Get It? Got It? Good. | Episode 4 | The Harp with Tomoko
If you ever decide to hire Tomoko Sato to play the harp at your wedding, I couldn’t imagine there being one dry eye as she would play. If you ever decide to Yelp “Harpist Tomoko Sato” and read her reviews, you’ll understand why. As I was luckily invited to her home, I noticed that the main attraction was her grand harp, sitting in the middle of the living room, adjacent to her piano.
Tomoko has a soft voice with a modest tone. Her interview was both educational and personal, as are the others that I’ve done but my most favorite moment of her interview was when she played her harp for me. The echoes in the great room bounced every note from wall to wall. The melody was soft but technical and I felt like I was in some kind of fairytale. Her hands and her feet were both moving at the same time similar to playing the piano as she remained focused and confident with every pluck and strum. The concentration in Tomoko’s face beamed a sense of ownership with her instrument as if it was the only one she had ever played on and that love for the harp was pouring out of her. I felt so lucky to be there in that moment, witnessing her personal relationship and how important the human touch of playing her instrument was, that would never be perfectly replicated using any form of technology.
Before leaving, she gave me her album called, “Romantic Melodies On Cello and Harp” that she had recorded with her dear friend. On my way home, I listened to the entire album and it made me miss the live version I had just heard in her home. I will never forget that sound.