In this blog post, I will explain how I decided to major in piano, as well as my academic plan, post-graduation goals, and my personal values.

Reasons for Pursuing This Major

I first started playing the piano at the age of five, thanks to my mother, who was a musician. My mother had been majoring in vocal music in Japan when she was forced to give up her dream of becoming a musician due to difficult family circumstances. She hoped I would fulfill the dreams she had been unable to realize, but because of her, I found practicing the piano to be a burden.
Although I had been learning it as a habit since childhood, lesson time was boring, and I was filled with a desire to escape. Then, one day, I happened to hear my mother singing, and her voice was so sweet and beautiful that I felt a genuine connection to “music” for the first time.
After that, I began to enjoy playing the piano and found it fun. As my confidence in the piano grew, I naturally began to consider majoring in piano in college. Currently, remembering a pianist’s words that “it takes three hours of practice before your hands feel loose,” I spend over ten hours a day practicing.

Academic Plan and Goals

Each musical piece contains the composer’s emotions. A pianist is someone who conveys the composer’s feelings and sensibilities to the audience through the music. Therefore, I believe a pianist must understand the piece—and the composer—with their heart. That is why, once I enter university, I will consistently practice analyzing pieces from the composer’s perspective and structuring my performances accordingly.
I will not neglect participating in various competitions to improve my skills. Above all, I want to start a music club to engage in music-related volunteer work. I will consistently hold free concerts and visit people with intellectual disabilities or those struggling to adapt to society to teach them piano.

Plans After Graduation

As I prepare to enroll at your university, I have two realistic aspirations. The first is to continue growing as a performer and become a world-class pianist, and the second is to devote myself to teaching and become a professor. First, after graduating from your university, I plan to study abroad at a renowned music conservatory in the United States. To become a world-class pianist, I will work hard to compete in competitions and build an impressive record of awards.
As is the case for all performers, practicing with discipline and determination for hours every day is not as easy as it sounds, but I will take pride in being an artist and triumph in this personal battle. Furthermore, I will prepare for the future with confidence so that my wonderful performances, filled with passion for the piano, can shine even brighter on the world stage.

Self-Introduction

“Only when a caterpillar desperately wants to fly is it possible for it to fly.” This is one of the key passages from Trina Paulus’s book *Hope for the Flowers*. I loved this passage from the book, which I first read in high school, and have kept it close to my heart ever since; it remains one of the few passages that still linger in my mind. This book chronicles the life journey of a small caterpillar as it overcomes adversity and hardship to grow into a butterfly.
While reading this book, I discovered a message of hope that inspires dreams of transformation in life. Whenever I grew tired of playing the piano or felt listless, I would think of this little caterpillar. They say success belongs to those who dream. Only through bold challenges that turn good dreams into action can I realize the dreams I hold. Just as a butterfly can fly if it desires it earnestly, I too will earnestly desire, earnestly prepare, and earnestly wait to fulfill the dream I first held.