The Japanese music concert was a complete success for Professor Hanson’s World Music class. Students enjoyed a detour from the typical lecture when they listened to musicians play three instruments used in Japanese culture and give notes on how to play them along the way.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, the angelic tone constructed by instruments dating back to centuries ago was a great way to sync together different learning styles through instruction, sight, and sound. 

“The performance was very entertaining and informative,” said student Evan Baker. 

Kanow Matsueda, a music teacher and musician, acted as the speaker of the event, introducing the artists and explaining the history behind the instruments as each were taken out to be played. 

With an honorable bow, the first musician, Kazuko Muramoto, began plucking the strings of the oldest orchestral instrument in the world. Named koto because of its resemblance to a dragon, its notes permeated the room as students closed their eyes to feel the music entirely. 

The second musician, Michael Connelly, brought out a flute called shakuhachi, an instrument that had made its way to Japan from China back in the 7th century. As he began playing, the class watched as his torso seemed to be in sync with the flowing, whistling tones coming from the shakuhachi.

Connelly has played the shakuhachi for the past 20 years, first becoming interested when he went to Japan. “I was interested in martial arts,” Connelly says. But as he went to Japan to teach English and pursue martial arts, he became enraptured by this newfound hobby. 

The performance ended in a soothing duet, with Muramoto singing prolonged notes of a Japanese song. The performance was a very calming, interesting way to learn about ancient tunes. Let’s hope to get more treats like this!