Makiko interviewed by Lee Leonard.
Channel: Makiko Hirata
Date: 2020-04-22

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Makiko Hirata, DMA "Dr. Pianist"： https://musicalmakiko.com/en/
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In Dec 1998, before my debut at the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in NYC, I was interviewed on "Jersey's Talking" by Lee Leonard. 

The live interview happened three days before my Carnegie Hall debut. I was already uncomfortable because the host had announced my appearance before the commercial break by describing me as a “little Geisha girl in the studio here with us tonight” before the commercial break.

“The small, young woman at the BIG piano…” is how he introduces me before he turns to me to start the interview. I am 5’6″ – pretty tall for an Asian female, and not “small” by any means. His questions start with “are you nervous?” then continues to “Do you get butterflies before you perform? How do you handle that?” “Do you ever goof up?” “Have you ever stopped in the middle of a performance and apologize to the audience?” And he keeps wanting me to talk about my childhood. He acted his role as a gracious host, perfectly. I wonder if I even consciously caught onto how demeaning his questions were at the time, if I knew the power of suggestions these things could have over someone with as vulnerable and fragile a psyche as I had then. This was a 6-minute interview – but if this was your reality day in and day out, it does have a significant cumulative effect.

For my blog about stereotyping and its effect, please read my blog: https://musicalmakiko.com/en/my-musical-mission/1848