Inspiration from the Life of Takemitsu Toru

Takemitsu Toru lived from 8 October 1930 to 20 February 1996. He was a renowned Japanese composer in addition to being a writer on music theory and aesthetics. Takemitsu received several awards and honors during his lifetime for his great compositions. Interestingly, he has an awards program named after him i.e. the Takemitsu Toru Composition Award. The award program focuses on a young audience. Its principles are peace, hope, and prayer. Unfortunately, many people know little about this great composer. Here are some interesting facts on Takemitsu Toru.

He Taught Himself Music

Takemitsu started composing music when he was sixteen years old. The inspiration for his compositions came from Western music. You should note that he lived in Japan at a time when the Japanese Empire was hostile to Western influences. Consequently, finding this type of music was a daunting task for him. However, he made due with whatever music he could find. It is important to note that Takemitsu studied under Yasuji Kiyose in 1948, but this arrangement lasted for a brief moment.

He Was a War Veteran

The Japanese army conscripted Takemitsu into service in 1944 when he was fourteen years old. He described his years of military service as bitter. Ironically, it was during this time that he learned to appreciate classical music from the Western World. He particularly liked a French song known as ‘Tell me about love.’ He would listen to it in secret because the army he fought for was at war with western powers including France.

Inspiration from the Life of Takemitsu Toru

Takemitsu Toru appreciated music regardless of its origin. More specifically, he recognized the splendor of Western classical music even though he fought for the Empire of Japan. Furthermore, Takemitsu taught himself how to compose this music. Music students should have the same attitude as he did during his lifetime. For example, you learn different ways of playing the piano even if it includes styles from countries your nation opposes. In other words, music should be a universal language of peace, hope, and prayer.

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