Meet Doctor QT: Doctor by day, Songwriter/Author by night.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Doctor QT and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Doctor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have a caring and nurturing nature. I have also always been interested in sports, especially baseball. This led me to a career as a holistic sports acupuncture doctor. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a number of major league ballplayers over the past decade which has allowed me to travel extensively and visit many different areas of the country. You don’t get an opportunity to work with professional athletes unless you are very good and really know what you are doing. Fortunately, I have been able to deliver the results these athletes demand.

I also have a creative side which has served me well in my practice as I get the opportunity to think outside of the box and provide innovative solutions to my patients.

During the Covid lockdowns, I had another opportunity to develop my creative side and have written many songs in different genres, some of which have already been recorded and ready to be published in Japan. I write lyrics and compose songs from my heart and my purpose is to touch people’s lives with my creative productions. I am also a writer and I’m in the process of writing a fictional story.

The only way you survive a year like 2020 is to have a positive mind-set which I have. I have confidence in my abilities and I put 100% into everything I do. I feel that this is the only way people can move forward, pushing the boundaries regardless of the outside environment and achieve their goals.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an idiosyncratic person who is a doctor by day and a songwriter by night.  As a sports acupuncture doctor, I treated professional athletes and helped a number of MLB star players. Treating professional athletes is very challenging and there are high expectations. However it is also very rewarding, especially when my treatment enabled an athlete to recover quickly and get back on the field.

As a lyricist, I write lyrics in English and Japanese. I also compose many different types of music and several of my songs are on their way to be published in Japan. I am also in the process of writing a screen-play and my dream is to make a difference in people’s lives through my creative work.

Being simultaneously involved in such diverse activities has not been easy. However my creative energy takes me in various directions. I like to face challenges with a positive mind-set and try to enjoy whatever I am doing. My credo is to put in 100% effort and believe 100% in myself, no matter what the situation. I believe that my mind-set has enabled me to keep pushing the boundaries.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love all kinds of food, but if I have to pick my favorite food, it would be Asian cuisine. Here are few restaurants of my choice. Sushi-Tomi restaurant, Sushi-Kichi restaurant, and Saffron Indian CuisineWho else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all, I would like to give thanks to my mother who has been there for me throughout my life. Her unconditional love got me to where I am today. I couldn’t have done this without her love and support.

I have a caring and creative nature, and that has led me to be a sports acupuncture doctor and to practice holistic medicine. During the Covid Pandemic lockdowns, my creative side took over and I wrote several songs.  I am originally from Japan and growing up I was a tomboy who loved baseball.  When it became apparent that, as a female, I couldn’t be a professional baseball player, my interest shifted to music.

I especially loved singer Eikichi Yazawa and I listened to his former band called Carol. By that time the group had disbanded so I never saw any of their live performances. However, I was hooked on their sensational sound and I listened to their songs every day after school. One of the members of Carol, Johnny Ohkura, had such a sweet voice that melted my heart. I still remember those days fondly. His son Kenny Ohkura is also a talented entertainer.

Many years later, I became an acupuncture physician in the United States and started working with many high profile MLB players. That was a great honor for me and I am very thankful to Ichiro Suzuki who, I believe is one of the most talented baseball players in MLB history. I believe that I was able to receive Ichiro’s energy, and that enabled me to help many players with their pain issues.

In March 2020, I planned to work with MLB players during spring training. But as soon as I got to the camp location, the entire MLB spring training season was shut down due to the covid pandemic. I felt somewhat lost and out of control and wasn’t sure what to do next. I came back to my hometown, my feelings were numbed and I felt sad for the whole world. So I turned to my passion for songs and I started to express my feelings through composing songs. I wrote about a dozen songs and using my creativity to write songs was the only thing that made me feel alive.

I was especially inspired by MASAYUKI Tanaka who was a member of Crystal King in Japan and very musically talented. I would say he is one of the music legends in Japan who has been in the entertainment industry for 40 years and his songs touch many people still today.

Anthony Little, a songwriter and music producer who has worked with many famous singers in the USA, produced some of my songs. He is an amazingly talented producer, and I am so thankful to be working with him.

I am also working with a Japanese singer/producer named Katsu Tohno who is an amazing singer / talented producer in Japan. His grandfather, Ejiro Tohno was a very well-known actor in Japan, and my grandmother used to watch his show called Mito Koumon on TV every week. We are working on a few projects now and I expect to have some new developments in the near future.

Recently I got connected with Risa Honda and we are working on some projects. She was a major Japanese Idol in the ’80s and appeared in a number of television series’, variety shows, videos and magazines. She is talented, intuitive, sweet, smart and very pretty. She is also very giving and participates in many local charitable causes.

Needless to say that I’m thankful to so many people in my life who have helped me in personal development physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Even though this national emergency has shut down the world and many people have been victimized for their lives and financial status and we all had to adjust our social behaviors. However, I have learned to appreciate small things in life and see what’s truly important in our lives. My main goal is to touch people’s lives through my creativity and it would be a great honor in my life.

It would be impossible to mention all of their names who helped me behind the scenes to create the great projects. These involve many people’s efforts, creativity, and teamwork and I couldn’t have done all of this without your help.

