about Tomomi Kato
1968 born in Tokyo Japan
All Japanese names have their meanings and wishes of parents as the child becomes a person through characters. Tomomi is more of a girl's name, but through its characters and meaning it can also be given a boy's name. 朋海 (Tomo-mi) means great-ocean. The palm on BSC logo is symbol of pacific ocean from my name. Later my friend in Taiwan saw my character and told me my name became "have many friends like Ocean". Japanese has 3 characters and one of them came from Chinese. In any case, friends are an important part of my life.
1971 started organ lessons at Yamaha Music School in Tokyo
I don't remember, but my mother said that I really wanted to take organ lessons and that I convinced her to take lessons. Although there were actually no musical instruments near me.
1973-1977 changed to piano lessons
My cousin studied piano at a renowned music college in Tokyo. If I look back now, the lessons were extremely high revel. In addition to piano lessons, I also had music and ear training like in a music college. I had classes every week until I decided to enroll as a Boy Scout and become a mountaineer. I am fascinated by nature, plants, animals, all creatures. On the line I see many parallels to the elegance and scientific logic of sports cars or airplanes. Here I get inspiration from my design.
In 1984 began playing the trumpet
with the Symphony Orchestra of Shinjuku High School and took lessons from the professional trumpeter who lived on the same floor of the building, Mr. Otake.
As movie “The Blues Brothers” came to Japan in 1980, I was so impressed by the sound of the trumpet and saxophone. So I dreamed of making music like that myself. Only later learned that trumpet player in the movie “Mr. Alan Rubin” has played the famous solo on Blood Sweat and Tears' “Spinning Wheel”. Without any small detail, the sound simply stayed in my ears.
When I enrolled at Shinjuku High School, I decided to do a music activity there. But the school only has a symphonic orchestra. That was encounter with the trumpet. Because all my colleague has already played the trumpet for several years in wind orchestra at junior high school, my debut was not easy. I had piano lessons as a little child, but I could hardly read sheet music and transpose into a different key. It is a tradition in the notation of the classical trumpet, which is left over from the time of the natural trumpet or “invention trumpet”, there were no valves or the composers did not want to have a trumpet with valves in the orchestra for reasons of sound. An older colleague of trumpet section was very unreliable, so after 6 months I am forced to take over the first trumpet with "Rákóczi March" H.Berloz, because experienced colleagues took on the more difficult cornet part.
The next big challenge was Dvorak 9th "from the new world". The orchestra system was fine, because we rehearsed a piece for almost a year, we were able to get used to the piece without notes. In addition, we had 2 hours lesson every day, 4 hours with orchestra on Saturday in Japanese school system. We play a lot longer during the holidays.
We didn't have a classic record at home. So I got some kind of recording from my boy scout friend. That was Dvorak 9th with Karl Böhm and Wiener Philharmonic. Today still one of the best Dvorak 9th for me with perfect balance and harmony of individual instrument sounds, strictly traditional without any exaggeration. There ware old “Viennese trumpet” many composers, trumpet players and trumpet makers took as an ideal. After the Second World War, many trumpet players no longer wanted to play the "German system" for political and historical reasons. I concentrated on imitating the sound and articulation of legend Mr. Adolf Holler like acting instead of reading sheet music. That was perhaps the best school for orchestra trumpet. I could never play in wind orchestra many long pieces in couple of rehearsals. But our professional conductor loved my sound in symphonic orchestra.
1985 wanted to learn trumpet making and met former head of Yamaha “Mr. Hiroo Okabe”
Mr. Hiroo Okabe was head of Yamaha atelier in Tokyo that time. His advice was to study technical subject at high revel university, to apply for Yamaha, and hope someday to be called to the wind instruments department. I saw no hope and effectiveness to take this way. I felt like a knockdown and burst all dreams. I sat on a bench in Tokyo Bay in a sea breeze for a few hours.
Then I decided to go to Germany to study trumpet making!
Later, Mr. Okabe moved to Germany and was head of Yamaha Atelier Frankfurt. I lived 30 minutes far away in Nauheim and able to visit there on friday afternoon for coffee. Once it snowed so hard during my visit and could no longer drive my Renault R4F6. Mr. Okabe helped me find a train, but trains couldn't run either. So he took me his home to stay the night. I really had to thank him for his generous gesture. Later, Mr. Okabe was the big boss of Yamaha Musical Instrument. In its time, Yamaha made great strides in the market and trumpet making. Of course he plays the trumpet.
