Keiko Abe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keiko Abe
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
安倍 圭子
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| Born | April 18, 1937 Tokyo, Japan |
| Instruments | Marimba |
Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko, born April 18, 1937) is a famous Japanese composer and marimba player. She has played a huge part in making the marimba what it is today. She helped create new ways to play the instrument and wrote many new songs for it. She also worked with the Yamaha Corporation to develop the modern five-octave concert marimba, which is now the standard.
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Early Life and Musical Journey
Keiko Abe started playing the xylophone when she was in elementary school in Tokyo, Japan. Her teacher was Eiichi Asabuki. When she was just 13, she won a talent contest held by NHK, a big Japanese broadcasting company. After that, she began performing professionally on live radio.
She went to Tokyo Gakugei University and earned degrees in music education. While in college, she also worked in recording studios for companies like Nippon Columbia and NHK.
Discovering the Marimba
In the early 1950s, Keiko Abe first saw a marimba. This happened when Lawrence L. Lacour, an American professor, brought four marimbas to Japan. In 1962, she formed the Xebec Marimba Trio with two friends who also studied with Asabuki. They played popular music, folk songs, and some of Abe's own arrangements. The trio recorded more than seven albums between 1962 and 1966.
During this time, Keiko Abe also had her own TV show in Japan. On the show, she taught schoolchildren how to play the xylophone. She also had a radio show called "Good Morning Marimba." She became very busy, releasing 13 albums in just five years!
Developing the Modern Marimba
In 1963, the Yamaha Corporation wanted help designing new marimba instruments. They chose Keiko Abe because she had clear and original ideas about how a marimba should sound and be designed. She believed the marimba should blend well with other instruments in a group. Her ideas guided Yamaha's design, and they started making the new instruments in the 1970s.
Expanding the Marimba's Range
Keiko Abe also pushed for a big change: she wanted the marimba's range to be expanded. It went from four octaves to five. This five-octave range has now become the standard for marimba soloists around the world. Keiko Abe has worked closely with Yamaha ever since. In fact, their first special series of mallets (the sticks used to play keyboard percussion instruments) is named after her.
Composing and Teaching
Besides performing, Keiko Abe is also a talented composer. Her music is mainly published by Xebec Music Publishing in Tokyo and Schott, Japan. Her pieces, like "Michi," "Variations on Japanese Children's Songs," and "Dream of the Cherry Blossoms," are now very important songs in the marimba world.
Keiko Abe works hard to encourage new music for the marimba. She writes her own pieces, asks other composers to write new works, and supports young composers. For example, "Marimba Spiritual" by Minoru Miki is a very popular piece for percussion groups. Keiko Abe asked for this piece to be written and supported it, and it is dedicated to her. She has added at least 70 new compositions to the marimba's collection of music. She often uses improvisation (making up music on the spot) to get ideas for her compositions.
Academic Career and Recognition
Along with her busy schedule of composing, touring, and recording, Keiko Abe has also been a lecturer and then a professor at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo since 1970. In 1993, she made history by becoming the first woman to be included in the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. This is a very special honor for percussionists.
Keiko Abe uses the YM-6100 Marimba. This modern concert marimba, with its five-octave range, was developed with her help and the Yamaha Corporation. They worked together on it for 15 years, from 1969 to 1984.
In May 2021, Keiko Abe was chosen as one of 10 new members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. This shows her lasting impact on the world of music.
See also
