As you saw in the video, Hiromi shows us that she does, indeed, have rhythm (although, apparently, the audience does not). A former protégé of Chick Corea, Hiromi got her start as a jingle writer in Japan, but moved to the U.S. to study music at Berklee. The first thing you'll probably notice about her playing is that she plays REALLY fast, but don't mistake her virtuosic ability for a gimmick, as there's much more to it than that. She's got great stage presence and engages the crowd, for one, which is something all performers should have a handle on, regardless of your playing style. The other, more important aspect of her playing is that she puts a lot of emotion into it, which you can tell by her highly animated facial expressions and the natural, subtle dynamic changes that she employs. So remember kids, it's not about how fast or how many notes you play, it's about how much you're getting paid to do it the emotion that you put into it!
Got any favorite virtuosos?
