Gifted Kid Musicians to Watch on YouTube

Do you remember Ryunosuke Yamagishi, who became a hot topic as a guitar prodigy on a variety show more than 15 years ago?
It was a project where a kindergartner holding a guitar would have a session with CHAR.

At the time, the mere sight of a kindergartner playing the guitar was rare, and due to viewer requests, sequels to the project were even created.

Since then, the number of children with high-level playing skills has continued to grow, and now, children with playing abilities that even adults cannot match are emerging one after another.

With that said, I will introduce next-generation kid musicians, focusing on those of junior high school age and younger.

■ Yoyoka Soma

https://www.youtube.com/user/kaneaikaneai/featured

Her playing ability is so high that I feel it might be disrespectful to introduce her as a "kid," but since she is still 11 years old (as of September 2021), I will introduce her here.

Yoyoka-chan is a super drummer who has even performed with Billy Sheehan and Cyndi Lauper, so many of you may already know her.

She gradually built her fame from the time she started posting on YouTube, and she became an overnight sensation when Robert Plant commented on her cover of LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times," which she uploaded when she was eight.

She covers many songs mainly in the hard rock genre, and her playing style is so powerful that no one would be able to imagine it from her small frame!

Furthermore, at this age, she is also challenging herself with piano, guitar, and bass. She might become a multi-player capable of doing anything by the time she reaches junior high school.

■ Guitar Boy Yukki

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyWkAguH7FvTrS_wnSGIFOQ

Although his real name is unknown, he posts on YouTube under the name Guitar Boy Yukki.
He has been uploading acoustic guitar performance videos since his second year of junior high school, and recently he has even started creating his own original songs.

There are many junior high students who can play and sing with an acoustic guitar, but Yukki is, believe it or not, a looper user!
He makes frequent use of a looper even in his original songs, playing a rich, layered sound all on his own.

Of course, his ability to use a looper isn't his only appeal.
If you look at his videos from when he was in elementary school, you can clearly see that his voice quality has changed significantly since his voice broke.
By the time he reached junior high school, it had transformed into a refined, soulful voice.
He must have gone through a difficult time during that transition, but he overcame it and leveled up in the process.

From the style of his music, you can tell that he must love Fujii Kaze.
He is a junior high student whose future original songs and band sound are something to look forward to.

■ Kii Kimura

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgmLlRVRbY1I9VWzc5pvTg

She is an 8-year-old girl drummer in the third grade at elementary school.
I was unable to confirm if she is in a band, but her popularity is evident from the view counts on her daily practice videos on YouTube.

Based on her appearance, she looks like a gentle girl who loves flowers and animals, but that image is overturned the moment she starts playing the drums.
It’s not just that she’s "amazing for an 8-year-old"; she is a stable, full-fledged drummer.

Since she appears to attend a school operated by "Scramble Fukuoka," a music production team that works with major artists, it may not be long before Kii-chan dives into the world of the major leagues in music.

■ Snack time

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC62VZf7l27LmO5_iDLHAyFg

For a kids' band, they are unusual in that they are an instrumental band. The individual skill level of each member is high, and the overall arrangements are excellently executed. I was surprised that they managed to gather such members while still in junior high school (some members were even in elementary school when they formed).

Basically, they cover Japanese vocal songs as instrumentals, with wind instruments carrying the main melody.
The arrangements, which hint at jazz and funk elements, make you forget that you are listening to children and draw you in completely.

They don't seem very enthusiastic about the number of video uploads on YouTube, and as of September 2021, they only have 8 videos, but even so, their subscriber count is nearing 5,000. If they increase the number of their posts, they will likely surpass 10,000 in no time.

■ Accént

https://www.youtube.com/c/Acc%C3%A9ntBand

This is a three-piece girls' band that consisted entirely of elementary school students when they first formed.
They are students at a music school in Saitama called ONTEKU, and they are the school's flagship band.

The members are now in their second or third year of junior high school, and their musicality and performance stability have fully matured.

Despite the combination of guitar-vocal, bass, and drums, all the members can sing, so they use chorus work to add depth to the band's overall sound.
It’s rare even for adult bands to have such a band capable of performing choruses that fit the songs so perfectly.

Their well-coordinated performance is surely the result of having continued with the same members throughout their growth period. My expectations are growing for how these three will evolve in the future.

■ GRASS HOPPER (Norichika Togi Band)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6213_ydHURN82P0qjb3pw

This is a junior high school band that is sure to bring tears of joy to the eyes of the 50s and 60s generation.
His father is the gagaku performer Hideki Togi, and videos of the two of them happily performing together have been uploaded to Hideki's YouTube channel.

The GRASS HOPPER channel is effectively Norichika-kun's personal channel, where "play-along" videos and original songs are released.

The reason the older generation will be moved to tears is Norichika-kun's performance style.
In his "play-along" videos, he doesn't just play every part of Free's "All Right Now" by himself; he even perfectly recreates the 70s with his outfits and production effects!
The SG guitar he uses features psychedelic paint that he appears to have applied himself.

While there are many children who play old rock music at the suggestion of their parents, it truly comes across that Norichika-kun genuinely enjoys old rock from the bottom of his heart.

Naturally, his original songs also incorporate the atmosphere of 70s rock.
Since it’s not a style that chases trends, it may not appeal to everyone, but I truly hope he continues to stick to this coolness.

■ Summary

Those of us in the "around 40" generation and older must feel that the level of today's kid musicians is phenomenal.
I, the author, who just turned 40, am exactly one of those people.
Back when I was in high school, there were no peers with the same level of playing ability as the children introduced here.

There are likely various factors behind this rise in children's performance levels, such as the enrichment of music schools and the availability of high-quality, affordable instruments.
For parents who would like their own children to enjoy music, why not start by gifting them an accessible instrument?
PLAYTECH, the original brand of Sound House, has many affordable products suitable for beginners.

⇒ PLAYTECH Guitar List
⇒ PLAYTECH Bass List
⇒ PLAYTECH Electronic Drum Kit List
⇒ PLAYTECH Electronic Piano List

The “sound & person” column is made up of contributions from you.
For details about contributing, click here.