Japanese Autistic Piano Warrior - Takuto Koyanagi
[A life angel that plays hope music]
Maybe we live within our little planet. Despite our loneliness, we can also spark like the bright stars in the sky.

- Takuto Koyanagi

Met the benefactor in life
He can’t understand the emotions of people,
and he encounters various difficulties in life,
but after he met the benefactor in life,
his talent has been discovered.
The unknown doors,
begin to open one after another ~
 

Takuto Koyanagi was born in Tokyo on January 24, 1994, and graduated from a school for the disabled students in Tokyo.
 
When he was three years old, he was diagnosed with slow learning, hyperactivity, and moderate autism.
 
 His mother, Mayumi Koyanagi, discovered that he was unusually calm when watching TV, especially the children’s program Okaasan to Issho in NHKTV.
 
Since then, his mother has noticed that he was particularly interested in “music.” So she often accompanied him to sing nursery rhymes and listen to music.
 
Often wins in international competitions and drives his positive energy
Takuto Koyanagi entered the Yamaha music class at the age of five and started to attend a private piano class at the age of eight. He spent six hours a day practicing the piano and played each song for over a hundred times repetitively for 18 years.
 
 Besides, he is also good at playing the flute and often won in international competitions. He also founded the “Japan Autism Musicians Association” with his musician mother, Mayumi Koyanagi, and cultivated many disabled musicians.
 
Takuto Koyanagi participates in more than 40 concerts every year. His music is well known in Japan and has even spread to all walks of life around the world, causing a warm response.
 
Whereby, Takuto Koyanagi is dedicated to conveying his feelings wholeheartedly through the musical melody and beats to become a dazzling star. He also often performs transnationally to drive the positive energy of life. He deserves to be praised as an “Autistic Piano Warrior,” and stood out among 2,723 recommended candidates from all over the world and earned him the “22nd Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2019” from Taiwan’s Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation.
 
The Foundation welcomes all walks of life around the world at any time to recommend candidates of life warriors who possess the contexts of endeavors, love, braveness, and achievement.
 
The Fervent Global Love of Lives Medal - Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, Taiwan
Recommended hotline: 886-2-29178770
Fax: 886-2-29178768
Address: 3F, No. 52, Mingde Road, Xindien District, New Taipei City 231, Taiwan
Website: http://www.ta.org.tw
Email: ta88ms17@gmail.com
 
Mom discovered his talent
His mother, Mayumi Koyanagi, was graduated from the School of Education, Hiroshima University (Music School), and Tokyo Gakugei University (Music Education). She is currently the representative of the Japan Autism Musicians Association, the representative of the Asian Autism Pianists Association, and Kitami Elementary School All Rights Reserved. in Setagaya ku, Tokyo, and the Adjunct Lecturer at Kanto Gakuin University.
 
 When Takuto Koyanagi was three years old, he was diagnosed with slow learning, hyperactivity, and moderate autism.
 
His mother discovered that he was unusually calm when watching the TV, especially the children’s program Okaasan to Issho in NHKTV.
 
His mother said: “Autism has three characteristics, difficulty in an interpersonal relationship, communication difficulties, and persistence.”
 
His mother thinks that the third characteristic of her son has proved that he is particularly interested in “music.” So she often accompanied him to sing nursery rhymes and listen to music.
 
When his mother sings a song or plays a piece of music, she will give him some musical instruments to accompany him to become part of the melody, and a computer keyboard to let him manipulate his fingers.
 
After some time, he gradually fell in love with music.
 
However, in daily life, he can’t establish verbal communication with his mother, and he can’t integrate with other students in the kindergarten.
 
When Takuto Koyanagi was five years old, her mother opened a baby classroom at Yamaha Music School and taught in the classes with some parents. They wrote numbers in the scores and taught the students in a counting approach.
 
At the age of eight, he started to attend a private piano class, spending six hours a day playing the piano, and practicing over a hundred times for each song persistently for 18 years.
 
His mother said: “Persistency has let him cultivated a good habit. For example, after agreeing with him to practice at 8:00 in the morning, he would sit in front of the piano at 7:56 in the morning and wait, and must start practicing at 8:00 sharp. He also likes to practice the same song over and over again.”
 
His mother said: “Most children with autism always “focus” on one thing at a time, which is perhaps his “talent.”
 
Joins the wind orchestra
With a foundation in music in primary school, his mother decided to let Takuto Koyanagi participate in a wind orchestra to try different instruments.
 
In the orchestra, he made friend with Nobuhiko Homma. He was unable to talk to him, but only through the exchange of music.
 
Nobuhiko Hommais good at playing the violin, so the two formed a violin and flute duo and toured around Japan.
 
They also held several “Hope Music Symposiums” to share their life stories and performances, and witness that “everything is good at something.”
 
