Maki started koto training at the age of five with Master Hiroko Nishikawa. She continued the lessons and practice with her teacher until she moved to the United States at the age of twenty. She has continued to study koto with Master Michiyo Koga of Sacramento. Maki has given koto performances at the Yueba Buena Center for the Arts, the San Francisco City Hall, the Sonoma Community Center and special occasions for private homes.