Musicians' Mentor & Producer

~ Testimonials ~

When I worked with Aiko for some years in the late 90s to early 2000s, it was a time which provided a ton of growth for me as an artist. She showed me what it means to be singular with your vision yet extremely open at the same time. I always felt a spiritual element when rehearsing her music and performing. This always left me with a renewed energy whenever working with her and the band. Since then, she has always been a benchmark in my mind for what it means to be an artist.

Dave Carter - Trumpeter / Flugelhorn / Composer, Seattle, WA

Aiko Shimada is a gifted singer, musician, composer, listener, producer, mentor, collaborator and healer. She is also a wonderful, nurturing, teacher. She is truly supportive, wise and gentle in her approach. Highly intuitive and deeply empathic, she can help people of all ages develop their talents and skills. As a fellow musician, collaborator, teacher, writer/director, I couldn’t recommend her more highly!!!!

Madeleine Sosin - Correo Aereo, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer, director, Seattle, WA

My mother, Aiko, has a deep intuitive ability to see the structural integrity of things, or a lack thereof. Like an engineer, she can quickly spot the fundamental flaws within something, as well as its strong points, and is able to quickly rearrange and sculpt an underdeveloped idea into the strongest version of itself. When I was in the process of recording and producing an album, I was lucky enough to have her ears around to absorb the sounds that I was creating. While I was often stuck in the nitty gritty of the details, my mother would take everything in as a whole, and suggest a few small fixes that somehow flipped 90% of the problems that I was dealing with on their head. She has done the same thing in guiding me through life, and her ability shows in every aspect of what she does. While many people become lost close up to the pixels of an image, Aiko is able to zoom out and see the complete picture, making her the perfect guide.

Rumi Shimada - Singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, Northern California

It seems there are an endless supply of people who think they can teach you how to be creative. Aiko, on the other hand, is uniquely positioned to teach creative people how to navigate their own uniqueness, whether it's having the faith to set their muse free, communicating their ideas to others, or finding an audience who are going to have a deeply felt response.

Jim Knodle, Trumpeter & composer, Seattle, WA

Of the many creative minds I have met, few know what it means to be an artist the way that Aiko does. Not only does she have a beautiful voice and a musicality for which she has worked very hard, but she truly embodies the work she creates, reminding those who have the privilege to listen to her that music is ultimately far more than technique (although her technical capabilities

are exceptional as well). Aiko truly understands the value of the creative process, which is why her work is so meaningful and nuanced; it is apparent that rather than focusing solely on the end result, she takes time to thoroughly appreciate the moments of exploration in between. Aiko is also one of the kindest and wisest people I have met and my conversations with her have inspired

me in my own artistic pursuits. Young musicians finding their voice through music should know that Aiko will not only be a supportive and informative mentor, but also an artistic inspiration who will encourage those she encounters to bring honesty and ingenuity to their craft.

Olivia Johnson, Modern and Classical Dancer, Northern California

Aiko is one of my favorite composers and musicians I’ve worked with over the last 30 years. She has a unique melodic sense and a way of hearing into a chord progression that brings out the perfect and striking melody. I could see Aiko’s musicality bringing insight and flow to other musicians and songwriters exploring the depths of writing and recording their own material.

Evan Schiller, Audio Recording and Mastering Engineer @zulusound / Producer, Drummer, Seattle, WA
(I have made two records with the help of Evan being the engineer and co-producer!)