Ayako Okano: Just That Much Brighter

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Rhonda & Ayako talk about learning music in school, improvising, building community, Dave (Thanks, Dave!), goals and success and lots more.  Make sure you follow on your favorite streaming service to be notified of BONUS content, because Ayako shared far more wisdom than we could fit into this one episode.

AYAKO OKANO has been playing music in and around Seattle and the Pacific Northwest for nearly 30 years. She currently leads her rock band Tsubaki as songwriter, vocalist, pianist, as well as providing piano and keyboard support for various local artists (Knathan Ryan, Stucky Jackson, Nordus) including scoring and performing onstage in the Strawberry Theatre Workshop production Fellow Passengers, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol" in December 2023. Previous projects include Vicious Petals, the Bruised Hearts Revue, Cooper Smith & the Voyeurs, and Wind-Up Bird. Ayako shares her love and passion for music as a member of the faculty at the Academy of Music and Dance in Ballard and Shoreline. She has produced and hosted shows in the local music community, including the holiday season stalwart Tom Waits Tribute Night at Conor Byrne Pub, now in its 17th year. Tsubaki's first EP is forthcoming in late 2024.

Listen to Ayako's music by clicking the links below:

instagram.com/tsubakivision

viciouspetals.bandcamp.com

windupbird.bandcamp.com