to info@tohoku-youth-orchestra.org and make a deposit to the bank account below. Thank you in advance for your attention and cooperation.
*Currently we are not able to accept donations via credit card. Thank you for your understanding.

●Your Name
●Name of your group
●Amount
●Your email address
●Would you like your name to be listed on our website as a donor or not? (Yes/ No)
Preferred name that will be listed in the Donor Registry (If you prefer different name from your name above)
●Would you like to have a receipt or not? (Yes/ No)
●Notes / Message

【Name and address of designated bank account】
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
1-8-6, Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
【Swift Code】
BOTKJPJT
【Account Name】
Tohoku Youth Orchestra
【Branch Name】
Higashi-Ebisu Branch
【Account Number】
3080490