The Asian Percussion Workshop and the new Union College Taiko Ensemble have been busy preparing a concert of Japanese ensemble drumming. Their efforts will be showcased Tuesday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. in the Emerson Auditorium in the Taylor Music Center.
“This is a proud moment for Music and East Asian Studies as we launch the College’s world music ensembles and bring new and diverse performance opportunities to the Union community,” says Jennifer Matsue, professor of Music, East Asian Studies and Anthropology.
Union’s growing set of world music classes are aimed at introducing students to foreign cultures through music. The taiko reside in the Taylor building’s new World Music Room along with the Balinese gamelan and the djembe, the traditional West African drums.
“Music doesn’t live in a vacuum,” says Matsue. “It’s a conduit, a way for students to learn about how other people live. Through performance, students have a hands-on, immediate experience of cross cultural perspectives.”