Music & Sport

I take piano lessons in Rome. I go to my piano teacher’s studio once a week. As he is a pianist and harpsichordist, he teaches both piano and harpsichord. I am “privileged” to see (and sometimes touch) the harpsichord, though it is only the piano on which I actually take lessons. In his studio, I always feel as if I am in a music museum.

The year 2020 has just started! How did you welcome the new year?

A lot of people like football. In the world, many children enjoy playing football. When I went to Tanzania last month, I saw some children kicking a ball which looked ‘beary’ different from a ‘normal’ football. Look at the ball this boy is holding!

Did you know that the world’s oldest piano was invented in the early 18th century? Look at this piano! This was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1722. The invention of the piano must have been an epoch-making event in those days.

My mom always says that sport and music can easily cross the national borders. She is still working in Liberia, and lives in an apartment facing the Atlantic Ocean. As she can enjoy the magnificent view of the ocean from her apartment, the residence is named Ocean View. She enjoys not only looking over the sea but also watching football games on the beach. That is a beach football!

One of the things that my mom believes can easily cross national borders is sport. When my mom worked for a rural development project in Bangladesh in 2006, she enjoyed football with her Bangladeshi and Japanese colleagues.

The other day, my mom went to the World Musical Instrument Museum in Tokyo with her piano teacher. A variety of musical instruments from all over the world are exhibited there.

My mom and I always say, “The human heart is universal.” It works as an international language all over the world. A sweet heart with a big smile can easily cross over any national borders. We also believe that sport can work as an international language on this earth.