Proceeds will benefit recently announced expanMeyer said she felt honored to lend her talents to support future expansion efforts.sion

By Dave Fidlin | SDUN Reporter

What: concert by Emi Meyer to benefit Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego
When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15
Where: Balboa Theatre, 868 4th Ave.
Tickets: range from $21.50 to $42; to order, visitticketmaster.com or call (619) 570-1100

Growing up, Emi Meyer loved music. But she didn’t necessarily aspire to pursue one of her greatest passions as a career choice.

“I had thought about going into international relations,” said Meyer, who is in San Diego this weekend promoting her latest album, Suitcase of Stones, and will return in mid October for a concert benefiting the Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego.

But as Meyer delved deeper into her craft, she said it became apparent everything she had hoped to contribute through a role in international relations could be achieved through her music.

“I always knew music would be a part of my life; I just wasn’t sure in what way,” said Meyer, who was born in Kyoto, Japan and has lived most of her life in Seattle, Wash. “When I thought about going into international relations, it seemed like a good fit because I enjoy different cultures, meeting new people and learning about the art and traditions of different countries. I eventually realized I could fulfill all that through music.”

Meyer’s three albums pay homage to her numerous life experiences and bi-cultural heritage. One of her three released albums is entirely in Japanese, and her home country has received her music well, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of her first album, “Curious Creature,” on the Japanese jazz charts.

Outside of music, Meyer said she also aspires to support causes that not only benefit her native country, but the promotion of bridging gaps between cultures.

In May, Meyer held a benefit concert in New York City; proceeds went toward the Shanghai Restoration Project as the slow process of rebuilding portions of Japan ravaged by the tsunami.

“I recently found out some of that money (from the New York concert) helped a marching band in Japan; their instruments had been damaged from the tsunami,” Meyer said. “It was really nice to hear how it reached children studying music.”

When she returns to San Diego on Oct. 15, Meyer and her band will be performing music from a variety of genres. Her concert will raise awareness of the Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego, and proceeds will go toward a recently announced expansion effort at the venue, located within Balboa Park.

Heather Hutchins, event and marketing coordinator at the garden, said plans call for adding nine acres in Gold Gulch Canyon. The existing venue is two acres. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2014 —one year before Balboa Park’s centennial celebration.

The garden, designed to intertwine traditional Japanese plantings with local landscape techniques, opened 20 years ago, with the addition of a second phase in 1999.

When the latest effort is completed, the expansion will offer a number of new features, including a camellia and azalea garden, traditional tea house, cherry tree grove, lotus pond and tea and herb garden. Also, a pavilion and amphitheatre will be constructed to house special events for as many as 300 people.

Deeming the garden “a good cause,” Meyer said she felt honored to lend her talents to support future expansion efforts.

During her upcoming performance in San Diego, Meyer said she plans a slate of mostly original music – with a few covers thrown in for good measure. Many of her bandmates hail from Japan, and a few are touring in the U.S. for the first time.

Described by some music critics as “genre defying,” Meyer’s music traditionally falls between jazz and pop. The hybrid selection could perhaps be traced to her roots studying and performing music, which go as far back as age 6.

Meyer began playing classical piano as a young child, but turned her attention toward jazz in middle school. During this period of her exploratory journey, Meyer played with a disparate group of musicians, including a flautist and guitarist.

“The great thing about that was I went to a small middle school,” Meyer said. “There wasn’t an established music program, so we all were able to have fun and try different things. There was no real pressure.”

Meyer continued to participate in bands throughout high school and began another new chapter in her musical life as a singer-songwriter in college.

“It just seemed to be a natural evolution,” Meyer said. “I loved the new experience and was eventually persuaded to record an album in college. Eventually, there was label interest, and that’s sort of where I realized music might be my calling. It all just took off from there.”

Meyer, who won the Seattle-Kobe Jazz Vocalist Competition in 2007, said performing in a concert setting is one of the most satisfying experiences of being a musician.

“I really like the connection it offers,” she said. “It’s a nice opportunity to be involved in an intimate conversation. I feel very blessed every time I have the opportunity to be involved in that kind of setting.”