I Believe in Music: Hardcover [Hardcover]

Ikutaro Kakehashi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Published to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Roland Corporation, this is the inspiring and heartfelt memoir of Ikutaro Kakehashi, a pioneering figure in electronic music instruments and the company's visionary founder. From war-torn Japan to his first watch repair business to the dawn of and subsequent enormous leaps of electronic musical instruments, Kakehashi's story is sometimes wry, sometimes touching, always wise. Through it all, Kakehashi has believed in music above else: his first priority has always been an unwavering passion for expanding the potential for artistic expression. Everyone from music aficionados to those looking for time-tested business savvy will enjoy his unique story. The book features fantastic photos throughout, including an 8-page full-color section. Ikutaro Kakehashi founded the Roland Corporation in 1972. He lives in Hosoe-cho, Hamamatsu City, Japan. Robert Olsen worked for 25 years in the international music trade before switching careers to become a college instructor and free-lance author. He lives in Northbrook, IL.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation; 1 edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634037838
• ISBN-13: 978-0634037832
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,271,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ive Got The Music In Me, December 22, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Believe in Music: Hardcover (Hardcover)

I am a musician and an entrepreneur and loved this book, a fast-paced and fascinating tale from the entrepreneur that founded Roland. I always assumed they were well funded from the beginning but in fact weren't. They ran the co. on a shoe-string budget and developed some of the music industry's most exciting products.

Roland was founded by an industrious young guy that emerged from post war Hiroshima as a watch repairman. After running ACE Music,

Its clear the author is an entrepreneur and the story zips along. Read it and then go record on your VS-880, V Drums, D110, yada yada yada

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Music History and Business School, January 18, 2008

By 

J. Bruins (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Believe in Music: Hardcover (Hardcover)

This is a well written history of the Roland company that gives you a unique viewpoint into the commercial development of electronic musical instruments in the late 20th century. I was surprised to find that a large portion of the book is devoted to offering guidance for those in the music business. It looks like great advice, and it comes from an extremely succesful man, but I skipped a good 100 pages devoted to business structure, management, marketing, etc. that isn't really my focus.

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Rags to Riches story, November 29, 2010

By 

Stendek - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Believe in Music: Hardcover (Hardcover)

I give this book 5 stars because I think Ikutaro is an amazing person. Even though I've never met him, I hold him in higher esteem than most of the geniuses who use his many products because he survived hell to get where he is today. His writing style is meticulous, and his attention to detail borders on annoying, but that is who he is. In this book minutiae gets equal billing with the profound: he can tell you about the day he signed a million dollar deal or what he had for lunch that same day with equal accuracy. It's both impressive and adorable.