Mayumi is a classically trained pianist and composer with an extensive background as a performer both in her native Japan and in the United States, where she currently resides. Her debut album Garden in the Sky is a collection of heartfelt original compositions, reflecting a strong influence from the Romantic and Impressionist eras. Most of the pieces feature delicate interactions between piano and synthesizer, with much use of water imagery and angelic voices. Mayumi's love of nature is apparent both in the peacefulness of much of the music and in the song titles ("My Sky," "Sea Breeze," "Tahoe"), along with a sense of quiet yearning for a purer world ("Elysian Fields," "Garden in the Sky," "To Heaven"). There are some dramatic moments amidst the general tranquil feeling of the music, such as the electronic slap percussion of "Dancing Doll," the grand crescendo at the end of "Butterfly," and the crashing cymbals and tympani in "To Heaven." But for the most part Garden in the Sky is a gentle meditation on the beauty of the natural world, tinged with a desire for transcendence.
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