In the second grade of elementary school, I switched from piano to classical guitar because my sister had taken over our grand piano. The reason I chose guitar was because my father was learning it. The main reason probably was that we already had the instrument at hand.
At the time, classical guitar was all the rage in Japan, probably due to the influence of films and television. The number of people playing it seemed to have grown dramatically, but around the time I started, the momentum started to fade and the number of people learning it was gradually falling.
The place where I went to learn was a nationally renowned school, where very talented students from primary school to young adults went to take lessons. Even though I hated practicing and only thought about slacking off, I guess I improved quickly by working with excellent musicians. I often took part in national competitions and concerts. It became my so-called third place since my life in junior high school was difficult, and it was also an important place where I could come back to myself by meeting with everyone else.
When I became a junior high school student, I had to participate in the guitar ensemble's evening practice sessions. As a junior high school student, it was fun for me to go out at night and play music with the ensemble, but I still felt how the guitar industry was declining year by year. There were hardly any young people in the ensemble, only adults in their 50s and above. Perhaps it was because it was nighttime, but there was no energy in playing the music, like a dark weight had been placed on the band.
One day, an up-and-coming young guitarist joined the ensemble. I was thrilled to be playing with the star, but at the break he said to me with a wry smile. “I can't believe it's just these old people and kids playing.” The atmosphere in the industry is shrinking fast. The reality is that there are fewer and fewer places for me to perform. Even though I was still a child, he must not have been able to hold his fears in.
I still remember his indescribable expression and my inability to say anything at the time. At the age of 16, I gave up the guitar and switched to oboe. I haven't seen everyone since then.