1985 I started learning German at the Goethe Institute in Tokyo
One day I found a brochure in the lobby of Goethe Institute about a book entitled "100 Years of the Berlin Philharmonic". There, boss Mr. Helmuth Holtz of the sales company in Japan wrote that he lived in Berlin and he knows some musicians from orchestras including Mr. Konradin Groth, the principal trumpet. I visited Mr. Holz in his shop and asked to organize a meeting with Mr. Groth. He said yes. Later, Mr. Holz told my mother that he saw fire in my eye. That convinced him to support my way.
1985 I asked “Mr. Konradin Groth”
Berlin Phiharmonic played few concerts in Tokyo
Mr. Konradin Groth introduced me to then boss of Yamaha “Mr. Kaji”. He studied in Germany making brass wind instruments and he owned the German “Meisterbrief”/license.
I made an appointment with Mr. Holtz at artist entrance of Suntory Hall in Tokyo, to meet with Mr. Groth and Mr. Heinz-Dieter Schwarz, the trombonist. "Ein Heldenleben" by R.Strauss was on the list of sound check. As I was at the entrance, I heard suddenly a trumpet player warming up in back stage behind the wall. I have never heard such a tone and timbre on a trumpet before. It was so soft and warm. Sound filled the whole room. On the recording, the trumpet of the Berlin Philharmonic is as brilliant as the tutti violin. So I could understand what kind of dynamic range they play. Later as I visited Mr. Groth in Berlin, I was able to confirm this with "The Planets" by G.Holst. I could even sit all alone in front of the Berlin Philharmonic during recording with Sir Colin Davis. An experience that I will never forget!
1985 I visited Mr. Kaji at the headquarters of Yamaha in Hamamatsu
Mr. Kaji recommend me to ask for an apprenticeship to “Meister Hans Schneider”. Meister Schneider was practical technic teacher at vocational school in Ludwigsburg for all West Germany and member of the Federal Guild of Wind Instrument Makers in West Germany.
Meister Schneider just has an apprenticeship vacancy and could get an apprenticeship directly from him. Before me was his youngest son, then I was his last apprentice.
When I told my
family about the decision to study in Germany, they just laughed at my plan. I
felt humiliated and since then I haven't talked about my project at home.
Ready I had an apprenticeship contract and wanted to apply for a visa at the
“West” German embassy in Tokyo, but I would need my parents' signature because I
was 18, still a minor. So I called my mother from a phone box and described her
about the long paths of preparation up to an apprenticeship contract in 5
minutes. I was able to convince my mother to come to the embassy and 10 minutes
before the embassy closed we were able to reach the documents.
My parents were shocked at first, but respected my job of finding and signing an
apprenticeship myself. So they promised full support for my further project.
1987 Oktober Beginning of the apprenticeship brass wind instrument with Meister Hans Schneider in Mössingen Germany.
I was able to live at Meister Hans Schneider his house like his own son. Meister Schneider was one of the few masters of medieval art who could still practice. I worked for him 8 hours a day, plus 2 hours and on Saturday for my own interst. Meister Schneider was able to answer all my questions and show how I can realize it technically. He also had all the necessary tools and machines in his workshop. I was like a fish in the water, in wonderland!
When I landed at Stuttgart Airport from Tokyo via Frankfurt, I was actually expected to receive Meister Schneider. But nobody was there. I called him home, someone picks up, but hangs up immediately. I wasn't afraid, because I had enough cash even to go back to Tokyo. It felt like forever in an empty little airport until a woman asked me "Are you Tomomi?" So continued my journey. I remember, it rained too before, but the sun was shining so friendly on German Autobahn.
Mössingen lies in
the valley between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb. Mössingen is a small
town, but the
"Belsen" its district where I lived was a small village with
plenty of nature. When the weather was nice you could see
“Hohenzollern Castle”
on top of mountain. I couldn't sleep
well for the first few days, because It was so quiet at night compared to Tokyo.
Most of the population in the state of Württenberg are “Evangelisch” Christians.
They were incredibly friendly. One day, village young people knocked to pick me
up for leisure activities. I could also play in
"Posaunen Chor", a special
brass ensemble from the “Evangelisch” church. It was very simple but one of the
most wonderful time of my life in Belsen.
At this point I have to thank Mrs. Gertrud Schneider for the maternal care. All the happy moments have strengthened me to stay in Europe and to deepen my profession. She drove a red Renault R4.
I baked Christmas cookies with Ms. Schneider and we sent them to my family in Japan. She could bake very well and had very old recipes book that were still written in old German.
