Toho Gakuen student returns with d&b
Located in the lively Shibuya Ward near the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, the Toho Gakuen Performing Arts College has recently been visited by one of its old Alumni; Shinichiro ‘Yone’ Yonekura. Yonekura is better known to the professional audio community as the head of d&b audiotechnik Japan, but it was in 1990 that he graduated from Toho Gakuen and he has carried the reputation of that college with him ever since. “Toho Gakuen was originally established as the Tokyo Broadcast School in 1979 and was approved as an educational foundation establishment a year later,” he explained. “Today four colleges comprise the campus: TG Media Training, TG Film Techniques, TG Performing Arts and TG Sound Technicians.”
The purpose of Yonekura’s visit was twofold; the school purchased a d&b Q-Series system from him a year earlier and he was keen to learn of the experiences of students using the system; and he was there to deliver a series of lectures. “The school has always had a great reputation; the work they did with me was first class. But much has changed in the twenty two years since I was there, and I was anxious to put something back; and to deliver some real world perspectives from what is the coalface of modern sound reinforcement.” Mr Kazuo Wada who runs the sound reinforcement course had invited Yonekura to present on a range of topics, “Line array theory, why we need PA systems and for those already familiar with the Q-Series, I asked him to present a session on ArrayCalc and using the d&b Remote network.”
Mr Wada expressed his feelings about what was an all day event, “When the school first looked at buying its own systems a couple of years ago we were concerned to have systems that were already available and being used in commercial applications. The motivation was to give students experience where they could do placements with rental companies already using the equipment, and where they might realistically look for potential job opportunities in the future. The d&b Q-Series already had a high reputation in the market, though initially I thought it was expensive compared to other systems. But the reputation was so strong that we had to reconsider and made a purchase last year. What we have learned is you get a lot of system for the money, and the experience of our students is that the Q loudspeaker systems performance is unrivalled and a little goes a long way.”
Mr. Wada’s words are borne out by the students, “Graduates are already working with rental companies that maintain a stock of d&b loudspeaker systems; we have students now working for MSI Japan, and Sogobutai.” Yonekura also expressed satisfaction, “There is no substitute for seeing the enthusiasm of young aspiring sound engineers. These people will be looking after my ears in years to come, and the ears of all their listeners. This is the purpose, to achieve good sound for everyone.”
