CSGJ Student Affiliate Reflection: The Past Can be Changed with Satoshi Yamaguchi
This reflection was written by CSGJ student affiliate Miranda Uribe Naves on the event "The Past Can Be Changed: The Lost Beat: How RADWIMPS Drummer Satoshi Yamaguchi Reclaimed Music Through Neuroscience Research and Voice-Controlled Drums" on February 19th, 2026.
During reading week, I had the pleasure of attending Satoshi Yamaguchi’s event at the University of Toronto Schools. For context, Satoshi Yamaguchi is the drummer for the Japanese band RADWIMPS, and he has been part of the band since 2003. Unfortunately, during his drumming career, Yamaguchi developed a focal neurological and motor disorder called Musician's Dystonia, which causes involuntary muscle contractions, cramps, or abnormal postures when playing the instrument, which in his case were the drums.
When this happened to Yamaguchi, it became difficult for him to return to playing the drums, as he no longer felt he had complete control over his body. This caused a personal and emotional breakdown, as his entire life had revolved around playing drums and enjoying the stage with his bandmates and fans. During his hiatus, he lived outside the city trying to figure out what to do, which led him to research musician's dystonia.
His research began at Keio University, initially to understand the nature of his problem. Right in the middle of his research, he met Shinya Fuji, a professor so passionate about drums and music that he dedicated his life to studying and understanding them. Soon, Fuji understood Yamaguchi's goal and supported him every step of the way. A funny moment I remember from the event was when he said he was told that 'wouldn't need math for his research,' yet he ended up having to learn statistics to conduct a specific study. It was funny and, in a way, relatable.
As his research began to take shape, he decided to go further and went to Stanford to study and understand musician's dystonia from a more neurological perspective. Personally, if I had known that something related to neuroscience could be done with music, I myself would have done it from the beginning. I love science as much as I love the arts, and I've played the drums since I was little. During school, my highest grades were in music class and science classes.
When Yamaguchi arrived at Stanford, his research deepened, and that's where he realized two things: how Taiko connects people even outside of Japan, and how Taiko could serve as an inspiration for a new idea. Taiko, despite being a percussion instrument, is also vocal—there are commands, shouts, and calls involved in playing it, and this inspired Yamaguchi to create VXD: a way to play the bass drum using only the voice.
I have to admit that VXD fascinated me. I couldn't stop talking about it after the event, and at work I started researching it during my breaks. It works in a very simple yet amazing way: it's a sensor on the throat with a microphone that can analyze your voice and is programmed not to recognize sounds that aren't voices. When these parts of the device are activated, they make the bass drum hit.
Along with his invention, Yamaguchi also delved deeper into the symptoms and asymptomatic forms of the condition, realizing that many Japanese artists also suffered from Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and musician's dystonia. Gradually, Yamaguchi began playing the drums again, and in doing so, he began to change his past. Just last year, he was able to share the stage with RADWIMPS once more, and he also began helping artists suffering from the same conditions through his research. It is truly amazing to see what a love of art, resilience, and tenacity can achieve. The rest of the event was enjoyed with demonstrations by Yamaguchi, where he played various well-known RADWIMPS songs such as '25コ目の染色体 ,' ‘いいんですか？、' 'Sparkle' and 'ZenZenZense' from Makoto Shinkai's animated film, 'Your Name.'
To end the event, Yamaguchi shared the stage with the University of Toronto School’s Taiko group, who shared a very moving and showstopping demonstration of the thrill and closeness that Taiko carries with it.
I truly enjoyed this event, as it introduced me to things I didn't even know, such as musician's dystonia, and, as I mentioned before, how the sciences and the arts can complement each other. I left the event deeply moved and excited, and I wish all the best to Yamaguchi and the artists who, despite the obstacles, are finding different ways to continue doing what they love.
Read the full event report here and affiliates’ interview with Satoshi Yamaguchi here.
