Music student and Anime fan since childhood. Japanese Music fan since teenhood. Gigging Musician since adulthood.
I picked up guitar as an adult to pursue my childhood dream of playing with a band on stage. I found other rookie musicians and started the Chromatic Dreamers Band Project in June 2021, followed by this blog in October 2021. It was impossible finding information on Japanese music theory, along with other topics for new guitarists and bands, so after I figured things out, I started creating articles and resources to fill the gap. We achieved our goal in Summer 2022, playing at an anime convention and Jpop event. In Summer 2023, the singer (Cloud) and I reunited as "Natsukashi Kumo" (Nostalgia Cloud), and performed at another convention and the biggest Japanese festival in Canada!
While I grew up Christian, I grew up in a false denomination, and got caught up in the world as an adult. But around New Years 2023, I came to understand the true gospel of being saved by grace alone in Christ Jesus and was born again. I received FL Studio as a gift weeks prior, and released my first song "Be Courageous" (inspired by Joshua 1:9) around this time. I spent most of 2023 studying the bible, and indulging in Christian content to correct my doctrine. Feeling convicted by the amount of time I spent listening and learning secular music, I told God that 'after the festival, I wouldn't play guitar again unless for Him' and went on hiatus.
In January 2024, a couple churches found my BandMix profiles and asked if I could play for them. They were both out of my city, and only one was able to arrange a ride for me, so I ended up serving there for 8 months. It was a challenge at first since I always had weeks or months to practice, but now they would change the key right before service, and I never knew where the singers would take the song, but my playing and confidence greatly grew in this period.
Additionally, I was hoping to find new music that I enjoyed, but also had messages that would encourage my faith. I was aware that Japan only has about 1-2% Christians, and when I tried to find some Christian artists years prior, I was unsuccessful, but I was eager to dig and try again. To my pleasant surprise, I found over 100 artists! I enjoyed writing, interviewing, and promoting these artists as I know they won't really have a fanbase at home, and thus, people oversees won't know about them either. I've also written other articles to assist my otaku brothers and sisters in Christ.
In January 2025, I joined a local Baptist church that only played hymns. Since electric guitar didn't really suit the service, I dusted off the plastic ocarina I bought a decade prior. While I learned how to read sheets during school, I always had enough time to memorize the songs, so only now did I learn to read proficiently. While I've only played the ocarina for a short amount of time, I felt more confident learning by ear and playing in a variety of keys. I have upgraded to clay ocarinas and have sold my guitars to focus wholeheartedly on them.
In 2026, after learning all my church's hymns, I considered where else I could play these hymns and how else I could use this gift. I wanted to keep challenging and pushing myself to ensure I keep growing and advancing on the ocarina. Since the older population tends to be more fond of hymns, I thought about playing for the sick, elderly, or dying, those in hospitals, long-care homes, and hospice care facilities. I know these places hire musicians, but I wasn't sure if there were many Christian musicians available to play for them. Thus, I hope to be a blessing to them with my new virtual hymn musician service <3
A couple of more suggestions for your Halloween list:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzK9i70Dkgk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya0BhVZEmuM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkwbHF_Clpc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHPRUnBATho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVHscj6Rfg
Thanks Per! I saw a lot more as well, but wanted to keep the list to 31 songs haha ^_^