Music Box Ambassador Interview

The music box helped me to connect with my loved ones.

Ambassador: Yoshie Nagasawa from Osaka

When you're at a crossroads in life"always,"I want to choose something that excites me," says Nagasawa.Such is the kind of inquisitive, energetic and powerful Nagasawa-san.We asked him about how to enjoy music boxes and how to live with them.

-What's your favorite music box?,Organito.

"There are wooden mechanical music boxes that I received as Christmas presents, and some that I bought myself. Each music box has a memory for me," said Nagasawa, introducing us to his extensive collection of music boxes. Among them, the one he liked the most was the Organito, which he has purchased several of himself.

Organito is a hand-cranked music box that uses punch cards. The song cards are made of paper, so you can punch holes in them to create your own original composition and arrangement cards.

By the way, how did you come across Organito, Nagasawa-san?

- A feeling of gratitude to a benefactor played on the organito.

Morning chorus with the kindergarten children.

About 15 years ago, Nagasawa was suddenly approached by the principal of the nursery where she was working part-time, asking if she would like to take over the management of the nursery. After some hesitation, she decided to take over the management of the nursery and become the principal. "The principal was a pastor, so at the time it was customary to sing hymns with the children every morning. Although I can't take over the fine management of the principal like the principal, I was thinking that it would be nice to sing something with the children every morning, and then the song 'Angel's Song' came into my head."

Unfortunately, Nagasawa was not very good at playing the piano, but one day, when he happened to visit a music box museum and came across an organito, he immediately thought, "I'll play with this," and began composing immediately. This was Nagasawa's fateful encounter with the organito.

"I played the viola in the orchestra club when I was in high school, so writing the sheet music wasn't that difficult. I finished it in about a day."

When the principal, who was also my teacher, retired, I gave him the completed song as a gift. Since then, singing along with the children, accompanied by the organito, has become a standard part of the nursery school's activities. The former principal was very pleased to see this.

-The charm of music boxes is the gentleness of their sound.

And, to feel healed while playing the organito.

One day, he was captivated by a certain guitar performance and wanted to try playing the same song on the organito. "When played on the guitar, a song can be very passionate, but when played on the organito, it instantly transforms into a soothing melody. I love how I feel soothed while playing the organito," he said, highlighting the appeal of not only listening but also playing the instrument.

-Reading picture books and organito concerts are rewarding

Nagasawa continues to hold organito workshops and read picture books to children while playing the music she has composed. She says that readers sometimes ask her to add music to accompany their books.

"It makes me so happy to see that participants look calm and relaxed by the end of the workshop."

I can imagine everyone enjoying the world of the picture book unfolding along with the sounds of the music box.

-Would we like to have a music box concert at work someday?

"When I told my boss at work about my appointment as the music box ambassador, he surprised me by saying, 'I want you to hold a concert (at work) too,'" says Nagasawa with a smile.

Nagasawa is expanding her circle of friends through her music boxes, and it seems that her activities and connections with people will continue to grow in the future.