On August 8, 2024, we held the “24th Yayoi-no-Sato × <<50 Stories of Kasuga>> Sound Play Workshop” at our school, invited by the Kasuga City Fureai Cultural Center. Together with composer Makoto Nomura, we created music by layering various percussion instruments, rap, and singing voices. Let me introduce the event.
- First, introductions… We started with self-introductions, where everyone shared their favorite music or songs. Of course, there were handshakes with the teacher. The students still looked a bit nervous.
- Rap and Percussion? We created music by combining an instrument called a tone chime with Nepalese rap. A tone chime is an instrument where each note consists of a single rod that is shaken to produce sound. At first, it was challenging to get the timing right, and we had moments of “Huh?” and “Oops?” But with practice, everyone improved, and the students began to smile more.
- Voice percussion too! Next, we added voice percussion performed by the students.
- Made in NILS Annex Then, the teachers, who are experts in Japanese, took the lead in writing rap lyrics. Of course, they also included rhymes. We combined the NILS Annex rap with the tone chime, Nepalese rap, and the song of Kasuga City to create unique music. The blend of various sounds and voices resulted in a one-of-a-kind, beautiful piece of music.
At NILS Annex, we not only offer Japanese classes but also actively engage with the local community. Let’s have fun together once you join us.