I knew Christmas but what exactly that meant I
didn't know beforehand. "Birth of Jesus Christ" is the important festival for
Christians. It's no wonder "Deutsche Weihnachten" is very much appreciated by
foreigners. It's nice with all the decolation, advent preparations, Weihnachts
market, concerts in church often with trumpet, piccolo/barack trumpet. But what I love
most is holiness and spirituality in the air is special on Christmas Eve. It is
similar when we visit Japanese Zen temples. It purifies the soul when you can catch
it. Trumpet or trombone can be so spiritually sacred, but it is incomprehensible
to many cultures. Perhaps many players don't know all of the options
of their instrument. The social position of music also plays a major role. I
also play funerals. Some cultures will forbid this because they only know one
face of a trumpet or music.
On Christmas Eve we play church service with a Posaunen-Chor, open gifts under Christmas tree, eat German sausage with Swabian potato salad, then we go to all the hospitals and play Chrismas carols under the windows until late at night. It's very cold, but it makes you feel warm. Christmas is the celebration of love.
I've sung many of those melodies in Japan, but here did I realize that many of them come from German-speaking countries such as "Silent Night". Same spirituality carries a lot of classical music like Bach, Schumann, or Brahms. To experience something indescribable, I recommend you to attend a service at the church in Germany.
The education system for practical professions is special and effective in German-speaking countries. "Meister System" comes from the Middle Ages in Europe. You have to find a Meister to work and study in real profession. 12 weeks a year we attend central vocational school to learn theoretical subjects including German, mathematics, etc. and technical subjects such as acoustics, material physics, history of musical instruments. Mr. Friedemann Lutz in Ludwigsburg is the teacher for musical instruments. The practical teacher was Meister Hans Schneider. But I've seen our profession become "industrialized". Many workshops only had to change spare parts. So traditional knowledge disappeared even from young Meisters too. Before the Millennium, some factories began moving their production to the East Europe or Far East with the motto "maximizing profit". Many school colleagues saw some work processes for the first time at Master Schneider. Later some visited him for further training or to prepare for exam for Meister licence.
1990 end of the apprenticeship
I designed a new instrument "KATOHORN" (horn in low Bb for trumpet player) for the final exam of the training. I tried to put my theory about sound and construction into practice. In the test, however, only the technical quality is assessed without acoustical knowledge. I did it for myself.
1991 “Meister Franz Straub” at Wangen-Primisweiler Germany
further training for repair and trumpet making
Meister Franz Straub was a student of Meister Schneider. It's big Schneider Family. You can get scared of him, but if you know him better, he is a very loveable person. His workshop is middle in Algäu where you find a lot of milk cows on field front of Lake Constance, behind the lake you can see the great Swiss Alps. It is so beautiful and natural. You can understand why they love their own music.
1991 “Max Bauerfeind” in Nauheim Germany
manufacturer of the world's best Perinét piston valve, studying to manufacture the piston valve.
Meister Max Bauerfeind moved from Kraslice Czech republic after the war. I was able to get to know Meister Max Bauerfeind and his son Peter Bauerfeind personally. Many musical instrument makers in West Germany have their origin in Kraslice Czech Republic. It was expelled after the second world war and founded a new musical instrument making community in Geretsried, Neustadt an der Aisch, Nauheim, etc.
I met Meister Hans H. Riedl during that time. Meister Riedl is one of the most important repair specialists for professional clarinets in the world. He looks after the most important clarinetists in Germany. Meister Riedl was a professional clarinetist and practical teacher at vocational school. He has his own band and is a passionate saxophone player. He built his exam clarinet at Meister Schneider's workshop. He was able to help me at BSC Saxophone with his highest level of expertise and experience.
1992 "W.Kurath / Willson” in Flums Switzerland
studying the industrial production of brass wind instruments.
Flums is wonderful location not so far from Maienfeld, village of "Heidi" under the swiss alps. Very innovative company but with a rich know-how from traditional craftsmanship. They produce whistle for Swiss national railways. As a Suvenier, I could take one with me, “not for sale!”
1993 “Musikhaus Kröger” in Trier Germany
administration of workshop, responsible for setting up new workshop, training of workers.
After an agreement with Meister Kröger, I created new trumpet lines under “Kröger Trumpets designed by Tomomi Kato”. It was my first order to create new trumpet line and production.
It was my next fate that I discovered a small country Luxembourg. To be honest, that I didn't know before this small country. I really wanted to play in a wind orchestra there. This is how my relationship with Mertert and Luxemburg began. Later, when I was traveling a lot, I tried to be in Luxembourg on the weekend because there was an orchestra rehearsal every Friday. After the rehearsal, visited a bistro and drank Moselle Wine. Wine and friends always say welcome and I felt at home in the air every Friday. So I decided to grow old here.
