MIT Music Tech and the MIT Spatial Sound Lab Present: Satoshi Yamaguchi

This lecture-performance focuses on the life lessons Satoshi Yamaguchi has learned through major turning points marked by both success and setback as a professional musician. Drawing on his personal journey, the talk explores how music, research, and technology became interconnected, leading to the emergence of new forms of creative expression.

Satoshi’s story begins when he lost the ability to play drums due to Musician’s Dystonia, a neurological movement disorder affecting his accuracy in hitting the bass drum with his right foot. After 10 years of living in the darkness due to a lack of understanding around him, Satoshi will present the light – research and technology – that saved him and gave him the ability to play again. In conjunction with the talk, Satoshi will perform using VXD (Voice Controlled Drum-set), a system that enables the bass drums to be triggered through the human voice, a technology co-developed by YAMAHA Corporations and Keio University. This technology combines advanced audio processing techniques, software, and mechanical design, showing that innovative music systems supported by technology can change lives.

Speaker Bio:

Satoshi Yamaguchi is a musician, researcher, and performer whose work explores the relationship between music and society through both practice and inquiry. He began his career as a drummer in his teenage years with the Japanese rock band RADWIMPS, internationally known for their soundtracks for the films your name. and Suzume. Since the band’s major debut in 2005, Satoshi has performed at the forefront of the Japanese music scene.

In 2009, Satoshi developed musician’s dystonia, a neurological condition affecting motor control, first experiencing symptoms during a national concert tour. While continuing to perform for several years, he ultimately made the decision in 2015 to suspend his activities as a drummer as his condition progressed.

Since 2021, Satoshi has served as a Visiting Researcher at the Keio University SFC Research Institute, where he has been engaged in participatory research on musician’s dystonia. His research contributions have been published as co-authored papers in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Neurology.In 2023, he undertook a research residency at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), further developing an interdisciplinary perspective on embodiment and technology.

Building on these research experiences, Satoshi co-developed VXD in 2024 through a collaborative project between Keio University and YAMAHA—a system that enables acoustic drums to be driven by the human voice. In 2025, he announced his first solo tour, marking his return to the stage after a decade. All seven performances sold out, reflecting strong public engagement with his work at the intersection of music, research, and technological innovation.
Killian Hall
MIT Building 14W
160 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
https://whereis.mit.edu/?go=14

Special thanks for support: MIT-Japan Program, Global Mediations Lab, CMSW

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