In this impromptu Zoom conversation, I sits down with Chika Asakawa to explore her courageous return to music after a decade-long pause.

At 31, Chika made the decision to leave a stable teaching career and answer a calling she could no longer ignore. What unfolds is an honest reflection on fear, regret, shame, and the quiet inner knowing that asks to be trusted, even when the timing feels “too late” or the dream feels too big.

This conversation moves through the layers of Chika’s journey, from unresolved shame around leaving an opera program in her early 20s, to redefining success beyond safety and stability, to learning how to distinguish her own voice from the noise of family, society, and self-doubt.

Music, for Chika, is not just a creative outlet. It is a healing space. A place where vulnerability challenges perfectionism, and where self-expression becomes an act of courage rather than performance.

In the second part of the conversation, Chika opens up about her lifelong struggle with vulnerability and how she is learning to share imperfect work as a way to build trust with herself. The session closes with an impromptu, a cappella performance of “Landslide”, a moment that captures the essence of her journey: choosing presence and honesty over preparation and perfection.

If you’ve been waiting for permission to start again, this conversation might be the reminder you need.