After two years, I’ve returned with more music. I actually composed this song over five years ago, but I only recently recorded a rendition that I’m happy with. There was an alternative title in my head for this song that went something like “The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Play Piano.” The title went along with a story where a boy begins playing a rigid song his teacher assigned him, but then he decides to improvise and turn the song into his own. Either way, the song has always reminded me of Spring whenever I played it.
I’m going to try to post a song every month, so be on the lookout for more music!

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Spring Flowers

Yet another Ghibli cover! These are by far my most popular songs here on SoundCloud, and I’m pleased to be adding more to my Ghibli playlist (with more on the way!). One day I hope to have learned at least one song from every Ghibli film, and this is one of my favorites from Kiki’s Delivery Service.
I hope you enjoy! I should have another song coming next month!

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Mother's Broom (Piano Cover) (From Kiki's Delivery Service)

More Ghibli! This one is short, but it’s my favorite song from the movie. Hisaishi repeats this theme throughout a lot of the film, but this rendition is far more reflective. It’s almost sad in a way.
See you next month!

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Sosuke's Tears (Piano Cover) (From Ponyo)

I tried to infuse as much inflection as I could in this piece. There’s a beautiful rendition of the song by Hisaishi on YouTube where he plays the piece with another cellist, and it’s honestly magical. While my cover may not have as much grace as he does, I hope I have done the magic of this song justice. 
See you next month!

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Path of the Wind (Piano Cover) (From My Neighbor Totoro)

For the past few years, I’ve been a huge fan of Porter Robinson’s music. He has such an uplifting and happy style to his songs that tend to remind me of my childhood. I’ll be fortunate enough to see him in concert in a week, and I hope to hear him play this song live. It’s a short excerpt from the original piece, but it has so much beauty packed into it.
I hope you enjoy it!

(Background belongs to the Shelter music video)

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Porter Robinson - Wind Tempos (Piano Cover)

While the anime may be a bit cheesy, it holds a special place in my heart since I watched it growing up. I forgot about it for around a decade, but found it again four years ago. This track in particular is extremely beautiful in my humble opinion, and I hope you enjoy!

(Background belongs to Studio Gonzo)

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Mina Kubota - Cinderella (Piano Cover) (From Kaleido Star)

Minecraft is my favorite game. I felt it fitting to post a C418 cover this month since 1.18 came out yesterday. I've already started to play around in it, and I'm astounded by how beautiful the terrain generation has come. It's amazing to think how much this game has changed over the years.

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C418 - Key (Piano Cover) (From Minecraft)

The anime is both dark and risqué, but the series has some stellar world-building. Above all, I absolutely love Kevin Penkin’s unique soundtrack that perfectly captures the beauty in the unexpected—something quite common in the abyss. I hope you enjoy!

(Background belongs to Kinema Citrus)

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Kevin Penkin - Made in Abyss (Piano Cover) (From Made in Abyss)

I don’t think I’ve ever recorded more renditions for a single song than this one. I probably recorded this song at least 20 times over before being satisfied enough to post it. I still don’t think I got it 100% perfect, but it's good enough that it captures the essence of the song. The scene this song plays in is one of my favorite moments in all of anime. I hope you enjoy!

(Background belongs to the respective artist—please let me know the name if you know so that I can give proper credit)

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Kenichiro Suehiro - Rain Song (Piano Cover) (From Girls' Last Tour)

This is probably one of the more difficult songs I’ve set out to learn, but it was so worth it. What a gorgeous song from an anime that made me cry more than any other. I hope you enjoy my rendition of this piece. :)

(Background belongs to Key Animation)

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Jun Maeda - Nagisa Parting at the Foot of the Hill Warm Piano Arrange (Piano Cover) (From Clannad)

This is one of those few anime that I knew I would love without having finished. I was prepared to give a 10/10 while still watching—and it delivered throughout. It’s full of pure vibes and great times—with a strong love of nature and the outdoors sewn throughout. This song embodies all of that, and I hope I did it some justice.

(Background belongs to C-Station)

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Akiyuki Tateyama - Laid-Back Camp Theme (Piano Cover) (From Laid-Back Camp)

It’s funny how this is one of the most upbeat, happy electro openings you’ll ever hear in an anime. Yet the piano version on the OST is calm and contemplative enough to bring you to tears. I recorded probably a dozen renditions of this song before finally being satisfied with this one. I hope you can hear the hopeful sadness that this piece exudes ^_^

(Background belongs to Tsukumizu)

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Kegani - Ugoku, Ugoku (Piano Version) (Piano Cover) (From Girls' Last Tour)

This one is such a fun song to play. It has such an old-timey rhythm, especially at the end. Yet it reminds me of drinking an iced lemonade at a small cafe in Italy somewhere (I’ve never been to Italy). As per usual, I recorded several renditions before being satisfied with this one.

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Joe Hisaishi - Bygone Days (Piano Cover) (From Porco Rosso)

This is a small little edit I did back when I knew how to play Journey to the West. There's lots of glissando in this one, which I may or may not be addicted to. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this short piece :)

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Will to Live (Piano Cover & Edit) (From Princess Mononoke)

I have never seen Inuyasha, but I enjoy Kaoru Wada’s compositions. I learned this song years ago after watching another anime scored by him, but I’ve only just gotten around to posting it. Despite not knowing the source material, I think I did this song a little justice. I hope you enjoy :D

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Kaoru Wada - To Love's End (Piano Cover) (From Inuyasha)

Violet Evergarden is one of my sister and I’s favorite anime. Originally, I wanted to learn the song from the OVA, “Letter.” But I never found a good piano version on youtube to learn from. Instead, I went with the opening. I’ve actually had this song memorized for at least two years, but I only recently sat down to polish up one of my recordings. It’s not perfect, but I hope I captured some of the emotion the anime left with me. Thanks for listening ^_^