When I come to a
new place I try to think about how they lived 500 years ago. I learned that it
was not easy to live and survive in Württemberg. People say "you can find more
stones than potatoes in Swabian alb." It was also the reason why high precision
and technology were created there like Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Bosch etc.
Necessity is the mother of invention. The mentality and training there were also
very strict. The fear led to high quality standards to this day.
By the Moselle River there has always been wine since the Romans invaded here
over 1000 years ago. Grapes only grow in mild climates in Central Europe. So
winter was not hard and
wine has always been very valuable currency. Nobody had to starve to death. They
sang and danced and see quality from other background.
1996 open own company under Brass Sound Creation
to be able to work as a freelance designer and consultant with different brass wind instrument producers from head quarter in Luxembourg.
I started to create my own BSC Trumpets.
I don't have super rich parents, so I had to
finance all research and development myself. With all the savings and freelance
work, I succeeded in realizing the first BSC Trumpet according to my ideas, which my
customers still appreciate today.
In high school time I got some money at home
for lunch. I saved the money to buy records and orchestral scores. I also
financed all the preparation to get an apprenticeship with the money. So it was
not the case for the first time.
1996 “Cooperation with Amati / Cerveny” in Kraslice Czech Republic
Amati / Cerveny is one of the oldest manufacture (since 1842) that still exists today. After the change of system in 1989, they had existential problems. I could introduce modern western technology, system, and design. The boss at the time, Mr. Manfred Prem, fully supported my project. We have set material suppliers the same as all other manufacturers in Europe and eliminated many problems, including setting up a completely new piston valve production facility on the old european method but with full digital support. Most manufacturers use the american method which is not very precise. I also designed the Amati ATR604H, which is still a popular long-seller around the world today. Working with great Meister Vladimir Roskot was a very valuable experience for me. With some mistakes of mine he already knew what I actually meant and sent back with a better suggestion.
1996 “NM Project” in Bereldange Luxembourg
designing of new trumpet series for Mr. Nissim Malki, building new production, training of workers, and marketing in Bereldange Luxembourg.
Mr. Nissim Malki is known as a specialist in the repair and restoration of old saxophones. He has an incredibly large circle of friends in the music world and is valued by professional saxophonists. He also traded good vintage trumpets and asked for an opinion on the musical and technical value of instruments or small repairs before he sold them. I bought some good old trumpets from him in order to research them carefully.
We really started building small numbers in the garage / bathroom until the big industry noticed the NM Project Trumpets. NMP model Impuls, model David and NMP Flugelhorn are still on the professional stage today.
We have also dealt with saxophones made in Taiwan and successfully distributed them. Because we had many saxophones in stock in the same quality and condition, we were able to test many small changes and compare the differences against good vintage saxophones.
1996 “Stenzel Blasinstrumente“ in Pforzheim Germany
administration of the repair shop and training of workers, repairing wind instruments and making trumpets
Meister Gerhard Stenzel worked for Master Schneider when I was studying there. Mr. Stenzel is a passionate fly angler. He wanted to produce his own fly reel and handed over the general management and business of the wind instrument department to me. I have also assembled fly fishing reel together as delivery time narrowed down. Today he is a successful entrepreneur in various industries fishing reel and accessories manufacturer, distributor and powder injection moulding in Pforzheim.
Pforzheim is known as the "gold city". Because a lot of jewelry, watches and clocks are made there. In the prime of their time, they produced 1/4 of the world's jewelry. There are many special technologies, specialists, factories and a great tradition. I was able to buy very special tools and materials just around the corner. I was able to see and study a lot of new technologies and their backgrounds. I got to know some old Meisters with great knowledge and experience in their profession. They also told me a lot of interesting stories from old-time. Some watchmaker secrets are hidden in BSC High Speed Valve Spring.
Here I met Mr Tino Schucht. I was responsible for the whole company and he was an apprentice. But we're almost the same age and we've had wonderful and wild times together. When Mr. Schucht founded his company "Schucht Sax Technology", we discussed a lot about the technology and music of the saxophone. I had some experience from Meister Riedl and NM Project to support him. I was also able to learn a lot about the saxophone. We later worked together in Nittel. Today Mr. Schucht is one of the most important saxophone specialists in the world. He supplies his products to giants of the saxophone world
1997 Lausmann Mouthpieces in Nauheim Germany
It was an order from Mr. Josef Lausmann to produce his own mouthpiece series. Lausmann was a specialist in turned parts and mouthpieces on digital technology with traditional craftsmanship from Kraslice, Czech Republic. He supplies his parts to large industries world wide. He is concerned because his customer has also equipped it with a modern CNC lathe. We had some excellent mouthpieces and a lot of valuable knowledge. Later he realizes that his customers could not produce preciser and cheaper than him, so orders remained stable. Then he worries about conguring his customers with his own mouthpiece. The project was stoped and the only thing left for me was the big experience around mouthpiece making.
