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Traditional Japanese drumming moves crowd
By Ashley Preste
The Performing Arts Center was home to a sold-out audience Saturday evening as the Arashi Taiko Dan Club held their first performance of the year.
The evening began with a bang, as the group performed their first musical selection. The music was very intense and dramatic, with a variety of tones and repetitious patterns. Not only did the performers play each piece of music with precision, they also added a variety of different body movements, including jumping from one side of their drum to another, kicking and large arm movements. This, along with the various heights and arrangements of the drums, brought a visual aspect to this performance.
"It is beautiful and it feels beautiful when you are doing it all in unison," said third-year anthropology major Jonathan Hansen. Hansen has been a part of the Arashi Taiko Dan Club for three years. "I first heard them when they came and performed at my middle school and I remembered that all throughout high school. When I came here, I was like, 'I'm getting in.'"
The master of ceremony, Sean Mccollun - who is a part of the master's program at SCSU - has been part of Japanese area studies in St. Cloud for five years.
Mccollun was asked to represent the club by members who will be returning to Japan after this year. "This is a way of closing a chapter on St. Cloud, and I want to be a part of that."
Before each piece, Mccollun spoke to the audience, explaining how each piece pertained to the history and ceremonial aspects of the Japanese culture.
Taiko drumming originated in China 2,000 years ago, where it eventually migrated to Japan. In traditional Japanese culture, the music is performed in events such as martial arts performances, rice harvests and on the battlefield to encourage their own troops or to disorient the enemy.
SCSU's chapter of Taiko drumming has been around for five years. The current president, Mika Ebihara, explained that the event was being held in order to help raise money to buy a new traditional Japanese drum.
The evening consisted of eight musical selections, with a 15 minute break in between to get the audience involved in the action. At first, the audience was apprehensive, but with a few words of encouragement by club members, kids were up on stage attempting to replicate the body movements and drum techniques of the performers.
In fact, anyone can take part in the Arashi Taiko Drum Club. Mccollun said that the best way to get involved would be to "immediately come to practice with the group and just try it. That is the most beneficial way. Not a lot of foreigners (Americans) come to practices, but those who do haven't left," Mccollun said.
"I would definitely recommend anyone to become a member. People will come because they see us perform and they think it is cool, but get discouraged because it isn't easy so they don't show up anymore," said second-year club member Shiori Takezawa.
The Arashi Taiko Drum Club will be performing again this year at Japan Night in March and plans to schedule more performances throughout the year.
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