特別インタビュー
2008-11-11 Tue
HIROAKI ITOU
You're still a blank slate. Believe that you can do anything!
avex group is using their energy and efforts in order to conduct the grand "avex WORLD AUDITION 2008." Let's hear more about this audition from avex Entertainment Corporation, Head of tearbridge production, Hiroaki Ito.
インタビュー
--What is important for succeeding in the entertainment world?
It sounds obvious, but when it comes to music, it’s simply about being good at singing. In the Japanese entertainment world, there isn’t a lot of emphasis placed on vocal skill, provided you have other talents. There are droves of stars who aren’t endowed with great voices who have managed to make up for it in other ways. But for me this is a non-negotiable.One more thing that I consider important is that singers should feel they really want to sing - that they really have the desire to make people happy. The people who make their way to the top all have their own individuality. They have this desire to just communicate from their hearts.
--What crucial factors surround one’s debut as an artist?
My perspective is limited to simply someone who “facilitates” the challenge, but I’m not sure that they are aware of the extent of their potential. Instead of thinking, “I can only sing this kind of song,” it pays to have a wide range including pop or R&B. Although the desire to be flexible like that is important, different people are going to look at you and help you find that the genius within.
This goes especially for the people taking the World Audition. You’re still a blank slate. So I want you to realize that you can do anything!
--Do you have any advice for foreigners that are going to audition in Japan?
On that point, let me say that there is a little bit of everything in Japanese Entertainment. I think foreigners involved with entertainment culture come with a very strict set of minimum standards for artistic ability. But in Japan, unexpected and off-the-wall things become hits, and I think that there is a real chance for foreigners to be successful in the Japanese market.
＜Profile of HIROAKI ITOU＞
Hiroaki Ito is the Head of avex Entertainment Corporation, responsible for tearbridge production, and for supporting and producing artists (and creators) that act as bridges to the entertainment world.
As a member of the Music Creation Section of avex group, he manages not only artists but also singers (writers, composer, and arrangers).
It sounds obvious, but when it comes to music, it’s simply about being good at singing. In the Japanese entertainment world, there isn’t a lot of emphasis placed on vocal skill, provided you have other talents. There are droves of stars who aren’t endowed with great voices who have managed to make up for it in other ways. But for me this is a non-negotiable.One more thing that I consider important is that singers should feel they really want to sing - that they really have the desire to make people happy. The people who make their way to the top all have their own individuality. They have this desire to just communicate from their hearts.
--What crucial factors surround one’s debut as an artist?
My perspective is limited to simply someone who “facilitates” the challenge, but I’m not sure that they are aware of the extent of their potential. Instead of thinking, “I can only sing this kind of song,” it pays to have a wide range including pop or R&B. Although the desire to be flexible like that is important, different people are going to look at you and help you find that the genius within.
This goes especially for the people taking the World Audition. You’re still a blank slate. So I want you to realize that you can do anything!
--Do you have any advice for foreigners that are going to audition in Japan?
On that point, let me say that there is a little bit of everything in Japanese Entertainment. I think foreigners involved with entertainment culture come with a very strict set of minimum standards for artistic ability. But in Japan, unexpected and off-the-wall things become hits, and I think that there is a real chance for foreigners to be successful in the Japanese market.
＜Profile of HIROAKI ITOU＞
Hiroaki Ito is the Head of avex Entertainment Corporation, responsible for tearbridge production, and for supporting and producing artists (and creators) that act as bridges to the entertainment world.
As a member of the Music Creation Section of avex group, he manages not only artists but also singers (writers, composer, and arrangers).
