World Famous Drummers To Perform Two Free Concerts

World-famous Japanese Taiko drummers will perform two free concerts this month at the Robert F. Panara Theater, located in the main building of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of Rochester Institute of Technology.

On Tuesday, June 24, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., the troupe will provide a free workshop and performance for all ages, where attendees can learn the history and methods of the Taiko drumming style, with some hands-on participation.

A free performance will be held from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. Both performances will be American Sign Language interpreted.

The troupe is comprised of three separate groups—Koshu Roa Taiko, Amanojaku, and San Francisco Taiko Dojo—totaling 22, with six deaf members. They provide a rhythmic, acrobatic and colorful performance, as they beat their drums of all sizes, including some seven-foot drums.

Taiko drumming is considered both educational and cultural. Its emphasis on the importance of courtesy and teamwork has drawn worldwide acclaim, and its members range in age from pre-school to senior citizen.

The Taiko Drummers' performance is courtesy of The Nippon Taiko Foundation, The Nippon Foundation of Japan, and the Postsecondary Education Network-International.

To reserve free tickets, call 585.475.4661 (voice/tty).

The first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, NTID, one of eight colleges, offers educational programs and access and support services to the 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from around the world who study, live and socialize with 14,000 hearing students on RIT's Rochester, N.Y., campus. Web address: www.rit.edu/NTID.