MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Hi! I’m Jason.

I’m a Japanese-American music director, pianist, vocal coach, and arranger originally from Fayetteville, NY and currently based in Manhattan.

I’ve collaborated with Broadway stars including Christian Borle and Taylor Louderman, worked on and off Broadway on original works and revivals, and worked in dozens of cities and states around the country, always focusing on telling a story through music. I am currently the Music Assistant for Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway, which opened on April 20th.

In New York, I’ve worked on music teams in varying capacities, including as the music director/copyist for Bright and Brave at Dixon Place, a music assistant for J2 Spotlight’s inaugural season, and as the music director for Waiting in the Wings. I was recently the Music Assistant and a Keys 2 sub for How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway, which concluded its run at the Belasco Theater on February 11th. Outside of NYC, I worked as the Keys 2/Associate Conductor/“Pit Rat” for the 6th national tour of Spamalot, signed on as the Music Assistant for Goodspeed Musicals (before the pandemic cut the job short), and served as a Music Intern for the Muny’s 101st season.

I have a passion for working with actors “where they’re at,” always making sure to help connect the dots between music and drama – I even wrote a thesis about the best ways to teach music to actors and am constantly on the hunt for new ways to make the rehearsal process easier and more collaborative. I put these principles into practice while studying for my Master’s in Music Direction at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before graduating in September of 2022. I also bring this spirit to my work as a private tutor, helping to guide students through the process of learning and empowering them to reach their educational goals. In my spare time, I love playing video games, watching math videos, cooking and baking with my boyfriend, and consuming any form of media that involves an inter-dimensional love story.