Ari Koinuma

I Saw Death Cab for Cutie Live. Here Are My Thoughts

Ari Koinuma — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 03:03:05 +0000

I recently went to see Death Cab for Cutie at the Armory in Minneapolis. I’m not like a diehard DCFC fan, though the “Plans” album I listened from beginning to end over and over. I knew they were coming out with a new album, but I didn’t know about the tour. It was a last minute decision to go. Knowing that I probably would know only about half of the songs they’d play.

I’m glad I went because it was one of the best concerts I’ve been to. I came home feeling inspired. Now I’m trying to reflect on what made the whole experience so uplifting and satisfying.

1. Energy

Death Cab isn’t the most energetic of bands. But the band knew that for live shows up tempo songs translate better. It also helps that the most recent album, I Built You a Tower, has higher urgency to it.

Anyway, DCFC is definitely a Ben-and-his-band situation, and it showed. Ben had the most energy of them all. Bouncing in-between singing. Venturing to different sides of stages. Rocking with his bandmates. It was his band and his space and he had enough energy to infect all of us.

2. Song Arrangements

One of the arrangement best practices is to keep each instrument do simple things. Remove unnecessary notes. But create distinctness either through note movements or tone.

Death Cab is a master at this. Their arrangements create space and openness. The songs come through effortlessly. No virtuoso musicianship to distract you from the strength of compositions. Not saying having space for individual expression is bad. But it runs the risk of not serving the song. With Death Cab, every note exists to serve the song.

3. Understated use of visual elements.

Screens are staples of modern concert experience. In big venues, I appreciate it when they show the musicians on screen, so people from the nosebleed seats can see. But some artsier bands use it as a narrative tool (like recycling / reusing their music videos). Tool is in this school — and I do love their music. But I’m not a big fan of “short film with a live band” type approach.

If I am going to see a concert, I wanna see the musicians perform.

I really loved how Death Cab used their screens. Instead of either, their screens stuck to showing abstract backgrounds and movements. They served as the visual vibe-setter for each song. And they didn’t need to be super coordinated with the key moments in the music.

It’s like the band chose animated backdrops to go with each song. I could keep watching the musicians because the screens were not worth focusing on. But they added a lot to the whole experience at the same time. The animation moved with kinetic energy for faster songs. They were static for slower, intimate moments.

The end result was that the screens enriched, rather than distracted. I never felt that typical conflict between choosing to focus on the musicians or the screens.

A Musician’s Experience with Sudden Hearing Loss

Ari Koinuma — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:46:57 +0000

On May 19, 2026, Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) affected my left ear.

I initially thought it was a temporary ear infection and did not make a big deal. But I went to ENT (ear, nose, throat) urgent care two days later, and they took it very seriously.

I was immediately put on steroids. But 2 weeks later the hearing didn’t improve, so I received 3 injections into the ear. That may have resulted in slight improvements.

But 2+ months later the condition very much remains. My left ear has 30+DB of hearing loss in mid to upper frequencies, and I have moderate tinnitus.

I am able to resume my music activities. But with less hearing of mid to upper frequencies in one ear:

I don’t have as good note definition
it’s harder to detect intonation
sound localization (figuring out where sound is coming from) is also affected

So while I can function, it affects my confidence. It takes a bigger leap of faith to play or sing with authority and presence.

I still hold on to hope that I’ll make full recovery. But I wanted to share my experience mid-story so that I can convey what it’s like. And help others be aware of what to do in the rare event that something like this happens to you. (go seek a specialist immediately)

Making a Playlist to Cope with a Layoff | The Power of Music Show

Ari Koinuma — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

I recently found out that I am getting laid off from the employer of over 12 years.

But while my mind was able to process and get to a positive place, something like a layoff can be a shock to our system. It can feel like the rug is getting pulled from under you. I certainly felt many emotions.

I don’t resent any of it though. It’s all part of the process.

And music is my friend during such times. Songs that speak to this sense of disorientation and loss can help us process such difficult emotions.

So in that spirit, I create a 5-song mini playlist that spoke to my state of mind.

Radiohead “Everything in Its Right Place”
- Thom York intoning that line over and over — it represents that sense of aghast denial.
Copeland “Chin Up”
- This one represents the grief of losing something you were trying to keep it together.
Tal Wilkenfeld “Under the Sun”
- A bit further in the grief, this one touches on feeling unsettled and yearning.
Laura Gibson “Funeral Song”
- The grief arriving to acceptance. Still not easy but not hanging on
Vincent Lima “Someday”
- Now we are moving on, acknowledging that it’s all a journey, a work in progress.

There are many of us in this journey right now. Let us be kind to one another.

And if there are songs that help you on your journeys, let me know.

