February 6, 2009

Lunar New Year Celebration at Cedar Grove

By Jennifer Altona
Special to the Times

Cedar Grove students are fortunate to be able to participate in an after-program that exposes them to the art of Japanese drumming, Taiko. In addition to Taiko, students are able to join an after-school choir program to master the art of their most personal instrument, their voice.

Forty students participate in the Hinokei Taiko program at Cedar Grove. Sensei Ikuyo Conant meets with two groups of students each week and teaches them the importance of Japanese traditions as well as the basic skills of Taiko. Hinokei Taiko performs at the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival and the Northern California Taiko Expo held during the Haru Matsuri Festival in Morgan Hill.

In addition to the fabulous Taiko group at Cedar Grove, 60 students are involved in the choir program. Students learn to use their voice correctly and are exposed to various genres of music. These students meet weekly with their music teacher and perform a few times a year for the community.

In addition to the after-school programs, each third-grader at Cedar Grove participates in Taiko lessons given during the school day. This year, kindergarteners are getting in on the act and there is a group of 20 students who have monthly classes with Rebecca Shingai; follow-up lessons provided by their teacher.

Cedar Grove’s Hinokei Taiko and Choir Group contribute to a well-rounded student. Students are given the opportunity to explore and appreciate the world of arts and instruments.

Many of the children who enter our classrooms don’t have the opportunity to see the performing arts or participate in them directly. Cedar Grove’s programs receive no monetary support from the Evergreen School District. All monies to pay the Taiko and choir teachers are raised through recycling cans and bottles, See’s candy sales, a silent auction and ticket revenue earned at the Lunar New Year Celebration Performance.

More than 200 people viewed the performance of Lunar New Year programs at Cedar Grove on Jan. 31.