Trailer: Season 4 Episode 11 - Miki Sawada, Classical Pianist & CEO of Gather Hear Inc.

5 Feb 2024 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

2:59

This content was created by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This content was uploaded by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This is a YouTube trailer titled "Trailer: Season 4 Episode 11 - Miki Sawada, Classical Pianist & CEO of Gather Hear Inc." (created 2024-02-05). The clip features Miki Sawada, who describes her Gather Here Tour — traveling with a piano in a van to play free concerts in community gathering spaces (cafes, local venues) to make classical music accessible and to build common humanity across political, economic, and racial divides in America. Two unnamed hosts (SPEAKER A and SPEAKER C) introduce Miki and close with a promotional call-to-action inviting viewers to a live conversation on Tuesday, February 6 at 8 PM Eastern on The Piano Pod's YouTube channel and podcast platforms.

Well, sitting on the sidewalk when this young lady was playing piano— I am so excited that we're going to turn it over to Nikki and she's gonna play whatever God put in her spirit to play.
The Gather Here Tour, it's a project where I travel around the country with the piano in a van. And yeah, I play in community gathering spaces instead of formal concert halls where, you know, not everyone might feel welcome or they might not even have geographical access, you know? So I bring the music to the people, really. And all my concerts are free. It's all about making classical music you know, available to everyone who wants it or who may not even know that they want it. You know, like a lot of people I play for have never gone to a classical concert. Yeah, and they show up because I'm playing in their local cafe that they like to go to. So, but the tour is really about getting to know America really deeply on a level that not many other people are and trying to find common humanity with everyone who's, you know, on different sides of political spectrum, the economic spectrum, you know, these racial tensions, everything in America that can keep people apart. I'm trying to find something that brings us together, which can be classical music. Classical music can be enjoyed by more people than is currently, and it's a matter of being brave in where you take your music, thinking outside the box, being aware of current events and what people are talking about and what issues and how can classical music interact with that. It's a country that lets me be who I am. Like, it is very free being in this country. Like, of course, we always talk about the problems, But also, like, it is a privilege to be here and yeah, to like to do this crazy thing and people appreciate that I'm doing this. I'm starting to be able to say that I understand America more than most people. Yeah, you do.
Join us this Tuesday, February 6th at 8 PM Eastern for an inspiring conversation with Miki Sawada, classical pianist and CEO of Gather Here Inc., streaming on Piano Pod's YouTube channel and available on your favorite podcast platforms. Hit that subscribe button, spread the word, and don't forget to follow The Piano Pod on social media. Catch you Tuesday!