Jazz alumna Hiroe Sekine tops songwriting competition
Jazz pianist and USC Thornton alumna Hiroe Sekine (BM ’09) recently won First Place in the jazz category of the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for the song “Nippon Barre” from her 2017 album, One World One Sun. The album, produced by Jazz Studies faculty member Russell Ferrante, blends traditional Japanese instrumentation with jazz styles and features performances by Peter Erskine (drums), Ferrante (melodica) and alumnus Larry Koonse (BM ’84) on tenor ukulele.
The Japanese native has lived in Los Angeles since 1993 and has released six albums.