Shima is originally from Japan, now living in the UK
Was inspired to take up the chromatic harmonica after seeing a concert when she was aged 12
First instrument was electric organ where learnt to read music initially
Played keyboard / piano from age six
They don’t have music grades in Japan
The chromatic player Shima first saw perform at age 12 became her teacher
Early chromatic lessons were taught with a classical approach
Shima’s teacher, Joe Sakimoto, had lots of pupils, and performed in a yearly concert with them
Shima’s teacher also taught via the postal service (no internet then!)
The student’s were all chromatic players and the teacher still teaches in Japan
Belonged to two groups in late teens, one rock music and one classical chamber music
Went to the US for 18 months and won a local harmonica competition while there
Won the Hohner World Harmonica Championship in 1995, held in Japan, with Hohner circulating the location between countries at that time
Winning piece from Shima was the Spivakovsky harmonica concerto
In 1993 won the Japanese harmonica competition and reasons for entering competitions
Shima studied with the great Tommy Reilly, and entered World Championship was partly to get the chance to study with him
First met Tommy Reilly when studied with him for a week in 1994
What Tommy Reilly was like as a teacher
Shima had a lesson with Tommy twice a week, with the other days devoted to preparation and review
A condition of the grant Shima was given was to document the repertoire of Tommy Reilly
Tommy was eager to pass on the music he had and Shima had to learn quickly
The year Shima spent with Tommy Reilly was from September 1996 to August 1997
Tommy wasn’t teaching anybody else during this time
After coming back from the US Shima decided she wanted to be a professional harmonica player and people advised to study music at university
Joe Sakimoto said studying music at university wasn’t necessarily the best thing to do, and Shima didn’t want to follow that path
When Shima studied with Tommy it was at the end of his career (around age 77) and he wasn’t performing at that stage
Tommy Reilly died in the year 2000
Tommy Reilly had a large recording collection that he would use to demonstrate points to Shima
Shima has all the lessons recorded, which she would like to make available online
Tommy Reilly loved to make playlists of recordings and would give them to Shima
Shima went back to Japan and released her first album in 2000, Golden Girl (the title track is a Tommy Reilly song)
Max Saunders sonata for harmonica was composed by Tommy Reilly’s son’s composition teacher
Second album from Shima was called Chromatic!
The Golden Girl album focused on original harmonica pieces and the second album was from a wider repertoire, including pieces written for Shima
Songs by Japanese composers, including Mitsunaga Koichiro, on the Chromatic! Album
Furusato song is loved in Japan, equivalent to the song Danny Boy
Moved to the UK in 2004 and studied a degree in Social Sciences with Psychology and one in Music Education and does some teaching in schools (mainly piano with some harmonica students)
Did a lot of travelling teaching in Japan and learnt the value that music brings to people and communities
Disappeared from the harmonica scene for a few years when arriving in the UK, but is back now and eager to do some teaching of harmonica
Took a break from playing and got back to it in 2015, and has performed at two Harmonica UK festivals
Played Genevieve with the Misbourne Symphony Orchestra
Played in Japan in 2023 on a version of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince
Played a concert in Tokyo in 2024 with pianist Midiro, as part of the Super Duo
Plans to travel back to Japan to perform in more concerts
Played in a trio with two other female Japanese chromatic players and Shima likes to perform in harmonica ensemble
Shima is a fan of the King’s Quartet harmonica ensemble, with Rocky Lok (interviewed on the podcast on episode 79)
Need more harmonica ensembles
Did a concert with a harp player
Took part in the Third Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in London in 2021 and the chromatic as a new ‘old sounding’ instrument
Videos on Shima’s YouTube channel of practising a piece and showing the progression as she does so
Chromatic of choice was Hohner Silver Concerto but found it too heavy. So now using a Georg Pollestad chromatic from Norway
Collected the Pollestad chromatic in person from Norway
The Pollestad took a little getting used to but ok now and likes that it is lighter than the Silver Concerto
Did a concert in Norway in May 2024, using the Pollestad, which included Sigmund Groven (who also uses a Pollestad chromatic)
Pollestad is a 12 hole. Shima only plays 12 hole chromatics
Embouchre is both puckering and tongue blocking according to the desired sound and phrasing, and uses corner switching
Amplification and mics uses the PA and leaves all that to the sound engineer
Plays with mic on stand (doesn’t hold it in hands)
The vibrato that Shima uses is dictated by the piece being played
Future plans includes an orchestra appearance in March 2025 and local gigs
