yama Expressiveness can be acquired by honing one's sensibility

singer　yama(mountain)

■ Profile
Yama is a new generation singer who has been gaining attention online, mainly through social media. He began his career in 2018 by releasing cover songs on YouTube. His first original song, "Haru wo Tsugeru," produced by Vocaloid producer Kujira, was released in April 2020 and quickly captured the hearts of listeners on social media, reaching the top of various hit charts. Yama is one of the artists who symbolize the current music scene.

Yama has loved singing since she was a child and wants to continue singing for the rest of her life. At one point she avoided singing in front of people, but now she is able to share her passion through live performances with audiences and documentary videos. We spoke to her about her passion and expressiveness as an artist.

I've always loved singing, and I often spent my childhood recording myself singing at home. Although I didn't think I had any outstanding talent, I wanted to be recognized for my singing, so I even entered a competition as a child. However, when I stood on stage at a competition where I had to compete with others, I experienced symptoms similar to panic disorder, and I thought I might not be able to sing in front of people, so I even left music. However, I finally realized that music was all I had, so I decided to resume my musical career. I started recording at home and uploading the recordings, and my current record company contacted me, allowing me to make my debut. Before my debut, I sang for myself, but since my debut, I sing with the hope that my songs will lift the spirits of those who listen to them.

I believe that expressive ability is not something that can be acquired by practicing repeatedly, but rather is something that is born from past experiences. In order to hone your expressive ability, it is important to analyze your everyday emotions and communicate with a variety of people. In my daily life, I record things that interest me, things that move me, and conversely, things that don't move me, in the form of a diary or poems.
For example, when I feel sad, I analyze why I feel sad and use that in my musical activities. When I take notes, dark thoughts often come out, but when I put them into music or other forms, rather than summarizing them as "it's lonely," I ultimately add elements that bring a ray of light.
I used to be reserved and reserved with people, but after I was taken along by my athletic manager and learned how to greet people and interact with them, I've started to hear old friends say things like, "You've become more cheerful" when I meet them again after a long time. My manager is always honest and frank, saying things like, "You weren't in great form at the live show today." While I often turned down things because they weren't my style, my attitude has changed, and I'm now more willing to give them a try. On my days off, I try to hone my sensibilities by talking to people, reading poetry, and interacting with art. If you want to improve your expressive abilities, I recommend looking out into the world and meeting a diverse range of people to sharpen your "yardstick"—that is, your ability to see things and people.

At first, I had composers and singer-songwriters write my songs for me. However, lyrics weren't words that came from inside me, so when I started performing live in front of an audience, I wanted to convey my true feelings, so I started writing lyrics and composing music. Also, I don't have an artist that I aspire to be like, but I like a wide range of genres, including rock, funk, and R&B, so I aim to be someone who transcends genres. I also use the illustrations I draw as a hobby for the album jacket covers and as bonuses, and I would like to turn them into merchandise in the future.

During your student days, you will often be forced to make choices, but whatever the choice, I hope you will think for yourself and not leave it up to others. If it's your own choice, you can't go wrong, so believe in yourself and do your best.

Student Newspaper April 1, 2023 Issue Chuo Gakuin University 4th Year Student Hayato Tane