06 July 2009

IPC Taiko Drum Team Performance at West End Kindergarten

Translated by Shirley Ghozalli. Edited by Moira Blake.

A spirited and dynamic Taiko performance

On Wednesday, 1st July, eight members of the IPC Taiko Drum Team visited West End Kindergarten in the city and gave a performance. The kindergarten often arranges cultural performances in order to give the children cultural experiences from various countries.

As soon as the drum team members started to play, some of the children's hands flew to cover their ears because they were not accustomed to the loud sound produced by the taiko drums. But after a while, the children could be seen enjoying the music and moving to the rhythm of the drumbeat.

The team played 2 items for the audience of about 20 children plus their teachers and some parents. Afterwards, the team members gave a hands-on workshop where the children could try beating the taiko drums themselves.

One of the team members, Mitsuyo Kai (a 2006 student) said, "We tried to keep the noise level moderate while we were playing, so that we wouldn't scare the children. Performing in front of such an appreciative audience made me very happy."

Sae Shigeeda (a 2006 student), another team member who was in charge of teaching the children how to beat the taiko drums, commented, "I enjoyed the workshop because I could see the children's smiling faces."

According to the Drum Team Captain, Rei Fujimoto (a 2006 student), there had been plenty of opportunities for them to perform in front of young audiences. Just last week, the team had performed at a kindergarten in Levin. "We received lovely thank-you cards made by the children themselves (after the performances)," she said with a smile.

At the end of their visit, the drum team members enjoyed the hospitality of the kindergarten and were refreshed with home-made scones and tea.

The audience of West End Kindergarten enjoying the performance

Ripeka Kennedy (a 2008 student) teaching the children how to beat the taiko drum

Sae Shigeeda enjoying the workshop

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