Japanese Koto Assembly

Funded Oct 12, 2017

Thank you kindly for supporting my endeavor to bring Japanese culture to music class at my school. It was a thrilling experience for all! The 2nd graders at my school were able to learn about the koto in detail to what kind of native wood is used, how it is strung, the history of the koto and about Japanese music, stories, and culture.

During the assembly, our guest artist showcased some Japanese traditional koto music along with some wonderful folk songs and children's songs. She also discussed the history of the koto from the Samurai period.

Our guest artist also practiced 3 Japanese songs that the students learned in music class. These songs were Sakura, Chichipapa and Hotaru Koi. That evening she joined us for the concert instead of us using a recording! This was an amazing experience for the students! In addition to the 3 Japanese songs, she accompanied What a Wonderful World along with me on the piano!

Although I didn't get any pictures from the evening concert, I know the students enjoyed learning about Japanese music and culture through this experience.

In preparation for the assembly and concert, I showed videos of our guest artist from her youtube channel and talked about where she performs, where she was raised and some other thoughts that brought familiarity to them. The students were beyond excited when I told them she arrived and they will be able to meet her the day of the assembly! This will be an experience the students will remember for a long time and hopefully forever.

The best part is she and I are going to work at creating an all-school assembly for the future showcasing the Koto players of the Koto-Kai organization she founded!”

With gratitude,

Mr. Krieg