ニュース＆コラム

How I Discovered Marching

I am truly honored to have been invited by Marching Navi to contribute a monthly column over the next five months, beginning in August.

In this series, I plan to share my journey of pursuing the dream of becoming a member of Drum Corps International (DCI), as well as my experiences with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, where I became the first Japanese member and had the privilege of winning both the DCI World Championship and the Individual & Ensemble Solo Championship in 1995.

I will also write about the valuable lessons I learned after earning my DCI judging certification in the United States in 2004, and how those experiences have shaped my perspective on music and marching.

It is my sincere hope that these stories will inspire more people to discover the excitement, beauty, and lifelong value of music and the marching arts.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Marching Navi for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

I was first introduced to music and marching when I was in the fourth grade. At my mother’s encouragement, I joined the Aimachi Marching Band.

In my first year, I had the opportunity to perform at Nippon Budokan as a cymbal player. After that, I played bass drum and tenor drums.

At that time, I never imagined that this marching band, whose rehearsal hall was only about a ten-minute bicycle ride from my home, would eventually become one of Japan’s most successful marching organizations, winning the Grand Prix and the Prime Minister’s Cup at the national championships and earning recognition around the world.

The band was founded to help develop young people through music. Having its rehearsal facility so close to my home and being taught by such outstanding instructors and senior members had an immeasurable impact on my life. It was also this band that inspired me to pursue my dream of studying in the United States.

My mentor, Mr. Kiyokazu Sekine, the director of Aimachi Marching Band, has made tremendous contributions to the development of marching in Japan. He has built an extensive network of relationships throughout the marching community, and many well-known instructors have visited our band to teach us. He was also constantly bringing new ideas and information back from overseas and sharing them with all of us.

The Beginning of My Journey to the World of Marching Music

In 1986, when I was in the sixth grade, Mr. Sekine and several senior members of our band traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, to attend the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships.

When they returned to Japan, they showed us videos of the performances they had seen.

Today, anyone can watch performances from around the world on the internet. But at that time, the only way to experience world-class drum corps was to attend the event in person. Looking back, I realize how incredibly fortunate we were to be able to watch those videos. Today, videos of drum and bugle corps can easily be seen on the internet, but we did not have that opportunity in the 1980s.

The senior members who had attended the championships shared their excitement and described the performances in great detail. Their stories made a lasting impression on me. If I had never seen those DCI videos, I might never have dreamed of going to America someday.

During junior high school, I watched DCI videos every day. Just before entering high school, some of the senior members I admired began challenging themselves to practice every single day without taking a break. Inspired by them, I did the same. Throughout high school, I practiced every day—including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

By the summer of my senior year of high school, my plan was to attend a university in Japan first and then spend one year in the United States when I turned twenty-one, my DCI age-out year.

Then my father surprised me by saying, “If you’re going to go anyway, why not go next year instead?”

I discussed the idea with Mr. Sekine, and he encouraged me by saying, “What you learn may someday benefit Aimachi. Go and do your best for everyone.”

Around that same time, Mr. Sekine introduced me to Gordon Henderson, who was a professor at UCLA and the brass arranger for Aimachi. Gordon is also well known for arranging Santa Clara Vanguard’s legendary 1989 production, The Phantom of the Opera. Through this connection, Mr. Sekine helped me begin the process of studying abroad.

Eventually, I became the first Japanese member of The Cavaliers. I also enrolled at Concordia University Chicago, where I continued to deepen my musical education.

Looking back, that was truly the beginning of my journey to the world.

I am deeply grateful to all of the teachers, mentors, friends, senior members, and especially my parents, who supported me on the path that led me to America.

In future columns, I look forward to sharing more about my journey to studying abroad, the lessons I learned while living overseas, and how those experiences continue to influence my work today.

Photo 1: Taken in 1985, during my first performance at Nippon Budokan as a cymbal player with Aimachi Marching Band. I am the fifth person from the right in the front row, wearing the red-and-white uniform—the noticeably shorter member.

Photo 2: A photo with my mentor, Mr. Kiyokazu Sekine, when he came to the United States to support and encourage me during my time there.

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Uichi Kajiyama

Uichi Kajiyama graduated from the Music Department of Concordia University Chicago. He currently serves as Director of Bands at Aichi Institute of Technology Meiden High School, Technical Advisor and Conductor of the Nagoya University of Commerce & Business Symphonic Band, and Lecturer at Nagoya College of Music.

He joined the Aimachi Marching Band, a recipient of Japan’s prestigious Prime Minister’s Cup, in 1984 and studied marching band instruction under Kiyokazu Sekine.

In 1992, Kajiyama moved to the United States. He became a member of The Cavaliers in 1993 and, in 1995, became the first Japanese performer to win the DCI Individual & Ensemble Solo Championship. That same year, he helped The Cavaliers win the DCI World Championship and the Fred Sanford High Percussion Award.

Following his performing career, he served on the instructional staff of the Blue Stars in 1997 and The Cavaliers in 1998.

In 2004, Kajiyama became a certified Drum Corps International (DCI) judge. He is also a certified instructor with the Japan Marching Band Association.