Emi Makabe is a singer/composer and educator based in New York City.
She was born in Chiba, Japan, and has been involved with music from early childhood. Her mother, who taught music at elementary school, was her first piano teacher. Early musical activities included singing, playing flute, and learning the Japanese koto, and as a teenager she began to play and compose original songs.
She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz performance and Pro Musica award from the City College of New York and is now completing a Master of Music from Aaron Copland School of Music while singing in the Billy Harper Voices. Her teachers include Theo Bleckman, Jen Shyu, Donna Doyle, Janet Steele, Jeb Patton, and Billy Harper.
She is currently composing and performing her compositions at well-known jazz venues in New York such as the 55 Bar and Rockwood Music Hall, ShapeShifter Lab and St. Peter's Church, and have had the opportunity to play with great musicians like Jacob Sacks, Aaron Parks, Fabian Almazan, Vitor Gonçalves, Billy Mintz, Satoshi Takeishi, Billy Harper and Thomas Morgan. In addition to playing with bands, she has been singing with string quartet and performing solo, singing and playing shamisen (a Japanese traditional string instrument).
Vitor Gonçalves (piano)
Thomas Morgan (double bass)
Vinnie Sperrazza (drums)
Emi Makabe (voice/shamisen/compositions)
