UCLA student Yuki Akaishi aims to strike a chord in her Fowler Out Loud concert

Yuki Akaishi, a fourth-year ethnomusicology student, said she began her academic career at UCLA four years ago believing that she would one day become a doctor or surgeon. This plan never came to fruition because of a love for music, a feeling she said was stronger than anything she had ever felt for science.

“I just realized music is my passion, it is part of who I am,” Akaishi said.

Tonight, Akaishi will perform her own variety of original pop songs and covers at the Fowler Out Loud concert in the Fowler Museum courtyard.

Sarah Mori, a fourth-year ethnomusicology student and Akaishi’s drummer, said this performance is the perfect forum for Akaishi to share her penchant for songwriting.

“I think she has a great sense of melody. She can write catchy melodies while still keeping the music interesting. Her lyrics are great too. It’s a great combo,” Mori said.

According to Akaishi, a substantial portion of her lyrics are inspired by her relationship with her fiance, her faith and the everyday stories of others.

Mori said “Sad and Beautiful,” a song that Akaishi will perform tonight, is about a friend who was bullied and hurt by the people around him while growing up. This is one of Mori’s favorite songs because it is moving both lyrically and musically.

“It’s a reflective and transformative piece because she reflects the reality of this person and gives hope to what this person’s life can be like,” Mori said.

Akaishi said pursuing music at UCLA has changed her perspective on what it means to be a musician and person as well.

“I learned how to listen to people and how to listen to music in a way that affects you instead of categorizing music,” Akaishi said.

Akaishi also said many of her songs vary from conventional pop music because of her inclusion of the technical nuances of the various genres she has studied in the ethnomusicology program.

According to Akaishi, she incorporated the African tradition of polyrhythm, playing different rhythms at once, into “Sideways,” one of her more instrumental-driven songs.

The improvisation component of her songwriting process is an element borrowed from the jazz music she has studied, Akaishi said. This process is modeled after the way jazz musician Miles Davis composed his music.

“I’m really taking the essence of allowing every musician in my band to bring what they have to the table and growing from there. I really like having the songs as a guideline and having the musicians add their own twist to it,” Akaishi said.

Jeanelle Fu, a fourth-year English student and Akaishi’s backup vocalist, said Akaishi and the band use improvisation to liven up performances.

“I think it’s really cool when you’re able to improvise because it puts the audience in the current mood of the performance. It’s something fresh, something new,” Fu said.

Ben Li, UCLA alumnus and Akaishi’s violinist, said Akaishi’s willingness to experiment with rhythm and new styles is refreshing and something that the pop genre and music industry today can benefit from.

Akaishi said she embraces being a part of pop music.

“Pop is not trash. A lot of people say KIIS-FM is trash, and it’s true a lot of the time, but there is something to be said about pop music in that it has the power to reach a lot of people,” Akaishi said.