The sound of drumming filled Cal Poly’s University Union as Ichimi Daiko returned to campus for the first time in nearly a decade.
Hosted by Cal Poly’s International Center in collaboration with the Japanese Student Association and other campus partners, the performance celebrated Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Month as well as the end of the International Symposium.
Cari Vanderkar, Assistant Vice Provost for International Programs, said the idea originated after she attended an Ichimi Daiko performance last summer and saw an opportunity to bring the group to campus.
“One of my goals and our goals in the International Center are ways to bridge the campus and community in terms of international engagement,” she said.
According to Vanderkar, organizers hoped the event would expose students to different cultural traditions and encourage them to engage with international opportunities on campus.
“We hope it will spark interest for folks to keep that curiosity and explore their own lives and identities, but then also seek opportunities to study abroad or connect with people in different ways they hadn’t thought of,” Vanderkar said.
Taiko refers to a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments and is commonly associated with kumi daiko, a style of synchronized ensemble drumming that combines rhythm, movement and performance. It has been used historically for communication and ceremonial purposes, but has evolved into a modern performance that emphasizes teamwork, precision and community.
For Ichimi Daiko Executive Director Ruth Vines, community is at the center of Taiko.
“I think the whole ensemble, the feeling of being a community of players, is what it is for me,” Vines said. “It’s just being surrounded by people who share the same kind of interests and enjoy the same kind of energy.”
The performance marked Ichimi Daiko’s return to Cal Poly in eight to 10 years. Vines graduated from Cal Poly and said that returning to campus made the event especially meaningful.
“We really like to interact with students,” Vines said. “Part of our mission is to introduce the community to the art of taiko, its cultural influence and its history and give people an opportunity to play.”
For students, the performance resonated in different ways.
Construction management sophomore, Emi Sado learned about the event through one of her professors. Having previous experience in Taiko drumming, she said the performance reminded her of her cultural background.
“It felt very like, I’m at home,” Sado said.
Sado believes events like this are important because they help students feel represented on campus.
For students like environmental protection and management junior Riley Welch, the performance was an opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture. After volunteering for one of the interactive demonstrations, she was able to move past her news.
“I’ve never played the drums before and I’m just kind of nervous,” Welch said. “But it was super fun.”
Welch said that events celebrating different cultures on campus help create a stronger sense of belonging on campus especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
“It’s really important to have a space where everyone feels like they belong and to have a sense of community,” Welch said.
The performance was the result of months of collaboration between campus organizations and community partners. Japanese Student Association President Karl Aannestad helped reserve the University Union for the performance. He said the most rewarding part of the event was seeing students participate in drumming and dance activities while strengthening connections between different groups.
“I can really feel the nice little web of connections growing stronger,” Aannestad said. “So I’m really happy with this event.”
Organizers said that they hope to hold similar events in the future and are hoping that additional cultural student organizations can get involved as well.