Playlist from this show: Spotify | Apple

I Shrunk Enough: A Song for Anyone Ready to Stop Making Themselves Small | The Power of Music Show

Ari Koinuma — Sun, 03 May 2026 19:57:12 +0000

There’s a song from a little-known musical that I think about every time I see someone learning to finally say: enough.

Alice by Heart is one of my all-time favorite musicals, and “I Shrunk Enough” makes me tear up every time I hear it.

I was lucky enough to be in this show twice: once as a pit guitarist, once as an ensemble on stage. Both times highly memorable.

In this coming-of-age story about a young woman wrestling with grief, this song portrays a pivotal moment. She makes a stand against her oppressors, reclaiming her power.

Musically, the rapid-fire, static melodies help focus your attention on the profound lyrics. And as a guitarist I accompanied this anthem by sticking to simple power chords — the most direct and confrontational of all harmonies.

If you are in a place where you need to gather your courage and make a stand, let this song be your companion.

8 Ways to Create Songwriting Hooks | Impactful Songwriting Lesson

Ari Koinuma — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 23:30:13 +0000

Hooks, hooks, hooks. Songwriters are obsessed about them, and rightfully so. Hooks serve like doors into the building that is your song. Hooks grab people’s attention and make them remember. Hooks are important.

Creating hooks doesn’t have to be the most important goal of your songwriting. But it’s great if you can create hooks without feeling overtly commercial or sell-out.

Well, if you understand these 8 ways to create hooks, you can be on the lookout to do just that with your song. In fact, you can layer multiple ones to create rich and powerful songs.

Along the way we look at examples by Sting, Sia, Queen, Dave Brubeck, R.E.M., Meatloaf, Ed Sheeran, Van Halen, Shawn Colvin, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Bring Me the Horizon, The Beatles, Ben Rector, Taylor Swift, Adele

Soaring Chorus
Distinct Rhythm
Catchy Turn of Phrase
Riff
Melodic Motif
Fresh Sounds
Vocalizing
Express a Big Persona

How to Write Iconic Riffs (With These 6 Secrets!)

Ari Koinuma — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Ah, iconic riffs. Just hearing them in intros get us excited. Memorable. Catchy. Bold. Who wouldn’t want them?

Well, I’m in search of them for my band Nekobus. So I wanted to review for myself what ingredients go into making an iconic riff. Upon reviewing a number of such riffs, here is the list I created. An iconic riff:

Must be aligned to the artist’s identity
Has just the right nots
Has distinct rhythm
Has a good mix of jumps and steps
Features bends or slides
Has surprises or fresh sounds

Armed with this knowledge, you and I can now embark on a hunt for iconic riffs, because now we know what to look for.

Happy writing.

Musical Theatre Gigs for Rock Guitarists Pt 4: Surviving the Gig

Ari Koinuma — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 03:12:05 +0000

In this fourth and final part of my musical theatre series, I share survival tips for getting through actual gigs:

The main priority during a performance
When you’re not sure, don’t play
Keep your conductor in your line of sight
Score is there to remind you what’s coming up (as opposed what you’re supposed to play right now)
Volume pedal is your best friend
Listen for the piano, and then actors
Pacing yourself through multiple performances
Set up your station

Musical Theatre Gigs for Rock Guitarists Pt 3: Preparation

Ari Koinuma — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 02:52:13 +0000

In this part 3 of my musical theatre series, I go through the preparation for playing the shows.

How important it is for guitarists to prepare
Good to understand the general musical theatre process
You don’t have to play everything as written
Digital vs. analog scores

Musical Theatre Gigs for Rock Guitarists Pt2: Getting the First Gigs

Ari Koinuma — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:59:59 +0000

Having checked off your prerequisites, now how do you get your first musical theatre gigs?

By getting out and seeing shows.

Not just touring shows, but more of your local community theater shows. See how they are done. Meet people. Get to know the process.

Like any “it’s who you know” business, it can be slow going in the beginning. And it takes leg work. If you want a lucrative gig, go pursue weddings.

Other ideas:

Look through local theater postings for audition notices. Musicians don’t audition, but you can hunt down music directors
Check out websites of local theater groups with upcoming productions of musicals. Cold email them and ask to be forwarded to the music director
Have YouTube, Facebook or Instagram of clips of you playing musical theater material
Print business cards

Musical Theatre Gigs for Rock Guitarists Part 1: Prerequisites

Ari Koinuma — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 23:00:00 +0000

For the last 2+ years I’ve played 8 musicals. In this four-part series, I share what I learned about what it takes to get and play musical pit gigs as a guitarist.

Here are the major requirements you should meet, if you’re going to pursue musical gigs:

Be able to read traditional music score (not tabs, not chord charts)
Have enough theory to be able to analyze chords
Be comfortable playing in multiple genres, particularly rock, jazz and folk
Play melodies and leads (but not flashy solos)
Have an electric rig with clean and overdriven sounds