Interview: At Home With Yasuhiko Fukuoka

Everybody adores Yasuhiko Fukuoka. His reputation as a lovable guy is actually bigger than his creds as one of the best musical directors in the business, which is saying a lot because he is a titan behind the piano, whether he is playing your show or composing a score. The personal reputation only feeds the professional one, though, because everyone wants to work with a person who is going to be a joy to be around, hence the neverending flow of gigs that come his way. Adventurous in life and diligent in his work, Yaz approaches everything he does with fervor and passion, proving that life isn't all about the work, that there can be a healthy balance between living life and making art. He is a philosopher and a gentleman AND an animal advocate.

So, what's not to love?

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced in its entirety.

Name: Yasuhiko Fukuoka

First Cabaret Show (Title, Year, Club): Stacy Sullivan "A Night at The Troubadour" 2016 at Metropolitan Room

Most Recent Cabaret Show: Billy Lykken Live! 2020 at Don't Tell Mama

Website or Social Media Handles: www.yahzy.com / instagram @yahzydotcom

Yasuhiko Fukuoka, welcome to Broadway World and thank you for chatting with us today!

Hi Stephen, Thanks for asking me to be part of this.

The day that we are doing this interview is October 27th, which happens to be your birthday - may I say many happy returns of the day! How are you planning to celebrate?

Thank you very much, and I'm truly honored to be interviewed by you, Stephen. Normally I would throw a birthday party at a piano bar I work at, but I'm not planning anything this year. I have a feeling my friends are planning something for me, and I'm happy to go with the flow. To me my birthday is also a day that I want to appreciate the people I'm surrounded by.

Yaz, you are one of the most sought after musical directors in the club and concert industry. Your career in music reaches far behind the small venues of cabaret - how did you first find yourself working with the nightclub artists of the community?

Funny enough, I never thought I'd be a musical director. Joseph Koh of Uncle Charlie's Piano Lounge asked me if I was interested in doing a piano bar shift years ago, and I gave it a try. In the beginning, being trained as a classical pianist, I knew only a few musicals and I would sight-read most of the songs requested. I had to learn songs very quickly, and through the process I discovered a joy in working with singers. Then my cabaret career really started thanks to Joseph Macchia who'd hire me for the shows he was producing at Metropolitan Room, where I had the privilege to work with many artists. Over the years I've met wonderful people who believed in me and took me in their fold, and I'm forever grateful for that.

What are some of the differences and similarities when working with singers and musicians in clubs as opposed to concert halls?

It is a little easier for me to focus on my performance on a bigger stage because of the physical separation from the audience. Playing at a club feels more intimate, and took me a little time to get used to people eating and servers moving around. But now I love feeling the energy of the audience up close, and it greatly affects the way I play in a positive way. I love doing both equally.

Was there a particular score or composer that made you want to be a film score composer, or was it more a general feeling you got from the movie industry?

As a kid, I was always fascinated with the storytelling power of music. I was amazed how music conveys feelings and emotions even without words, and I felt togetherness. I became obsessed with soundtrack music. Some game music had a big impact on me as well. Then I discovered the music of Ennio Morricone, and he's become my ultimate idol ever since. I love the interplay between the melodies and harmonies he created, and he's had a big impact on my compositions.

I am a film score aficionado and Ennio Morricone is one of my favorites, too. Do you have a particular favorite? What makes it your favorite? (I'm dying to see if yours is the same as mine)

Here are my top 3 picks for overall soundtrack: Malena, Cinema Paradiso, The Legend of 1900. (The Mission is a close 4th). He's known for spaghetti western films, but what I admire is his versatility in compositions, and ability to heighten our emotions with bold yet honest melodies and tasteful harmonies. His adagio pieces make me tear up every time. I think the themes for those films really show his understanding and empathy of the characters, and most of all they are beautiful pieces of music that you want to sit down and immerse yourself in.

(Editor's note: For the record, Yaz, my favorite score is for the film BUGSY.)

Talk me through the major points and events in the creation of JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES.

As I mentioned before, stories are what gives me inspiration, and I find it very exciting and rewarding to find a way to portray them musically. When CYCNY commissioned me to write a piece, I immediately thought about Lao-tzu's famous quote "a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step". Since I was writing for young musicians, I wanted to create something positive and fun to play that engages them in expressing different feelings and emotions. I didn't have a specific story line for this piece, but I wanted the performers to paint their own narrative. They were very enthusiastic to learn it, and it gave me so much joy seeing them perform and share their versions of the stories. I always start with good old pencil and paper sketches, think about themes and developments, then I transfer the ideas into a notation software. I've been doing this since I was 12, and it works for me.

In your work, you are responsible for the creation and presentation of many varieties and styles of music - is there a genre that speaks to you with more prevalence than others?

It might be a cliché to say this but I appreciate all genres of music. When I travel to a new country (60 and counting), the first thing that I do is research their traditional music, and get their folk instruments whenever I can find space in my luggage. (I have gotten a fair amount of questions at airport security...) Majoring in film scoring in college opened my eyes for endless possibilities in exploring different genres and sounds. I think I'm open-minded and pretty good at adapting myself to different styles of music in various situations, whether playing stride piano for a cabaret show or writing for a horror movie.

As a gig worker, what has life at home been like for you these last few months? What occupies your time and your mind?

All my regular performance gigs and other work came to a sudden halt in mid March and, frankly, I was at a loss for some time. So much of what I did depended on the venues or artists who requested my service. But now I see artists are finding ways to keep sharing their art, and in the past few months I've been doing a lot of recording and track work at home. I've done a few zoom style concert videos, created tracks for singers, made some remixes, mixing an album, helping to develop a musical, etc. We recently did a remote vocal recording session for the winners of Broadway World Next on Stage contest winners, which turned out great. I'm glad to see artists being creative in these uncertain times, and I'm really happy to be part of that. It gives me hope and purpose.

We live in a world where artists rely on social media for a certain degree of their success. When a composer and musician specializes in music that isn't mainstream pop music, is there a great deal of opportunity to connect with fans and followers through the social network?

Social media enables artists to reach out to a wider audience who would otherwise go unnoticed. In fact we have gotten gigs playing in Central and South America because someone found a video on YouTube, and I'm thankful for that. I know creating contents requires a good amount of time and dedication, and I think it's an art in itself. Frankly I haven't been on top of it. Much of the works that I've gotten have been more of a support role, and they were mostly through word of month. Maybe I should make better use of social media. But first I need to be less camera-shy...!

You have a passion for travel; when things in the world are safer and steadier, where is the first place you're going to head to?

We had to cancel a few trips this year. When the situation is under control, I would want to go back to Japan and see my family and friends. They were worried when New York got hit badly. There are many places I want to visit, but everyone's health and safety are much more important.

Yaz, make me happy: tell me about the dogs.

Gladly! We have two dogs - Oscar (toy fox terrier with an independent streak) and Charlie (the sweetest rat terrier). I think they like the fact that I'm home all the time and they're getting more walks. The quarantine life made me realize that I'm their entire world, and I try to spend more time with them. They sure kept me good company during some rough times. Dogs love us unconditionally and we can learn from them.

Thank you so much for chatting with me today for Broadway World, and thank you for being born.

It really made my birthday brighter.

Photos provided by Yasuhiko Fukuoka - performance still by Michael Hull.