Physics, Management, and the Violin – Yutaka Murakami MBA ’17
The sounds of an orchestra tuning their instruments echoed in the halls of the church. I quickly went to go find my seat at the pews. Looking through every row of the orchestra on stage I quickly spotted my classmate Yutaka as he stared at sheets on his music stand, practicing the notes in his head while making sure his violin was ready for the night.
Yutaka Murakami is an MBA grad student at Babson and he was in my SLE (Signature Learning Experience) team—one of the first of many friends I met in this two-year graduate program. As part of the diverse international population at Babson, Yutaka’s Japanese background is just one of the things that made him unique to the program. The second? He is a physicist for the Japanese government. The third? His love for the violin. Many a nights you would hear the muted sounds of Yutaka’s violin in the halls of Olin being practiced for a future performance.
Yutaka Murakami practicing his violin in his BCAP room (April 2016)
His interest in playing an instrument started when he was in high school, back in Japan. He joined his school’s orchestra and loved it so much he co-founded a non-profit orchestra group with his friends. For Yutaka, playing the violin is his social escape from the pressures of the MBA program. “Not only [do I] enjoy music, I [made] lots of friends through orchestra. The practicing is sometimes tough but it is fun. I often play to refresh me at Babson.”
Since his move to Boston, Yutaka has been sharing his love for the stringed instrument by playing with the New Philharmonic Orchestra in the Newton-Wellesley area.
You can catch Yutaka in action at the New Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, November 19th, 8:00 PM as he serenades you with his violin.
Guest Writer: Melissa Altarejos
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Education: University of Southern California
Previous Experience: Marketing & Advertising – Dailey & Associates, RPA, Let’s Eat It All Up
Activities: Babson Entrepreneurship Club, Graduate Student Council, Marketing Club
Favorite Babson Entrepreneur: Jon Feinman, Innercity Weightlifting