Japanese

At the end of Term 3, we held our first Bunkasai (Cultural Day) at Yarrabing. As part of Bunkasai, our students had an authentic Japanese taiko drumming experience, as well as taking part in the Mega Jump Rope Challenge during lunch time. For the Big Jump Rope Challenge, we managed to jump 30 times continuously without stopping! It was a fantastic team effort, with students from different year levels working together!

Here are some comments from our students about Taiko experience.

An Unforgettable Japanese Taiko Experience

Written by Jaskirat (9R1)

The Japanese drumming (Taiko) incursion was an exciting and highly engaging experience. It was very hands-on, allowing everyone to actively participate rather than simply watch. We each had the opportunity to play the drums ourselves, which made the session both enjoyable and memorable.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Japanese Drumming incursion was the variety of drums. There were three different drum sizes, each producing its own unique sound. The larger drums created deep, powerful beats that could be felt throughout the room, while the medium and smaller drums produced sharper and faster rhythms. Hearing and playing the different drums helped us understand how each one contributes to traditional Japanese music.

The session was led by two enthusiastic instructors who made the experience even more enjoyable. Their energy and passion for Japanese drumming kept everyone engaged from beginning to end. They taught us about the origins of the drums, their cultural significance in Japan, and the correct techniques for playing them. Their clear demonstrations and encouragement helped us quickly learn different rhythms and drumming patterns.

Overall, the Japanese drumming incursion was both educational and entertaining. It provided a unique insight into Japanese culture while giving us the chance to experience the music firsthand. I would definitely recommend this incursion to future year levels because it is a fun and interactive way to learn about another culture. Unlike many learning experiences, students are actively involved throughout the session, making it much more engaging and memorable. The combination of hands-on participation, powerful rhythms, and enthusiastic instructors makes it an experience that students are likely to enjoy and remember long after it has finished.

Written by Amna (9R1)

In week 9 in Term 3, students doing Japanese from year 7, 8, and 9 got to experience an incredible, high energy Taiko drumming incursion. Taiko is a traditional drumming form of Japanese percussion that consists of powerful, synchronised rhythms with physical choreography, martial arts like movements and loud/passionate vocal shouts. Students didn’t only watch a performance of the Taiko drumming but got to experience it themselves by getting to participate, stepping up to the massive/small drums and trying out different rhythms themselves. It was a vibrant, cultural and immersive incursion that brought our classroom language skills to life, whilst leaving everyone energised.

Written by Lee (7Y2)

The drumming was spectacular, I was completely mesmerized by the way they played the taiko with such ease. It baffled me at their skills and how they could control the drums volume, even the vibrations of it shook me to the core.

My favourite part of the incursion was getting to play the drums with basic taiko patterns, the fast parts were difficult though. This incursion really helped me learn about Japanese drumming, it was very fun, entertaining, and managed to teach us too. This was 10/10 and I 100% recommend this to the Year 7s next year.

The drumming incursion was spectacular in my eyes. I was completely mesmerized at the way that they played the taiko so effortlessly, it baffled me at their skills and how they controlled the drums volume with such ease.

During the incursion, we were sat down inside the theatrette and watched a few songs that the drummers performed. It was very entertaining to see them do actions, add little effects like the vocals or dance moves, and play the instruments like the uchiwa-daiko that looked like a fan, or the tiny cymbals.

My absolute favourite part of the incursion as a whole was getting to learn how to play the drums and cymbals. It was difficult doing the faster parts while staying in sync and keeping up with the teacher but getting to play a performance at the end was so fun.

Not going up there because of stage fright really had you miss out on the fun of playing it. A 10/10, and I 100% recommend the next Year 7s to watch.