Interview: Catching Up With Musical Magician Yasuhiko Fukuoka

Yasuhiko Fukuoka just can't stop working. A composer and performer in his own right, Yaz spends much of his time in service of others in the cabaret and concert community. Whether acting as Musical Director for solo artists like Robbie Rozelle, filling the same role for production companies presenting dynamic group shows, or entertaining the clientele in piano bars like Don't Tell Mama, Yaz is, very happily, a man in demand, and a man who loves his work. It keeps him busy, it keeps him fulfilled, and it keeps him up at night. Oh, wait, that's not what keeps Yaz up at night - that's his toddler, Axel, who has been all of Fukuoka's followers on social media since his birth just a year ago.

As Yaz gears up to appear as Musical Director of the MAC Awards next week, the Maestro stepped away from the keyboard and bounced Axel on his knew while answering a few questions from Broadway World Cabaret about music, fatherhood, and balancing both in the post-quarantine world.

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced with slight edits.

Yasuhiko Fukuoka, welcome to Broadway World!

Thank you, Stephen and Broadway World! It is a great honor to be asked back.

So, how's the Little 'Un? How old is he now?

Axel just turned 1 year old, and he can almost stand on his own. Time flies! He's a big explorer, and I can tell he'll start walking in no time. It's an amazing and humbling experience to witness him discover new things and acquire new skills. A long time ago I saw an ad on a Tokyo subway that read, "Dad, too, is 1 year old", and it stuck in my head. I constantly remind myself that I, too, am learning a lot from him.

Artists' lives are greatly affected by the expansion of their family. Children can, both, inspire creation and limit availability. How is the Axy balancing act?

Oh boy, it can be very challenging sometimes! When I'm up all night working on arrangements or producing tracks on a deadline and Axy wakes up and demands my attention, I cannot help but feel flustered. At the same time, when I feel exhausted from working non-stop, I glance at the baby monitor, and see him peacefully sleeping or playing on his own, and it gives me a joyous energy boost.

The cabaret community is a close-knit family. When the baby was born did you inherit a coterie of crooning babysitters?

When he was born in March 2021, I was primarily doing music production jobs working from home, so we weren't in dire need for a babysitter. That said, many of my friends and colleagues came to play with him, and they serenaded him. When Axy was just a few months old, I was working on "Rainbow Lullaby", produced by Ryan Bauer-Walsh. It's a star-studded album, and we recorded most of the songs at my place. Axy was lucky enough to hear and witness the whole process. I don't think many infants get to hear Tony and Grammy winners singing lullabies in person. That was a real treat for me and him. We play the album every single night when he goes to bed.

Read about Rainbow Lullaby HERE.

You are one of the most in-demand Musical Directors in the business, often working on multiple shows at once. Are you able to spend time on your own composing and performing, and, if so, what are you working on these days?

I'm flattered... Thank you. Well, MAC Award is coming up, for which I'm honored to be the music director this year. Other than that, I have a handful of cabaret shows to music direct, a few albums to produce, and a feature documentary and a short film to score music to. Quite frankly I haven't had time to work on my own music for a while, but I'm commissioned to write a cello concerto to be premiered at Lincoln Center next year. It's time to get going!

You do double-duty in the cabaret and club community, both as Musical Director and as piano bar entertainer. Put a picture in my head of the artistic experience of doing both of these jobs.

I love doing both, really. Crafting a cabaret show is more structured and makes me think through all the details and nuances. It's always a joy being able to present the work that we put time and effort to develop and polish. Playing at a piano bar, on the other hand, requires flexibility and versatility on the spot. I started my music career in NYC as an open mic pianist, which I still do and love. It taught me to quickly understand the performer and the song, and use my intuition. I truly believe both worlds taught me to be a better musician.

During the quarantine and shut down many artists dove into the world of virtual performing. Did you go that route, or did you skip the online entertainment experience?

I feel really shy being on camera...! So naturally, I didn't do any online live shows, but I did participate in some pre-recorded video clips and produced tracks for singers for their shows. Watching other artists do their thing was truly inspiring - and it kept me from feeling isolated from the world, so thank you for your time and effort to keep your art alive!

Map out some of the ways in which you have seen your industry change because of the last two years.

Many artists seemed to have become more tech-savvy, and some of them even started producing their own music. I was a Film Scoring and Music Production major in college, and I'm glad to have been able to help fellow artists learn how to use music software and produce tracks on their own. In history, music always developed alongside technologies (instruments, PA system, recording etc.), so in my opinion, the more you know, the better versed you are in any musical situation. I'd be pleasantly surprised if a singer asks the sound person to roll off 4kHz at soundcheck.

Outline your role and your process when an artist entrusts you with the task of acting as their Musical Director.

I understand that singers and cabaret artists have a lot on their plate before a show - memorizing the lyrics, remembering patters, or even selling tickets. I think my task as a music director, amongst the obvious things like arranging and making charts etc, is to put performers at ease so they can focus on their performance. A few artists called me a therapist... and I'll gladly take the title. I try to assess what this particular performer needs, and provide solutions. It is a privilege and responsibility when someone asks me to be on board.

As a composer and musician with your own canon of work, would you ever consider doing a solo show in a New York nightclub?

The last solo show I did in New York was back in 2011... I think I'm a completely different musician now. Quite frankly, I love creating art with other artists, and that's what I have been doing since then. I've learned so much from working with many different artists. But now you said it, my mind has started to think...!

You are an avid traveler. A pandemic and a baby can affect one's upward mobility. Have you had any global adventures lately?

Axy's already been to Spain and Dominican Republic for much-needed family vacation time. Being a freelancer I was told I need to force myself to take some time off, otherwise I'd never stop. Considering I didn't leave Japan until I was 17, he's gonna be much more worldly than I ever was. I'm music directing for Robbie Rozelle's show in London in May, so that'll be my first overseas gig since the pandemic. I'm pretty excited to return there. I have some out-of-NY shows with Todd Murray and Stacy Sullivan, and Edmund Bagnell coming up too. I'm excited to start traveling again.

Puppies and babies make everything better. Put a picture in my head of Axy and the dogs.

Yes, they do! Okay, this took me a while (attention span of a baby and dogs...!) but this is the best I got!

Yaz, thank you for visiting with Broadway World today, it's been a real treat to catch up.

Thank YOU for having me, and for all you do!

Photos provided by Yauhiko Fukuoka. Top photo by Michael Hull Photography.

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