What DJ SumiRock shares on authentic communication

Can you share your struggle of learning to DJ.

I went to school to study DJing (age 77), but it was very difficult for me to handle the machine. And it took three years.

But I’m a kind of very lazy girl.
So I went to the class and took private lessons.

I talked about other things with the teacher. And . . . no progress.

But it was a very good time with the teacher.
At that same time I had some DJ gigs in Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Is DJ SumiRock planning a world tour?

I want to do my DJing in places other than in Japan. So I’ve played to New York and New Zealand, Auckland, and France, Paris.

But I’d never do such a big thing like a world tour.

When I have the energy and if I were called to other countries, I would like to go. But I’m too old for a world tour.

I’m a little afraid of doing trips to other countries by myself. But if I could, and if somebody offered a job to me, I would like to go.

But not the world.
The world is too big!

What is it like doing something different within Japanese culture?

I think for me, DJing is part of Japanese culture.
So it doesn’t make any difference from Japanese culture.

Older people think a DJ doesn’t mix the music. That they play music and then tell some story.

That we call Disc Jockey. Some people mix the idea of DJ and Disc Jockey.

But for me, DJing is part of Japanese culture.

Do you ever mess up?
How do you handle it?

I’m a shameless person!
So I don’t care.

Sometimes the music stops and somebody comes to help me. I do nothing, for I cannot fix anything on the machine.

So I just don’t care. I say ‘Ok’ and just stop.

And people, the audience, they help me all shouting ‘Sumiko! DJ SumiRock!’
They all cheer to help me.

So when something goes wrong I’m alright.
I stay calm and somebody comes to help me.

What is it like to be 88 years old working among young DJs?

Maybe other DJs think ‘that old woman doing DJing is strange’.
But I never feel like that.

Among the young DJs, maybe I stand out because of my age.
I don’t care about that.

But I’m very short of technique and knowledge and they help me. That’s all.

Short of ability. That’s all. Not age.

Maybe I’m a strange woman, but I never think that.

But physically, I had a sickness three years ago. And after that I get a little weaker. So that’s a problem.

But I never think there is . . .
Maybe . . . I . . .
Only by myself feel like that. But I don’t feel that.

How do you choose your DJ clothes?

Ah, yes!

At first I had some clothes with sparkle or beads. And I wore . . .
I borrowed my husband’s tuxedo for a top. With something shiny.

And the next time, my nephew bought me some clothes.
He gives me some so often, from head to toe. Cap and sunglasses, jacket and shoes. He just knows my taste. It fits.

Of course I buy clothes myself.
There is a kind of costume shop in Shinjuku. So I go there and choose.

It’s very pleasant for me.
I’m very happy to go there to that shop.
It’s fun.
Not so expensive, but very different.

Of course other girls are . . . How do I say?
Very fashionable. Their style is very beautiful.

But, you know, I cannot compete with them.
So I make my costumes have something kind of shiny.

Tell me a time you were stressed but overcame it.

I went to Auckland, New Zealand.

At that time I made my playlist for CD recorder.
I took it there and they changed it to USB memory.

That was the first time I was a little scared.

But so many in the crowd, I mean audience made a cheer, that made me more comfortable and calm.

Yes, I think that time I was very stressed.

What would you say to someone who is nervous speaking in front of others?

To be nervous and stressed I think is necessary.
To make things go right or better.

So I’d say, be nervous!
Because I’m not so nervous and that can be a bit stupid!

You still work, travel and learn.
What’s your secret?

Sumiko was born to be brave and bold.

From a child, I was a very quiet, nice girl.

But sometimes I have to do something.
There are things I did where other people hesitated to do what I did.
I naturally do that.

That means I was born to be bold.

When I was about 10 years old my house was bombed and fell.
My family of five, and my father’s family of three from another house, we ran away together.
Searching for a place to stay, a very kind lady let us stay at her house.
At that time I put the food for the next morning, breakfast . . . I put it in a shelter and covered it with soil. The next morning I went back there to collect it.

I went through some park, and there’s some vegetables. Somebody had planted vegetables.
But while running away, so many people had stepped on the vegetables.So I took them, washed them and made soup.

And maybe some people see that as strange.
But I don’t know why, but I did what I did naturally. Maybe somebody helped me to do that?

Bold. . . . 

Brave . . .

Brave is a very nice word.
But ‘bold’ is not so good a word. No?

I’m the other. Bold.

I think.

But usually I’m a very gentle woman.
But sometimes change!

What was your reason to do this interview in English?

I told you, recently I don’t have much chance to speak English.
If I could speak English more often . . . maybe it’s better.
Maybe a pleasure.

I wanted to do this interview in English for pleasure and to brush up my English a little bit.

With an interpreter it’s very difficult to go straight to my idea.
To the person, to the questioner, the interviewer. So directly in English is better.
If I cannot understand, I can ask.

[ were you a bit nervous? ]‍

Before (this interview) I met Takase and we had dinner in Shinjuku. And I told her I’m a little nervous.

She said ‘don’t be nervous’.
‘Because they (you two) will be nervous and excited.’

So I say to myself ‘Oh, ok ok then, I’ll be excited also!’

She helped me (overcome feeling a little nervous) with that word, ‘excited’.

She’s much younger. Like my granddaughter’s age.
But she helps me along.

What advice would you give someone who struggles to express themself in English?

I just say to be bold to speak in English.
And then you will come to be better speaking English.

So it’s better to be bold.
Not brave. Bold.

To communicate with people it’s very difficult with silence.
You must say something.

Even if not in English, in Japanese (your native language).
So the listener can come to hear.

So . . .

Bold.

You must be bold!