Recognized in competitions and stirred the Japanese media
When Takuto Koyanagi was in junior high school, he regularly held more than 40 concerts throughout Japan each year.
 
He participated in the International Piano Festival by People with Disabilities in Canada and won a special award. At that time, NHKTV did an exclusive interview with him and broadcast it throughout the country, stirring the Japanese media.

Each year, the international piano awards will bring together people with disabilities from all walks of life around the world, whether they are physical illness, mental retardation, visual impairment, hearing impairment, etc. This stage enables them to find courage and confidence.
 
Superb in piano skills and computer skills
His mother said: “I always think that if we combine the expertise of autistic children with other things, we can create other abilities.”
 
Due to the reason that he used to practice playing the piano hundreds of times and learning the Roman symbols when he was in senior high school, he passed the Level A Japanese word processing ability, which is equivalent to Taiwan’s Level B technician test in the computer software application.
 
He applied to work in “Daiwa Life Plus Co., Ltd,” a company committed to improving the working environment, providing employment for the disabled people, and distributing them to different departments according to each characteristic.
 
He was then assigned to work as data input personnel.
 
In the 7^th year of his work, his data input speed was twice that of the ordinary employees, and he was deeply praised by the company’s President.

Regardless of his piano playing skills and computer skills, they are both fantastic.
 
Established Japan Autism Musicians Association
For his mother, music is not just playing; it can bring feelings and memories to people, as well as social inspiration.
 
So, for the first time, Takuto Koyanagi and his mother launched the Autism Musicians Concert (AMC) with three other parents with autistic children, namely Momoko Momma、Yoshioka Ryohei and Yasuko Sano, gathering autism family members, supporters, etc., cultivating many musicians through the help of AMC. It has resulted in warm support and encouragement from all walks of life in Japan.
 
AMC provides a stage for autism musicians to perform every year. The number of participants in each session is up to thousands, which attracts praises from all walks of life. It enters its 8^th session this year (2019) and held a concert at Kyushu, Japan on April 6.
 
The stars are not far away from us, only that their silence has not caused people to notice their existence.
 
Paying more attention to them will give them more help.

Borderless public service
When Takuto Koyanagi continues to improve in the joint efforts of the people, his superior potentials in music and computer are also progressing.
 
In repeated performances and competitions, the awards and applause he received have made him even more confident!
 
He also likes to interact with everyone through music. With the cooperation of his mother, he has become a junior teacher to teach everyone to play the piano and flute.
 
From a passive recipient, he has turned into an active helper.
 
His innocence and happiness have influenced everyone and simultaneously resonated with him in music. Such emotional exchanges have allowed the people around him to become more intimate and happy, and veritably become a borderless public service.
 
In the face of adversity, Takuto Koyanagi is still able to make progress and very optimistic. He has been recommended by various circles in Japan to participate in multiple international competitions and public performances.
 
He has also lived up to expectations, won the honor of outstanding medals, and helped others to help themselves in all walks of life at home and abroad.
 
From his life, we can see the power of persistence. Although he is born with an innate disability, he never quit and can do what others can do with double efforts.
 
A love that you never give up in pursuing will generate a light of hope.
 
Thousands and thousands of love that you never give up in pursuing will generate thousands and thousands light of hopes.
 
Takuto Koyanagi is highly recognized by people from all walks of life
2009: Publicly praised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education
2009: International Piano Festival by People with Disabilities in Canada < Special Award >
2011: Asia International Piano Festival by People with Disabilities in Japan < SilverMedal >
2012: Pre-International Piano Festival by People with Disabilities in Japan < GoldMedal >
2012: Invited to perform in Taiwan-Japan Friendship Piano Concert
2013: Pyeongchang Special Music Festival in Korea < 1^st Prize >
2014: Open ceremony pianist in Pyeongchang Special Music Festival in Korea.
2015: Autistic Talent Gala in Hong Kong Individual < Best Rhythm Award > < Excellent Performance Award >
2016: Inverted to perform in Mexico-U.S.A.-Japan Friendship Special Joint Concert in the United States
2016: Invited to perform in Taiwan-Japan Friendship Piano Concert
2016: Autistic Talent Gala in Hong Kong Individual < Best Rhythm Award > < Excellent Performance Award >
2017: Invited to play in Asian Autistic Pianist Charity Concert in Shanghai
2017: ANCA World Autism Music Festival in Canada < 3^rd prize in Performance Art category >
2017: Autistic Talent Gala in Hong Kong Individual -"Hall of Fame”< Charming Star >
2018: Invited to play in Taiwan-Japan Friendship Piano Concert in Taichung
2018: Invited to play in Special Joint Concert in Mexico
2019: Invited to play in Asian Autistic Pianist Charity Concert in Taipei
2019: Special Beauty Japan 〈grand prix〉
 

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