Drumming up cultural awareness of Asia
The O-Taiko drumming event held at College Street Primary School in Dunedin on 23 March 2011 was the result of young leaders Anita Perkins and Sian Halcrow bringing together different community groups to celebrate the art of Japanese Taiko drumming.
This event combined the forces of the University of Otago’s ‘O-Taiko’ drumming group, Asia:NZ’s education programme and Young Leaders Network, and the staff and children of College Street Primary School in Dunedin.
The O-Taiko drumming group, which is organised by University of Otago Head of Department of Music, Professor Henry Johnson, and led by experienced Taiko player Kana Imuta, also included the likewise talented and highly animated players Sabrina Goh, Kana and Molly McCormick. The group gave an exciting and inspiring performance and workshop to around 100 school pupils, livening up a drizzly Wednesday Dunedin morning. Professor Johnson noted “The aim of such events is to give members of the local community knowledge of Asian culture through practical participation. Taiko is a wonderful way to do this and the group is keen to share its knowledge more widely as a celebration of musical diversity and cultural understanding.”
On the morning of the performance the school pupils first welcomed the University delegation of players and Young Leaders with a haka and a moment’s silence was held in respect for those affected by the recent Japan earthquake and tsunami.
Then it was on to the Taiko pieces with the kids soon joining in, drumming and dancing to the beat with their own sticks and a Taiko rendition of the ‘Hokey Pokey’.
Another highlight of the performance was when Sabrina and Kana performed an exchange piece on the larger horizontally-placed taiko drum. Nearer the end of the event, the children were all able to have a turn on the O-Taiko group’s drums.
College Street Principal Gary Tenbeth noted “It was evident by the mannerisms of the children that they were captivated by the performance. It has also heightened our awareness of coordination skills of many of our children as we [teachers] watched them repeat the patterns of the drummers”.
The O-Taiko event was attended by young leader James Burford and Asia:NZ schools coordinator Janine Chin.
Janine was particularly enthusiastic about the event as it tied in well with the Foundation’s focus on working with school principals to promote the dissemination of Asian perspectives into the school curriculum, thereby helping to make pupils Asia Aware.
Mr Tenbeth had previously travelled to Singapore on an Asia:NZ Principals’ Forum and was a key person in the organisation of this performance. It was further promoted to the wider Dunedin community in the local newspaper the Otago Daily Times.
Many thanks go to Professor Johnson and the O-Taiko group, the Dunedin Young Leaders Cluster, Mr Tenbeth and the staff and students of College Street Primary School, to Janine Chin and to the Asia New Zealand Foundation for their support and financial assistance.
