I'm Satoshi Okamoto.
I'm a bass player in the New York Philharmonic.
The day I came here, it was a little bit hectic.
I was working in a gypsy music band from Japan, and we were making CDs.
The schedule was very behind, so we ran out of time.
So we decided to take my part first and mix it later.
I was in the recording booth playing bass until 2:00 in the morning.
After the recording was finished, it was already in the middle of the night, but that was the
last day, so I had to go to see my friends.
I got home at 7:00 in the morning, and my flight was leaving at 10:00 in the morning, so I had
to leave pretty much right away.
I grabbed my backpack, bass case, and this bow case and jumped in the cab.
This bow case is the only item I still have.
This is actually a gift from my first bass teacher.
When I got here, I had school orientations and placement tests and everything from the
next day.
But I just couldn't get up.
I just slept and slept and slept in the room.
And finally, maybe the fourth day in the morning, I got up and went to the school.
I'm not sure what a New Yorker is, but I think that's the advantage a New Yorker has.
It's so accessible from everywhere, and also there are so many people coming in and out,
you feel a connection to different places — Japan or China or wherever.
Sometimes I feel like I'm living in Tokyo and working at the New York Philharmonic.