初めに 私の生涯を通して 私のためにいてくれた母に感謝したいと思います。彼女の無条件の愛とサポートがなければ、今日の 私は いないでしょう。 

私は 長年 スポーツ鍼灸医/ ホリスティック医学として 大リーグの選手を初めとする数多くの患者さんを 治療して来ました。しかし コロナパンデミックが 世界に 襲ってきて 自粛をするようになって 日本が 恋しくなりました。その為 作詞 作曲に 没頭して 数多くの曲を この短期間 2020年に書きました。 ここで 私の人生の歴史を 少しご紹介したいと思います。

私は 小さい頃はプロ野球選手になるのが 夢だった おてんば娘でした。それが 無理だと わかった時に 私の興味は音楽に移りました。矢沢永吉さんが 大好きで、その後 彼の元バンドのキャロルも よく聴いていました。もうグループは解散していたので 彼らのライブは 見たことは ないのですが とってもセンセーショナルに 感じていました。キャロルのメンバーだった ジョニー大倉さんの 甘い声も 忘れられませんでした。コロナ鍋のある日 ふっと ジョニーさんの 名言が 頭に浮かび 検索したら 息子の ケンイチ大倉さんが 出てきて ジョニーさんの そっくりさんかと 思いました。後に お知り合いに なれてとっても 感謝してます。タレント性のある方なので 今後の 活躍が 期待されます。 

その後 感謝を 延べたいのは 野球の神様 イチローさんです。私が アメリカで 大リーグの選手の 治療をできるようになったのも 一重にイチローさんの エネルギーが あったからです。イチローさんは 野球人としてだけでなく 人生の師匠として 皆にポジティブな 影響を 与え続けている 一番星の 定めの下に 生まれた人、野球の申し子だと思います。 

2020年3月、恒例の様に 大リーグのスプリングトレーニングで 選手の治療に アリゾナのキャンプ地に 向かって 2日後に なんとコロナ鍋の為 スプリング トレーニング中止の知らせが！何が 起こったのか よく把握できない状態で 仕方なくフロリダに戻って来ました。今 思い起こすと その時に 世界中の人たちが 大きい黒幕の下で 苦しんでる イメージが 見えて 訳もわからずとても悲しかった事を 覚えています。地元に帰って来て この突然の世界打撃に 気持ちが 麻痺していて 心の置き所が なかった状態なので クリエイティブな 気持ちを引き出す為に 作曲に 情熱を注ぎました。作詞 作曲することで自分の気持ちを表現できたのが 心のよりどころになり十数曲 書きました。 

その時に 私が感化されたのが 元クリスタルキングのメンバーで音楽的に非常に才能のある 田中昌之さんです。マーボーさんに影響された 曲を描いたのもこの時です。彼は40年間エンターテインメントビジネスに携わってきた日本の音楽レジェンドの一人であり その歌声は 今でも 心に染み入り人々に感動を与え 続けています。正に 日本の Robert Plant！ 

アメリカで多くの有名な歌手と仕事をしてきたソングライター兼音楽プロデューサーのアンソニー・リトルさんにも感謝です。私の曲を何曲かプロデュースして頂き その才能には 素晴らしい ものがあります。 

日本のプロデューサーと言えば 東野 克さんが 素晴らしい才能の 持ち主です。もちろん歌手としては 日本人離れした パワーと音域の 持ち主で その歌声は 感動を呼びます。プロデューサーとしては 音楽の魔法の杖を 持っているのではないかと思える位 曲を 生かして下さいます。現在 いくつかのプロジェクトを 一緒にさせて頂いています。 

そして最後に 80年代の日本のアイドル歌手で女優である 本田理沙さんに感謝です。皆さん ご存知の様に 今まで 多くのテレビシリーズ、バラエティ番組、ビデオ、雑誌で活躍されていて 才能があり 可愛さのある女性です。直感力も 優れていて 頭のいい方です。ベリーダンスも 披露していて多彩です。

国際的なパンデミックの緊急事態は 世界を閉鎖し 多くの人々を 精神的 経済的に 苦難に 落とし入れています。そんな中で 今人生で本当に 何が大事か わかった気がします。それは人との 繋がり。こんな状況の中で 心だけでも日本に 帰りたいと思い 作った作品達を 通して一人でも多くのかたが 幸せな気分になって頂けたら 嬉しいと思います。 

最後に これらの素晴らしいプロジェクトを作成するために舞台裏で私を助けてくれたすべての人々に 感謝いたします。彼らの 努力 創造性 チームワークが 無ければここまでやってこれませんでした。皆様の お名前を載せられないのは 残念ですが ご了承下さい。 

写真家のジョン・メープル、メイクアップアーティストのステファニー・マリー 

音楽制作 トミー・モントロイ、ジェニファー・モリソン、ジョナ・ホルネーダー、アレックス・メリル、ニール・ケーン 

照谷宗夫、宮原玲人、三沢竜一、山科洋子、有馬英幸、柴田英隆 

デモ歌手協力 カレッソ（北爪幸雄、内田栄一）、青木奈菜、久間生 潤子、ケイティ

Website: www.facebook.com/TheBaseballSamurai
Instagram: www.instagram.com/doctorqt2020
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DoctorQT2020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorQT
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beIOx0Z2odo&ab_channel=TheBaseballSamurai

Image Credits
Jon Maple