Luck was on my side on Feb. 19 — I was able to find a table in Zeus immediately after walking in. That whole day, Airpods in at every free moment, I had been aware of just how much music defines my day-to-day. Regardless of how much I enjoy curating Spotify playlists, I would never purport to be an expert or connoisseur; no, that’s James Koga ’25, lifelong musician and president of Cornell Music Production.
Koga’s musical journey started at age six, when he started playing the cello. “I purely listened to classical music up until middle school,” he shared. But after his first experience with hip hop, he was hooked. “I got into music production around COVID time. The rest is history.” Koga’s background in orchestra has proved surprisingly helpful in his newer musical pursuits. “It translates,” he said simply. “I appreciate the instrumentalism [in rap music] because of orchestra and concerts … and I do sampling in my music. A lot of the time, it comes from classical music. [Classical and hip hop] are kind of cross-genres, on opposite sides of the spectrum, but it’s fun bridging the gap and trying to bring cello and other instrumentals into my music.” Even as he works to combine past and present, Koga has found that he prefers hip hop “because it’s more of a social thing.” Producing has allowed Koga to find friends across majors and disciplines — people he wouldn’t have met otherwise. “I think hip hop specifically is very personal, so I’ve learned a lot about [the artists’] backstories through their lyrics. I think it’s a special experience because, as a producer, you lay the foundation for them to tell their story. There’s more of a personal connection that you don’t really get as a cellist in an orchestra.”
Having touched on sampling, I asked about what it looks like to approach making something new. “Usually, I ask the artist: ‘What are your favorite songs or what kind of song do you want to try to make?’ This provides a foundation for the style the artist is going for and a good baseline to build off.” For Koga, music production is a symbiotic process, equally dependent on artist and producer. “In an artistic setting, since it’s more of a dynamic project, you have to shape your instrumental beats around the artist and the artist shapes their lyrics around your beat. There’s a push and pull and a synergy between you and the artist. It ends up being something that you both made together.”
Collaboration seems to be the overarching theme present in how Koga approaches music and the process of creation in general. “I think art is a great connector between people,” he said. “It’s always been greater than the music itself … It’s been centered around art as something that brings people together, brings my friends together, gives us something to experience.” That spirit of teamwork and unity is exactly what Koga has found in Cornell Music Production. “It started off as a small, five-person club, mostly focused on EDM. Now, we produce an album every year. It’s a place to meet other people to collaborate with and be inspired by other musicians — a place to reach out.” Koga and the other club members have worked to create a real community, something that Koga has found to be an extremely gratifying experience. He cites that feeling when someone else enjoys your art as ineffable, the best experience an artist can have. “I think as a musician and the president of a club of musicians, it’s special to see people taking pride in their work and seeing other people enjoy it.” The fact that the finished product stems from such meaningful synergy between musicians just makes it even more powerful.
Cornell, in particular, has provided the environment for Koga’s craft to flourish. “Music is a thing where if you don’t meet people and don’t learn from others or be influenced by others, you don’t really grow. Here at Cornell there are so many talented musicians, it’s unbelievable.” Koga certainly has grown since coming here, fully solidifying his niche in music production amidst talented peers.
In the future, Koga doesn’t plan on giving up the community and passion he’s found through music production. “One of my dreams is to have a studio of my own and invite people in and create a community that way,” he shared. And that’s pretty in line with how he sees art in the world on a broader scale: “an opportunity to enjoy together.”
If you’re interested in Koga’s work, you can contact him at jydkoga@gmail.com or check out his Spotify.
‘Student Artist Spotlight’ is a column that runs intermittently, featuring student artists of all kinds on campus. For interest in a feature, please contact Melissa Moon.
Melissa Moon is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at mmoon@cornellsun.com.
