Hi everybody, this is Keiko Utoku. My official website is going to be newly opened, so I'd like to talk about something called a "biography" on myself. ■ In my childhood, when I awakened to music My awakening to music was probably in my nursery school days. I was a kind of child who would play around, listening to my father's records. Especially I remember singing and dancing along to nursery rhymes. I was so fond of singing, when our relatives got together, I would struggle to get the microphone! So, I might have my musical roots in such nursery songs first of all. Also it was in those days that I started to play the piano. There was a piano at my elder cousin's home, so when I visited her, I would play along, copying her. And I began to enjoy it more and more. Naturally I came to find both singing and playing the piano as delight. Later on, I started to get strongly attracted by music, listening to songs of Momoe Yamaguchi, such as "Cosmos (characterized in Japanese as Autumn Cherry)", which was also the first record I bought, or "Ii Hi Tabidachi (trans. Good Day's Departure)". As a child, I knew nothing expert, but I remember being attracted by the personality of Momoe, from where I could feel something like her inside vigor. Somehow, I tend to seek out the musical roots of a song, not only within musical style, but also from the artist's personality. Then after that, I also got stuck on artists like the Carpenters and Simon & Garfunkel, whom I heard from the radio. ■ Days of my debut Recalling those days, time was running like "life in the fast lane", and I was driven around with "minute by minute" schedules. Those were special exeperiences which still remain important to me, but looking back, things were going on rather abnormally, and I feel that I didn't have my feet on the ground. I hardly had any private time, and it seems that I was just drifting within the stream of the days. But it was exciting to have opportunity coming to know many people. ■ When I started my solo career There was an interval between my solo debut and my next release, so I could have time to think about the situation I was put in. What I wanted was some time to cool down myself, instead of reflecting such feelings on my songs. I was eager to regain something important, that I might have lost sight of. I really needed decision trying to change the way of my continuous media appearance. But I thought it should be good to go back to zero and take a review on my starting point. I wanted to fill up the gap that I felt withinin my carrer up to then. ■ About singing Considering myself as a singer & songwriter, it's the singing role which I find to be most enjoyable, and also most precious. I love singing by nature, and I feel so happy that I have the opportunity to sing. I learned my singing in practice more than theory. In the days when I was a member of "MI-KE", found out my own way of singing, my style, through experience. I've also been doing the background vocal arrangements for myself, and sometimes those went out of the frame of theory, so my ideas often conflicted with theorists. They would say "This isn't the right scale for the sound.", and I would answer "But it sounds more cool.". I begin work on my singing in the studio, so I scarcely practice beforehand. That's the same for my recent songwriting manner. Sure, I'm an offhand-er! ■ Singing background vocals for other artists When I take part in background vocals, I consider that the role I should take is, to create good vibes within the harmony between myself and the lead vocals, instead of trying to express my whole personality. And if the artist who kindly let me participate is also happy with the result, it comes back to me as my own pleasure. The fact to be thanked enriches me, and I am much encouraged. It also gives me the opportunity to challenge anything that I can't express in solo, which gives me a joy from the other side. Anyway, I really enjoy these studio sessions. ■ About my future music activities The recent four years since I turned solo seem to have been going on rather slowly, but now I have much enthusiasm and I'm telling myself "This year is going to be another start!". I believe that making turning points within feelings takes an important part in making music. For me, the turning point is that now I can take an objective view upon myself. That let's me be able to keep good balance between my spiritual and my physical side, and gives me the vitality to step out to my next music activity. I guess it's something like changing clothes on my mind. I'll try to express myself within music more clearly, so that I can show my intention toward the listeners, who are kindly awaiting for my songs. See you....