Farewell to Manzanar
On Tuesday, September 18, we made our way over to the Corona Public Library for another installment of their “Prime Time” event (every 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7PM!). They wanted something related to Japanese culture, hence a Japanese taiko group, since they are hosting many events related to the memoir, “Farewell to Manzanar.”
Our audience consisted of many children, parents, and community members. One of our recent alumni, Christine, watched us too! Our setlist included Nanohana, Mukashi Mukashi, Tatsumaki, Ichi Ji, and Kodama Jam. After playing Tatsumaki, there was a chance for a follow-the-leader style audience participation. Volunteers repeated a rhythm played by Warren, one of our members. There were so many willing volunteers that we decided to have a third round, when we originally planned for only two! Some were bold while others were shy at first. Nonetheless, everyone seemed to have a fun time!
Initially, the thought of making so much noise in a library seemed weird, but we were glad to be welcomed and enjoyed playing for an attentive audience. It was great to see the intense concentration of the children while they followed the leader, and the pure joy of hearing the sound of the drums by even the youngest kids. During the performance, I overheard a young girl asking her mom if she can get one, referring to a taiko drum! We were honored to be part of this educational experience and hope that we did our best in providing a good show and sharing our knowledge of taiko!…