Music is a language that everyone understands. It has the power to inspire us, to bring us joy and to lift our spirits, even in our most challenging moments.
Eleven-year-old Mahiru Suzuki understands the power of music as well as anyone. She plays the trumpet and after many years of learning alone, she decided to find a community and share her love of music with others, so she joined her local marching band called Seeds+.
She used to be the youngest member of Seeds+ and has worked hard and collaborated with others to become a valued member of the band. Now, she has gained the confidence and experience to pass on everything that she has learned, so she takes an active role in teaching newer and younger musicians.
Through music and creativity, Mahiru and Seeds+ bring joy and happiness as well as raise funds for their community.
Mahiru and Seeds+ play all over Japan. Their performances and concerts have helped to raise money for community projects in Minamisoma City, as well as spreading positivity and inspiration.
“I believe that creativity can give people energy and hope,” says Mahiru. She’s right too, as several scientific studies have proven that music can make us happier, reduce our stress levels and help us to build closer connections with others.
And when it comes to LEGO® bricks, Mahiru sees a lot of similarities between her passion for music and building.
“Playing music and playing with LEGO sets is very similar,” says Mahiru. “You can make things while following the rules or make it up as you go along – it’s all okay!”
We wanted to give Mahiru and her band something that would symbolize their passion for music and something that would help them in their mission to spread joy to places and people that need it most.
We teamed up with Mahiru to help her build something that would symbolize the joy that music is helping to spread around her community. Together we built a bright and colorful installation of a double quaver music note, decorated with musicians in the shape of bright red hearts. This, of course, includes a trumpet player, just like Mahiru.
The bright and colorful build is designed to grab attention, but once it has gained attention it becomes even more useful. There is a QR code on the side, which people can use to access more information about the band and its mission to help spread joy in Minamisoma City through the creative power of music. They can learn about upcoming performances and how they can help support the band.
The LEGO brick installation is a symbol of Mahiru and the Seeds+ band’s creative resilience and their efforts to bring hope and inspiration to their city and beyond. We hope that it will help them to keep believing in the power of creativity to overcome any obstacle or setback.
We hope that this installation can travel across Japan with the Seeds+ marching band, helping to tell their story wherever they go. They may also try to find a permanent home for it somewhere in Minamisoma City. Then it can stand as an inspiring symbol of a girl who wants to rebuild a better world through the creative power of music.
Credit to Sachiko Akinaga, the Japanese AFOL creator and builder of the LEGO brick model for Seeds+.
