Children who keep their excitement can bounce back even after a setback—What parents who fear failure need to know [Report on the 20th Session]

Hello.
This is the editorial department of NEXT2035, a community for future education where parents and children learn together.

We recently held the NEXT2035 free online seminar for parents and children, the 20th session.
Our guest this time was Masami Nagai, a musician active globally and based in Hong Kong (Principal Double Bassist of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta).

The theme was

“Making a Living Through Music—My Story of Performing Around the World”

Behind the glamorous phrase “making a living through music” lies a accumulation of
actions, hesitation, trial and error, and connections.

And above all, what left a lasting impression on many parents and children was something that went beyond “talks about music”—

“The true nature of the moment when a person starts to move”.

Profile of the 20th Session Speaker: Masami Nagai

Principal Double Bassist of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.
Born in Kobe. She studied piano and vocal music from a young age and graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University, Faculty of Education, majoring in music. After completing the diploma course in double bass at Toho Gakuen School of Music, she completed the university's research course.

She was mainly active as a freelance jazz, pop, and orchestral musician in the Kanto region, but decided to study abroad because she wanted to work overseas.

While studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz in Austria, she was invited to the Hong Kong Sinfonietta as a guest principal player and has served as their principal double bassist since 2008.

Currently, while traveling the world for orchestral and chamber music activities, she also teaches piano and eurhythmics at her own music school, which she started in Hong Kong in 2011.

Mother of two children born in 2011 and 2014.

“Making a living through music” didn't have a path from the start

When we hear “someone who makes a living through music,” we tend to have an image that they have talent, the path was visible from the beginning, and they have progressed smoothly.

But what became clear from Ms. Nagai's story was the exact opposite.

• There was no perfect plan from the start

• There was no guarantee of not failing from the start

• What there was, was the feeling of “I want to try this” and the courage to take small steps

And only for those who take action does the next view open up, and along the way, connections are born.

This "sequence" applies directly to choosing a path and career planning as well.

The driving force was the "energy of excitement"

In Mr. Nagai's words, one thing that came up repeatedly was

"excitement"

Even during times when the future was uncertain, and the days when he failed auditions,
he said that"he still played his instrument with excitement."and.

As parents, we honestly wish for this, don't we?

• We want our children to havemotivationto do things.

• We want them to walk their own path in life,not someone else's version of success.

• But we don't want them to fail, we don't want them to take detours, and we don't want them to get hurt.

We make our daily choices while holding onto this contradiction.

That is precisely why this seminar posed such a question.

The condition for excitement to grow was "space"

What emerged from Mr. Nagai's talk was that
excitement is less about "talent" and more about being influenced byenvironmental conditions.

The conditions for excitement to grow were very simple.

• Not being too busy

• Not being stuck if you fail

• Being allowed to choose for yourself

• Being able to return even if you go off track

In other words,having space.

This is deeply connected to
“parenting with an exit strategy,” which we repeatedly emphasize at NEXT2035.

The essence of an exit strategy is not to put children on the “correct route,” but to
leave them in a state where they can freely experiment.

I felt once again that it is because they have that foundation that people can safely take “a step into a world yet unseen.”

When parents get ahead of themselves, excitement disappears

Conversely, the moments when excitement disappears are also clear.

• When you prioritize choices that won't fail too much

• When you fix the route based on parental anxiety

• When you crush a sense of unease by asking “What’s the point?”

When parents get ahead of themselves thinking it’s for the best, children lose

• feeling for themselves

• deciding

• trying to deviate

all of these.

What we have seen many times at NEXT2035 is the reality that
the more people choose for themselves, the more they bounce back even after breaking.

Excitement does not grow in places that are too protected.
It grows in places with room to breathe.

This perspective becomes a major decision-making axis for families considering career paths and educational investments.

What are the skills needed for children living in 2035?

In an era where AI and technology evolve and the lifespan of a “correct answer” shortens, rather than “what you know,”
it is about

• being able to act while trusting your own intuition

• Try things on a small scale, and adjust as you go

• Even if you fail, you can get back on your feet

• Within relationships with others, you can find a place where you belong

Such strength becomes the engine that moves life forward.

The one thing you can do today

Finally, here is one thing you can do starting today.

Write down one thing that is currently on your mind.

It doesn't have to be big.
It doesn't have to be useful.
It doesn't have to be related to your career path.

Do not deny it.

That is the sprout of excitement.

The role of a parent is not to cultivate that sprout into a “correct answer,” but to
create an environment where it won't wither.

Small sprouts grow better in a place of quiet security than through flashy efforts.

【Next Seminar Announcement: Now Accepting Applications】
22nd Session
“Be water - Improvisation? Mind, Technique, and Body—The flexibility of comprehensive strength creates the future”
Speaker: Shinobu Noda (Dancer working freely)

In the next NEXT2035 parent-child seminar, we will welcome
a practitioner who has rebuilt her career across countries and industries without relying on academic background or a single specialty,
active in Hong Kong,
Shinobu Noda.

The keyword is “Be water.”

Rather than just improvising,
Mind (values), Technique (skills), and Body (actions) are not separated, and she will talk based on her own experience about the power to keep moving forward while changing shape from time to time.

Not only for those thinking about their child's career path, but also for parents who hold vague anxieties or questions like
“How should we live and move forward in this AI era and an unpredictable society?”
I believe this will be a time where you can take home some hints.

22nd Session: February 15, 2026 (Sun) 20:00-21:00 JST
“Be water - Improvisation? Mind, Technique, and Body—The flexibility of comprehensive strength creates the future”
Speaker: Shinobu Noda (Dancer working freely)

💻 Held via Zoom (Free, first 300 groups)

◆ Click here to apply

◆ Press release distribution

If you would like to read a summary of past event reports, please check out this magazine👇

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