One of Kana's complaints of living in Japan is the cost of living. The
other is that it's hard to practice drums without waking up the
neighbors. Says Kana, "Everywhere, people are waiting to tell you that
you can't do something. I had to come to America to find enough room
to really stretch out". This Soka Gakkai International Buddhist has her
“Zen on” and knows how to say no to drugs. Yes, she is allergic to
alcohol. She can do without the rash and lack of focus it causes.
As a student of Jazz Master KATSUHIKO KAWASE, her focus was on
practice: "I had no social life. My friends would call to invite me out,
but I just wanted to play drums and rehearse with my band".
Kana has worked as a studio musician on Hip Hop and World Beat projects, played oldies in hotel lobbies and
dance bands. The 90's opened with touring the Seattle club scene with a Rock trio and recording a CD. She
describes her biography in one sentence with "Fell in love with drums, fell in love with America, fell in love with
Seattle, fell in love with an American--got married, got funky, got a band!"
Rebecca is from Cheltenham, England and started playing at age 15. She
toured for 10 years in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Some of
the names she has opened for include such superstar acts as JOE PERRY
PROJECT/AEROSMITH, BLONDIE, CHEAP TRICK, ZEBRA, QUIET RIOT, RED
RYDER, MISSING PERSONS, VIXEN, JOAN JETT and EDDIE MONEY…quite
impressive by any musician's standards. We all can wish we were so talented
and lucky to score those gigs.
Connie is from Chicago, Illinois, and
started playing at age 17. She has
toured from New York to South Padre
Island, Texas, until 2003. She also
toured the Southeast in a seven piece
band and did military tours during the
Gulf War in Spain, Greece, Crete,
Germany, Turkey, and Italy. Then it was on to Panama and Honduras with
OCEAN VENTURE.
I got a fantastic opportunity to ask the members of Undercover Betty some
personal questions in between tours and here are each of their interesting
answers:
JB: What was your first instrument and how did you acquire it?
Kana: A piano. I took lessons for one month and my dad sold it.
Rebecca: A piano my dear Mother got for me at 6 years old. Every day I would run downstairs and bang on it.
One day I slipped and fell and cut my lip on the edge of the piano. My mother thought it was too dangerous
and sold it.
Connie: My Grandma gave me a little guitar, which I would strum while watching “Mickey Mouse Club”. At age
8, my uncle gave me an electric guitar, a Silvertone with an amp in the case.
JB: If you were not playing music, what would you be doing?
Kana: I would be a dancer or something else on the stage. Or I'd have a cafe.
Rebecca: Never crossed my mind. I've been playing music all my life, so for me there isn't anything else. It's all
I know.