In 1998 I was able to manage all projects completely from Luxembourg. So I looked for a house around Mertert. So began a new chapter of my life in the small old wine village "Nittel" in the Luxembourg Moselle. Nittel is on the other side of the Moselle River in Germany. Germany? Yes, the river is the national border and I have a bridge over it in my office in Luxembourg. It takes us 20 minutes to reach France if you want real French baguette, croissant or cake. 50 minutes to original French flyed potato or Belgian beer.
Nittel is a little wine village that is over 1000 years old. There are many wineries and restaurants, hotels, one of the most popular tourist place in this area. If you drop by here, you will quickly find out why I chose this small village. One or the other trumpeter has been here and spent a wonderful time with very special wines and sparkling wine which can only be enjoyed here. Luxembourg international airport is 20 minutes away and we also have train station.
Take your mouthpiece and come over!
2009 Wynton Marsalis played BSC TR501G
on the inauguration of President Obama at White House.
Most BSC trumpets
are sold through stores and I don't know who is playing them. My customers often
say where BSC trumpets are.
Since Luxembourg has a nice concert hall "Philharmonie", well-known musicians
and orchestras have come there and some of them come to visit me before sound
check.
2010 order from GEWA Adolf Germany
creating new line of wind instruments, improvement of production and quality standards in their joint venture factory in China. "Conn-Selmer Company" is also involved in this factory.
There was a very large factory. But the basic principle of building a brass wind instruments doesn't change anything at all. Because the manufacture of brass winds requires a wide variety of metalworking methods, everything has to be in the right place. An ideal factory must be built logically from powerful heavy dirty work to sensitive clean work. No, it was dirty everywhere when I came. But I really have to praise that the reorganization of the work processes went very quickly in China. So I was soon able to start installing a control system for individual parts and work processes, because they didn't exist before. I have seen hundreds of women from final inspection have to find all defects and eliminate them on a brand new trumpet in a no bright hall. After all the change, we would only need a few women for the final inspection just to find the errors, which were mostly caused by accidents, instead of leaving the system in a bright white, dust-free room.
Here I
experienced the real situation in Chinese industry, but also its hidden
potentials and opportunities. I've met some very highly trained engineers, but
when it comes to music and acoustics, they quickly reach their limits. Because
none of them play musical instruments or listen to trumpet music. So there is
almost no music. There were a lot of traders from
western countries. Of course, everyone knew better than anyone about making
musical instruments. We can see their real skills on Amazon and eBay. But day
after day they produce mountains of trumpets. Earlier when I was invited to a
meeting at UMI (United Musical Instruments) factory in Eastlake Ohio, I also saw
high mountains of trumpet, but individual instruments
had musical signatures from old masters.
Seeing this with my own eyes was extremely shocking and unsettling to me.
Because I know exactly what's going wrong there and how to do everything right.
2012 “KAT (Kato Acoustics Technology)” in Luxembourg
After all of my
experiences in Asia, I found my life mission. "To produce a quality trumpet at a
lower price."
The first cooperation began with one of the largest factories in China.
They built the cases for BSC Trumpets
and I had a confidential contact person who spoke excellent english much better
than me. Although we were able to achieve a very high musical
quality on a prototype, but the production quality was unfortunately not
satisfactory. Unfortunately there was no willingness in partners to invest in
quality improvements and there were enormous linguistic problems.
In 2016, I told my old friend from Taiwan about my mission.
He owns a large production in Asia and he was ready to
support my mission right away.
Even the largest industry in Asia with thousands of qualified engineers is reaching its limits when it comes to music and acoustics. Exactly the answer to this question was the destination of my trip, which started from Tokyo. Too many people, including musicians and musical instrument makers, simply close the door because "it's magic" rather than looking for a reason, for best example Stradivari's violin. But if a Meister gave the same result over and over again, it was not by magic or accident. There is a system that many people simply do not understand or do not want to understand.
I don't know how
long my trip will be. But I try to learn something every day and one day get to the
next level like playing the trumpet.
In fact, as my name suggests, I have so many friends who support me professionally and privately. I will return my gratitude as a result of my work so that trumpet players and their audience can experience many divine moments.
Kind regards,
Tomomi Kato
P.S.
If you want to know more about me or you want to support my life mission?
Please just send an e-mail. I look forward to new friendship!
pacific ocean