I watched the TV show featuring the conductor Seiji Ozawa few days ago. It showed his journey with Saito Kinen Orchestra since his surgery to the concert at Carnegie Hall few weeks ago. Seiji Ozawa has been my hero since my childhood and I have always admired him. In the show, he said how fortunate he is to be a conductor as he plays with his colleagues of Saito Kinen. Watching him rehearse with passion, love for music and respect for his fellow musicians AND the joy of orchestra members to play with him was such a luxury for me. I felt the power of music, since music grabs at our hearts at a very deep level. And, it can be any type of music, as Seiji said.
I was listening to the audio podcast of 60 minutes featuring Wynton Marsalis and his big band’s tour to Havana, Cuba. It showed an excitement and joy of playing music no matter which country you are from. In music, we can connect with people, regardless of race, ideology etc. etc.
Music also gives us energy, particularly when something sad happens, or you are worried or anxious about something in your life. Music not only lifts your spirit and restores your energy, but makes you feel that life is worth living.
Yoko Ishikura is a Professor at Hitotsubashi University ICS in the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy in Japan. She has held positions as a professor at the School of International Politics, Economics and Business of Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, as a consultant at McKinsey and Company Inc. Japan and a visiting professor at Darden School.
Professor Ishikura is a consultant to a number of multinational companies and has been a frequent speaker at management conferences, seminars, and workshops throughout the world. She was a member of the Regulatory Reform Committee for the Japanese government and the International Competitiveness Commission for METI. She is currently a Forum Fellow of the World Economic Forum.
She is the author of Strategic Shift from OR choices to AND paradigm, Building Core Skills of Organization , and the co-author of the following publications: Managing Diversity in the 21st Century, Strategy for Cluster Initiatives in Japan , and Building a Career to the World Class Professionals – all in Japanese. Her books in English include: Asian Advantage, Hitotsubashi on Knowledge Management and Trust and Antitrust in Asian Business Alliances.
Professor Ishikura’s current research interests are focused on global competition, innovation, and knowledge management. She received her BA from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan; MBA from Darden School, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; and DBA from Harvard Business School.
