Educator

Lecture/ Workshop

Ayumi is a dedicated educator. She holds an MA in Music Education from Kyoto University of Education (Japan) and has been teaching piano privately for more than 15 years. In recent years, she has expanded her teaching in the areas of musical theatre songwriting and composition for piano students.

 

 
Festival for Creative Pianists
Telling a Story Through Music
The Festival for Creative Pianists is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a vision of uplifting creative expression and nurturing creative skills at the piano. 
 
Ayumi has been a teaching artist with the organization since 2021 and joined its Board of Directors in 2022. Her course, "Telling a Story Through Music," is currently offered online through the Festival for Creative Pianists Community.

On August 7, 2025, she led an in-person workshop as part of the festival in Montpelier, Vermont, which was video recorded by ORCA Media.

Watch the archived video and become part of the community today—explore a variety of courses and resources available on the platform, and connect with other creative pianists from around the world!

Maestra Music
International Collaboration: Japanese Theatre

Maestra Music, Inc. (501c3) gives support, visibility & community to the women & nonbinary people who make the music in the musical theater industry.

Ayumi taught a workshop through Maestra Virtual Technical Workshops in September 2022. In her workshop called International Collaboration: Japanese Theatre, presented in two parts, Ayumi first provided an overview of Japanese theatre forms, followed by an observation of how musical theatre has been adapted to this particular environment. In the second part, Ayumi discussed the possibilities for artistic collaboration across continents. 


Educational Piano Music

Having her creativity nurtured through piano studies from an early age, which incorporated composition into the curriculum (Yamaha Music Education System), Ayumi was ecstatic to be invited to join Red Leaf Pianoworks in 2024. Since then, she has been enjoying writing pieces for the educational field of piano music. Explore her collection, now available at the composer collective.

 

Groove Studies

I. Midnight Chase, II. No Turning Back, III. Easy Sway, IV. Through the Mist, V. Eternal Waltz, VI. Resilience, VII. Reminiscence, VIII. Sunlit Steps

For Solo Piano, Intermediate to Advanced, 24 Pages

Music available at Red Leaf Pianoworks.

This distinctive piano suite is the composer’s third collection with Red Leaf Pianoworks. Drawn largely from her long‑kept motif notebooks, the movements reflect her enduring fascination with rhythm and groove. While approachable for developing pianists, the pieces also contain nuanced rhythmic and expressive challenges that will engage seasoned performers. Some take clear inspiration from jazz, waltz, or flamenco, while others emerge from subtler but equally compelling rhythmic foundations. Pianists are invited to explore varied grooves and the moods they create. Many evoke dance or physical movement, and within each groove a compelling story unfolds, offering performers a vivid, expressive musical experience.


Quiet Reflections

I. Autumn Afternoon, II. Merry-Go-Round, III. Music Box, IV. First Snow, V. Silent Strides

For Solo Piano, Intermediate to Advanced, 20 Pages

Music available at Red Leaf Pianoworks.

This unique suite of piano solos marks the composer’s second collection with Red Leaf Pianoworks. The motifs for each movement are drawn from some of the composer’s earliest musical ideas, reaching back to her childhood. This culminates in a dialogue between her younger self and her present self, reflecting her lifelong relationship with music and inspiring pianists of all ages to cultivate their own. With a focus on melody and emotional depth, this collection invites pianists to explore and develop their lyrical expression.


Suite for creative pianists       

I. Welcoming the Sun, II. Forget me not, III. Snowy Mountains, IV. The Star Festival

For Solo Piano, Late Intermediate, 16 Pages

Creative Version - Red Leaf Piano Works

Composer's Edition - Sheet Music Direct

Suite for Creative Pianists is a solo piano suite that invites late intermediate-level pianists to exercise their creativity through improvisation prompted by the various creative elements woven into each movement.