Kids who are passionate about music and love summertime pursuits will have the best of both worlds at the award-winning Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens.
Starting Monday, June 25, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens will transform into a virtual playground of incredible sights and sounds upon the return of Children’s Summer Music Camp. The fun, five-day workshop is open to students in grades 3 through 12. The curriculum features a rotating mélange of musical theory, Japanese history and language, instrumental instruction, and performing arts.
For twelve-year-old Elizabeth Cane, summer camp at Morikami was like taking a family vacation to Japan.
"As someone who has always loved experiencing other cultures,” said Elizabeth Cane, 12. “I felt that the Japanese music camp at Morikami was an amazing way to learn about Japan's music and culture close to home."
Classes will include memorizing basic Japanese phrases, kanji numbers to read sheet music, and learning to play one of three traditional musical instruments—the taiko (drum), koto (flute), and shakuhachi (zither). Students will get to learn about the traditional kimono, which they will wear at their final recital, and take an interactive tour of the museum’s family-friendly exhibit, Japan Through the Eyes of a Child.
Feeling crafty? Students will get to build their very own taiko, koto, or shakuhachi instruments to practice lyrical compositions at home. On Day 5, the workshop will conclude with a convivial, orchestra-style performance by campers for their families and museum staff.
Courses will be taught by Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, a Hawaiian ethnomusicologist and shakuhachi performer, and Dr. Joseph Gashō Amato, a renowned koto master and coordinator of Morikami’s musical programs. The taiko workshop will be led by one of the nation’s leading taiko drumming groups, Fushu Daisho.
Children’s Summer Music Camp runs June 25-29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance registration is required and classes fill up quickly.
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