How a Traveling Musician Spends Time at the Hotel | Marimbist Mika Stoltzman
It Began in Amakusa, a Town by the Sea
The Path to Becoming a Marimbist
What image comes to mind when you hear the word “marimba”? A wooden, keyboard-shaped percussion instrument that produces a warm sound that resonates deep within the body. That is the marimba. Currently active on the world stage as a “marimbist” is Mika Stoltzman. She now resides in Boston with her husband, Richard Stoltzman, a world-renowned clarinetist.
Mika grew up in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture. From an early age, she began playing piano and electone, and later developed an interest in drums, teaching herself the technique. Her encounter with the marimba came at a music junior college, which she had decided to attend because of her passion for drums. “I loved drums very much, but they cannot play melodies. When I encountered the marimba, I realized it was an instrument that fused drums and piano—I could strike it while also playing melodies. That’s it! It clicked instantly, and I began playing the marimba right away,” Mika recalls. Afterward, she worked as a teacher at junior high and elementary schools, “never imagining that I would become a performer.”
However, she was steadily approaching the path of music. She became the advisor for the school’s wind ensemble and, through her guidance, won the gold prize at the Kyushu competition—her goal. When she was exploring her next steps, she was invited to become a lecturer at a music university in Kumamoto, and the fact that she gradually achieved results with her students shows that she was an excellent instructor.
“Just then, I had an opportunity to study abroad in the United States for a short period, with the purpose of leveling up my teaching skills. But the teacher I met there asked me, ‘Why don’t you perform?’ and suddenly I felt as if the path before me had opened up.” Mika says she “awakened” at that moment. Taking that as a turning point, she decisively quit teaching and began to pursue the path of a performer.
A Second Life as a Performer: A Continuous Series of Ups and Downs
However, even as a performer, her base remained Amakusa. At the age of 34, after temporarily studying at the University of Toronto, she held debut recitals in New York and Tokyo, finally launching her professional career. A life of constant travel between Tokyo and overseas began. Mika was living hectic days, but a turning point came when she was 40.
“I met musicians I respected overseas, and I thought, let’s bring these amazing people to Amakusa and hold a music festival. That’s when I also met Richard. Steve Gadd, a drummer, and Richard Stoltzman, a clarinetist, were my ‘heroes,’ so to speak, whom I greatly respected as musicians (laughs). I invited them and produced the music festival myself.” She carried out a large-scale music festival for 2,000 people, and it was a huge success! Afterward, Mika held similar events a total of three times, and while producing them, she also began to participate as a performer herself. Producing was certainly enjoyable, but being too busy to find time to practice became a source of stress. Finally, she resolved to “develop greater skill” and moved to New York.
She reset the status she had built up to zero and started her New York life from scratch. “I strongly wanted to become a marimbist who could play both jazz and classical music.” What prompted that action was “passion for music, nothing more,” Mika states emphatically. It is not difficult to imagine how challenging that was and how much energy it required. That energy established a new status for her as the performer Mika Stoltzman, and she also formed a connection with another “hero,” jazz pianist Chick Corea, performing with him at Carnegie Hall in New York and having him compose pieces for her. It is truly a feat made possible by “passion for music.”
She started her New York life at 43, and later married Richard at 48. From then on, an environment where she could concentrate solely on music was established, and her passion accelerated. “I eat cereal in the morning, practice, and have one proper meal at night. Other than that, I practice. I have my own routine, and we cannot compromise on that with each other. Perhaps it’s something we can do because we’ve grown older, but there are no distractions” (Mika). Mika today has no hesitation. She faces music and the marimba earnestly and gives her all. She has performed with distinguished musicians, and she was particular about sessions with these respected musicians. “Playing music together allows me to absorb 100 times more than being taught. I think my desire to grow myself through collaboration was stronger than anyone else’s,” says Mika. She trusts Steve Gadd, whom she especially respects, so much that he has produced five albums for her. It is remarkable that she spent three years continuously conveying her passion to him even during the music festival.
“To move people’s hearts, you need that much feeling and action. It’s important to pour out your passion,” Mika says. Regarding Bach’s Chaconne as well, she nearly gave up many times, spent three months arranging it, and realized it. The relentless passion as a musician to evolve and grow continues to drive Mika even now.
How a “Traveling Musician” Spends Time at the Hotel
When asked what makes a comfortable hotel for Mika, who continues to perform across countries, she immediately answered, “Comfort and the ability to practice are paramount.” During her stays, not only does she practice, but she also spends as much time as possible inside the hotel. Because it is a place to cultivate the energy to stand on stage, the hotel where she stays must above all be relaxing. “In that sense, Hotel GrandBach Tokyo Ginza was superb,” says Mika. She stayed there for about a month during the COVID-19 pandemic and seems to have liked it very much. “I was deeply moved by the hospitality of moving the bed to make room for my marimba. It’s functional, the room is lovely, and it’s comfortable—but the sound doesn’t leak either, which is wonderful” (Mika).
When asked about other hotels that left an impression among those she has stayed at, she said, “A hotel in Buenos Aires. It was luxurious, yes, but on Richard’s birthday, they discreetly delivered a chocolate cake shaped like a clarinet—that hospitality was wonderful and remains in my heart.”
The background music playing in the hotel is also quietly important. “Bach is… different, isn’t it? Each note is profound. There is much to learn. Playing Bach is not so much performing as it is praying. In a concert, when I play Bach, I change my costume. I cannot play it with the same vector.”
Mika’s concerts often feature sessions with various musicians, and the synergy born from them creates an indescribable sense of emotion. Mika energetically produces sound while moving left and right in front of the large, long marimba. To maintain the stamina to continue giving concerts, she makes jogging a daily routine and is mindful of eating a balanced diet including meat, and this remains the same when staying at hotels. She adjusts herself to give good performances at concerts while taking care of her mind and body. “I think I am producing my best sound now.
Because the marimba uses mallets to produce sound, there is an aspect where it is difficult to convey what you are thinking, but recently I have come to feel as if I am striking it with my hands. It’s as if I am playing the sound in my heart… I feel that I have finally become able to produce the sound I want to produce.”
After many twists and turns, Mika now feels she is most in harmony with the marimba and able to produce sound as she wishes. We look forward to her future performances even more!
■Interviewer & Writer:
Naoko Kubo | Wellness & Beauty Journalist / Phytotherapist / Aroma Designer / Ayurveda Life Counselor
CONTACT Instagram @naonaonaozou/
■Photography:
Tomohisa Ichiki