“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”
-Victor Hugo
Temple University Japan’s (TUJ) Music Club provides a unique opportunity for like-minded students who are interested in music to connect. It serves as both a community and a creative outlet, giving musicians a place to bond over emotions too complex to capture with words.
For Aleksander Torts, current leader of Music Club, music goes beyond technical skill or performance. “I’m a psychology major, and my capstone research focuses on playing musical instruments and its effect on self-esteem and self-efficacy,” Torts said. “Playing instruments can very positively affect someone’s self-esteem, acting as a barrier against certain mental health struggles.”
Torts believes the collaborative nature of performance compels musicians to listen, adapt, and work as a team to create something greater than any single performer could achieve alone. “Being able to express yourself and your own emotions through music gives people a creative outlet to grow as a person,” Torts said.
The temporary nature of study abroad students arriving and departing each semester shapes the club’s dynamic. Friendships can seem fleeting. For Torts, however, that sense of impermanence is empowering. “Having people who share similar interests come into my life and then eventually leave creates really unique opportunities,” Torts said. “You get the chance to make a positive impact on people that you might never see again.”
TUJ alumnus Jeff Takahito Ito found his wave as a former member of Music Club. Now interning as a session musician, Ito credits the Tokyo music community for pushing him to develop as an artist. “It changed me as a musician a lot. Not to say the musicians in Minneapolis weren’t good, but there are just so many talented people here. It made me realize how much I still have left to learn because I’m constantly surrounded by masters.”
Like many musicians, Ito’s relationship with music started long before he began performing seriously. “The childhood dining room table that my family had—at my seat there were dents from me slamming knives and forks onto the wood like a drummer would,” he said.
Music eventually became more than a hobby or skill—it became a way to process and make sense of the world around him. “If I go a few days without playing an instrument, even just for fun, I start to feel a little stir-crazy. It helps me process a lot of things.”
“We live in a really dark world right now, and if I didn’t have something constantly shooting serotonin into my brain, I’d probably go crazy. That’s what music provides for me—peace in tumultuous times.”
Similarly to Torts, Ito sees music as a personal tool for managing stress and navigating difficult emotions. “I use music to cope,” he explained. “It’s self-medication. It’s a healthier choice than drugs or something” Ito said.
Ito uses his music to communicate ideas that go beyond language. “Music gives society a way to document and share emotions that can’t necessarily be described with words,” Ito said. “If you really dive into music and the meanings behind it, it can expand people’s emotional understanding.”
In a university environment where students are constantly balancing academic pressure, personal challenges, and an uncertain future, spaces for expression and connection are essential. At Music Club, the melody becomes the message—an echo of experiences and moments of clarity that might go unheard.
“Play music. And if you can’t, then listen to music. Surviving and living are different things. If you live without any kind of art, you’re just surviving. There has to be something worth living for—and for me, that’s music.”
– Aleksander Torts
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