(Background belongs to Kyoto Animation)

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TRUE - Sincerely (Piano Cover) (From Violet Evergarden)

It’s my 10-year anniversary on Soundcloud!!! Almost 40k plays later, and I still can’t thank y’all enough for listening to my music. It’s really just a hobby of mine, but I enjoy trying to breathe life in the songs I play, and I think I’ve grown as a pianist because of it.
Initially, I didn’t want to learn this piece because of how repetitive the melody is; I wanted something with more variety. But LiSA’s rendition of this song is one of the most moving anime solos I’ve ever heard. Ultimately, I couldn’t help but learn it on the piano. Because of the complexity, I probably recorded this song at least two dozens times before finally being happy with this rendition.
Thanks again for listening, and I hope you enjoy ^_^

(Background belongs to Key's Visual Arts)

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Jun Maeda - My Most Precious Treasure (Piano Cover) (From Angel Beats!)

I have always loved Hayao Miyazaki’s anime films, and one of the things I love most about them is Joe Hisaishi’s music. This song plays throughout the film “Castle in the Sky,” and it is accompanied by scenes of abandoned floating castles. With a couple edits of my own, this song remains one of my favorites of Hisaishi’s.

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Castle in the Sky (Piano Cover & Edit) (From Castle in the Sky)

This song is played throughout Miyazaki’s film “Howl’s Moving Castle.” It reminds me of song that would be played in a ballroom.
This song represents me testing the same tune through different reiterations.

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Merry Go Round of Life (Piano Cover & Edit) (From Howl's Moving Castle)

Yet another one of my favorite Hisaishi compositions is “Ashitaka and San,” which brings the film “Princess Mononoke” to a close. In the movie, after all the destruction that occurred, flowers cover everything. This remains one of my favorite pieces to play.

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Ashitaka and San (Piano Cover & Edit) (From Princess Mononoke)

This song is likely the most melancholy one I know how to play. It represents sadness, emptiness, and loss. Nevertheless, it is quite a beautiful piece that is played in the film “Spirited Away.”

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - The Sixth Station (Piano Cover) (From Spirited Away)

“One Summer’s Day” is truly a delight to play. It is the second song in this compilation from the film “Spirited Away.” For me, this song represents the beauty of music at it’s finest.

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - One Summer’s Day (Piano Cover & Edit) (From Spirited Away)

“Sheeta”s Decision” is shorter than some of the other songs on this compilation, but it is still one that I think was worth learning. This is the second song from “Castle in the Sky” to be played on this compilation. It is played when the main character, Sheeta, finds the lost floating city of Laputa.

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Sheeta’s Decision (Piano Cover) (From Castle in the Sky)

The original song I learned ended about halfway through this one. I decided that it needed to be more grand, but also more touching. So I added the very high glissando part as well as the very low forte part. In essence, the second half of the song is my own take on this piece. Aside from Ashitaka and San, this is my favorite piece from Princess Mononoke. It plays when Ashitaka accepts his fate and leaves his village, never to return.
Sneak Peak: I have two more Ghibli songs I’ve recorded. I just need to edit them. There’s more music on the way! ;)

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Journey to the West (Piano Cover and Edit) (From Princess Mononoke)

Nausicaä was the first anime I ever saw. I remember looking over my dad’s shoulder and seeing Asbel flee the insects in the jungle. I was so intrigued at seeing something like that since it was nothing like anything I had seen before. Ever since then, I have always loved everything that Miyazaki has touched. My all time favorite story that he has ever done ended up being Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind the manga. The story is by far Miyazaki’s largest and most engaging. I encourage any Ghibli fan who hasn’t, to give it a read. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy my rendition of “Legend of the Wind.”

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Joe Hisaishi - Legend of the Wind (Piano Cover) (From Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind)

I’m still here and I’m still playing piano! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I apologize for going absent. In my absence I’ve noticed that my Ghibli Piano Covers have done quite well in comparison to my original compositions. For the moment, I have about three other piano covers on the way after this one. I’ve known this particular song for a while now, but have only just got around to recording a rendition I’m happy with. Please enjoy my cover and edit of “Always with me.”

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Wakako Kaku - Always with Me (Piano Cover and Edit) (From Spirited Away)

I am so blessed to have had a grandfather like Grandpa Don. He was a strong spiritual leader in my family. Similarly to “Bubbe’s Song,” the last note played in the song is a very low note on the piano. This note represents death. But I intentionally made this note as quiet as possible. This is because death represents such a small part of our lives here on this earth. And I know that now that Don is in Heaven his song will continue with our Lord and Savior. And that that song is much (much) more beautiful than the one I wrote for him here.

2022 update: I will never forget how kind and caring my grandma UC was. Even when she was in pain and had medical problems of her own, when I asked her what her prayer request was, she said that she wanted me to pray for the faith and well-being of her sons. Her selflessness was beautiful, and I will miss her dearly.

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Don & UC's Song

Grave of the Fireflies may possibly one of the most heartbreaking movies of all time. I usually only watch it once every couple of years due to how emotionally draining it is. Yet, the film has such a powerful and beautiful message that few other storytellers would dare to tell. Here’s my rendition of “Home Sweet Home” which plays towards the end of the film. In the film, this song is played on a gramophone by some local women who are blissfully unaware of the tragedies that took place just outside their window.

(Background belongs to Studio Ghibli)

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Amelita Galli-Curci - Home Sweet Home (Piano Cover) (From Grave of the Fireflies)

Playing since 2006

Posting when I can.

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Corey Larson

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