LA's 33 Strings
三十三絃の会
Newsletter #10

Happy New Year!
明けましておめでとうございます！

We hope everyone had a nice new year! LA's 33 Strings' 2nd Year has officially begun and we're hoping for some great, new experiences/projects to come and to bring to you.

We thank you for your continuous support! 今年もよろしくお願いします。

Upcoming Events

We are happy to announce that LA's 33 Strings will be hosting workshops for an opportunity to get a crash course on how to play the koto or shamisen. In 2025, we held successful workshops at Anime Expo and SD Anime Con. We loved it and we love sharing Japanese culture to those who are interested. Please be on the lookout for more details to follow!

Hope to see you there!

🤩 Member Highlights 🤩

Trevor Newman

Trevor Newman also known professionally as “yoshi morimoto” is a SoCal raised songwriter-producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Trevor enrolled in Jazz Studies at California Institute of the Arts. He joined LA’s 33 Strings in his 3rd year at Calarts and chose to study the Shamisen. He first learned of LA’s 33 Strings from fellow member, Oliver Nicholson. “We were dorm-mates and he took the class way before me. I think he had a koto in his room, but I didn’t know that and one day I asked either him or his roommate about it and that’s how I learned there was a Japanese music ensemble at Calarts.”

He took an Eastern Notation class that Kozue taught during a winter session to get a feel for the music. In this class students had to compose an original piece for koto or guzheng. They had to learn how to read and write in their instrument’s respective notation within a week or two. He chose to write a song about his dog for koto and in the process, he was taken away by how expressionally complex Japanese notation can be. Trevor not only saw the opportunity to try musically expressing himself in a new way, but to touch base with his Japanese heritage as well. After the class, he was more than convinced to be a part of LA’s 33 Strings.

Currently, he is now the Shamisen section leader! Trevor has been a part of many gigs throughout the past few years, his favorite gig is playing at Anime Expo last year. He hopes that LA’s 33 Strings’ influence will grow and spread outside LA and will one day play a gig in Japan!

“33 Strings is a safe space for Japanese music and culture. I want people to be able to come in and feel like they belong here. Provide a place where for a couple hours a week, people escape and let music happen with others.”

🛒 Our Online Store Is Live! 🛒

LA's 33 String's online store is now live! We have t-shirts, tote bags, stickers, key Shipping and tax are already included in the listed prices. All proceeds will go to to maintaining our organization and our instruments.
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Please visit our online store at https://www.33strings.org/shop.

Ways to Support & Get Involved

LA’s 33 Strings Ensemble is dedicated to preserving and sharing the beauty of Japanese music, but we can’t do it alone! Your support helps us continue our mission in many ways.

🌸 Make a Donation

Your generosity allows us to:

Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference!

👉 Donate today at www.33strings.org/donate​

🎶 Learn & Play

Interested in learning the koto, shamisen, or bass koto? Join our weekly group practice at San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center in Pacoima, and/or take private lessons with our instructor Kozue.

📩 Email us at info@33strings.org to learn more!

• Photographers – Capture our events and performances
• Videographers – Record and document our musical journey
• Video Editors – Edit event footage for our website & social media
• Graphic Designers – Help create posters, newsletters, and web content
• Merchandise Specialists – Assist with designing and producing 33 Strings merch
• Social Media Promoters – Help spread the word about our events and programs
• Event Helpers – Support us with setup, logistics, and community engagement

Have other skills to offer? We’d love to hear from you!

📩 Contact us at info@33strings.org​

Thank you for reading! If you have some ideas for us or any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to hear from you!

Email: info@33strings.org​

LA's 33 Strings

[E] info@33strings.org | [W] www.33strings.org | [I] @33strings_

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