Emi Meyer

Emi Meyer
Emi Meyer plays live in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, June 2012.
Background information
Born	March 1987 (age 30)
Origin	Kyoto, Japan
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	2007-Present
Labels	Plankton
Associated acts	David Ryan Harris, Brett Dennen, Nappy Roots, Sōtaisei Riron, The Shanghai Restoration Project, Shing02, DJ Okawari, Def Tech, Ken Ishii
Website	www.emimeyer.com
Notable instruments
Piano

Emi Meyer (born March 1987) is a Japanese-born, American-raised Jazz pianist and singer-songwriter based in Seattle and Tokyo, active in both the Japanese and American markets.

Meyer was born in Kyoto, Japan, but grew up in Seattle, Washington. Her father is American while her mother is Japanese and a professor of Art History. Meyer began learning classical piano at age six but expanded to Jazz. Meyer attended University Prep, a school in Seattle.

Meyer studied ethnomusicology and roots music in Los Angeles, including Indian ragas, African drumming and Japanese gagaku (classical court music). She wrote her thesis on the division in the modern Japanese music scene between hogaku (Japanese music) and yogaku (Western music).

She first lived in Japan when she took a study-abroad program in the city of her birth, Kyoto. In 2007 Meyer won the Seattle-Kobe Jazz Vocalist Competition, which kickstarted her career in Japan.

Meyer's 2007 self-produced debut album, Curious Creature reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Japan jazz chart after the single "Room Blue" was selected as the Single of the Week. She was already actively performing at events such as the Seattle’s Northwest Folklife Festival, the Sundance Film Festival and Kobe Jazz Festival.

Living in Los Angeles, Emi has performed around Hollywood, including: The Hotel Café, The Tangier, and Room 5. In Seattle, she has performed at The Pink Door, Tula’s, and Dimitrio’s Jazz Alley, and in New York at the Rockwood Music Hall as well as the 92YTribeca with The Shanghai Restoration Project.