Biography
Keiichi Kurokawa
Keiichi Kurokawa was born in Saitama, Japan in 1980. He graduated from Saitama University Faculty of Liberal Arts majoring in East Asian Cultures, and studied music education at the Faculty of Education of the university as an auditor for two years afterwards. He participated in the Wind Band Club while in school, playing the trumpet in junior high and high school, and bass and alto clarinet at university. He began arranging during his high school days, and has created many quality arrangements and compositions for wind bands and chamber ensembles.
His arrangement, American Riverside Medley (Wind Band / Brass Band) was selected as one of the test pieces of the Singapore Youth Festival 2014. Most of his works are published by Brain Music (Japan) and Retsel Mil Publications (Singapore). His composition Marcia Fantasista was performed at KYO-EN, a new band music concert in Japan. He has also arranged music for Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band, JGSDF Middle Army Band, etc.
Kurokawa is quite active as a band director as well. He conducts classes for bands ranging from elementary to community bands not only in Japan, but also in foreign countries and areas, such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He has been invited as a clinician for many sessions such as clinics by local band associations, masterclasses organized by Yamaha Singapore and Yamaha China, and a Taiwan clinic tour by KHS.
His activities are extensive. He regularly writes articles for Band Jornal, supports international band exchange as a coordinator, and has made a presentation about the band situation in Japan at the 2020 WASBE Buñol Conference
He is a board of director and an International Exchange Committee member of the Japan Band Directors Association (JBA), Vice Chair of the JAB Saitama Branch, a member of WASBE, the principal conductor of the Saitama Luminous Wind Orchestra and an instructor of computer music (notation software) at Yamaha Music Avenue Ikebukuro in Tokyo.
This biography may be reproduced without any prior permission if the need arises.
Activities
Kurokawa participates in activities mainly in the field of Wind and Brass bands.
He shares his experiences and knowledge gained from each activity widely;
bridging and connecting professional and amateur musicians; Japanese and foreigners.
His aspiration is to play a role of a general practitioner in the band realm.
Major activities he has done so far include:
Arrangement
A large collection of arrangements done for Chamber Ensembles, Wind and Brass bands includes classical orchestral music and folk songs for young bands, classical transcriptions for professional bands, and music for Marching bands. He also composes regularly.
Here is the list of his works.
Band Direction
The bands Kurokawa teaches range from elementary school to community bands.
He serves as a clinician and a guest conductor both locally and abroad.
Major activities include:
In Japan
- Registered Club Activity Instructor of local governments
- Saitama City (2003- )
- Kawajima Town, Saitama (2008-13)
- Ageo City, Saitama (2010-12)
- Nagareyama City, Chiba (2011- )
- Ranzan Town, Saitama (2012-19), and more
- Saitama Luminous Wind Orchestra, Principal Conductor (2019- ）
- Koga City Wind Orchestra, Conductor (2019- )
- Clinician
- Chiba Prefecture Band Association Sanchoi Branch Band Clinic
- Nagareyama City Junior High School Band Clinic
- Tokyo Metropolitan Elementary School Education Study Group Wind Band Workshop
- Performances in the All Japan Band Competition (Conductor)
- Saitama Prefecture Competition (High School Category A and D)
- Ibaraki Prefecture Competition, West-Kanto Competition (Community Band Division)
Overseas
- Band Direction
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- China
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- Guest Conducting
- Anderson Secondary School, Singapore
- Yishun Town Secondary School, Singapore
- St. Michael Institution, Malaysia
- Perak Band Directors Association, Malaysia
- Jiaping Philharmonic Arts Education Centre, Hebei, China
- Clinician
- Yamaha Singapore
- Yamaha China
- Taiwan Clinic Tour organized by KHS (Jupiter)
- Conducting Workshop for Band Directors organized by Zhendong Music, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
Music Engraving & Editing
Kurokawa has engraved and edited more than 400 works for sheet music productions.
These include music scores for bands and other mediums as well.
He gives classes and writing on Finale, a music notation software and music score production.
Past Clients
- Brain/Bravo Music
- Yamaha Music Entertainment Holdings
- New Sounds in Brass Series
- Pops Band Scores
- Sheet music for piano, etc.
- Komaki Music (Japan Percussion Centre)
- Winds Score
- CAFUA Record
- Foster Music
- Retsel Mil Publications (Singapore) / Retselmil Japan
- NHK Business Create
- Aria Entertainment
- Homei Elementary School attached to Japan Women’s University, etc.
Classes & Workshops
- Class for Finale at Yamaha Music Avenue Shibuya Koen-dori, lecturer (2002- )
- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band Training Centre, lecturer (2012-15)
- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band Score Production Workshop, lecturer (2013)
- Japan Band Directors Association Clinic, lecturer in score production courses (2004-06)
Books
- Hoshide, T., Kamio, T., & Kurokawa, K. (2022). Finale Users Bible 25/26/27, Tokyo, Ongaku-no-Tomo Corp.
- Hoshide, T., Kamio, T., & Kurokawa, K. (2014). Finale Users Bible 2011/2012/2014, Tokyo, Ongaku-no-Tomo Corp. (Out of print)
- Hoshide, T., Kamio, T., & Kurokawa, K. (2010). Finale Users Bible 2008/2009/2010, Tokyo, Ongaku-no-Tomo Corp. (Out of print)
- Hoshide, T., Itsuki, Y., & Kurokawa, K. (2007). Finale Users Bible 2005/2006/2007, Tokyo, Ongaku-no-Tomo Corp.(Out of print)
Coordination of International Exchange
As a manager for international exchange programmes, Kurokawa coordinates and plans the itineraries for bands and ensembles; matches visitors and hosts, and acts as a translator.
With a great passion for encouraging friendships by connecting people, he works enthusiastically with school administrators from different countries to smoothen the interflows of the exchanges.
Past Supporting Groups
- Anderson Secondary School, Singapore (2014, 2018)
- Jiaping Philharmony Sunshine Band, China (2015, 2019)
- Saitama Prefectural Fudooka High School, Japan (2017, 2019)
- St Michael Institution, Malaysia (2018)
- Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band (2018)
- Yu Hua National Type Secondary School, Kajang, Malaysia (2019)
- St Andrew Junior Collage, Singapore (2019), Singapore, etc.
Other Activities
Writings
Kurokawa’s writings are very well published.
His essays, papers, concert reviews, event reports as well as programme notes are published by:
- Band Journal, a monthly magazine by Tokyo Ongaku-no-Tomo, Corp.
- The Band Post, a web media from Singapore
- Programme notes for the subscription concert of Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra
- The Band Bulletin by Japan Band Directors Association
Presentations
He has made presentations in English.
- WASBE 2019 International Conference in Buñol, Spain
- A presentation for a visiting group of band directors from the US to Japan.
Adjudication
Kurokawa served as an adjudicator in these competitions:
- All Japan Band Competition (Prefectural Qualifier)
- All Japan Ensemble Contest (Prefectural Qualifier)
- Sichuan Band Competiton, China
You can read about Kurokawa’s daily activities on his Facebook and blogs on this site.