A loud bang, followed by another, leading to a consistent rhythm that echoes along the downtown street. Many nights near Grand and 10th avenues, people can hear traditional Japanese drumming from the Fushicho Daiko Dojo.
Though COVID-19 has limited in-person activities, members of the dojo studio are trying to maintain community through weekly drumming classes. They’re also hoping to be ready for the annual Arizona Matsuri, or Japanese festival, which is scheduled to be online in February.
Instead of practicing in front of a crowd, seven drummers ages 30s to 60s practice outside the studio on a November evening. To practice for this year’s festival there is a tripod with a phone attached for the drummers to get used to giving their energy to the camera rather than a crowd.
Bigger classes are hosted outside the studio due to COVID-19 restrictions, said Eileen Morgan, the Fushicho Daiko Dojo director.
Each song the group performed had a new formation of how the drums were lined up or a new movement from the drummers. The movements ranged from how the drum sticks hit certain parts of the drums to people moving in a rotation from one drum to another. Throughout the songs voice music can be heard, kuchi shōga, to represent the sound, rhythm and location of the drumstick hitting the drums, Morgan said.
The pandemic continues to impact in-person activities, including those events from cultural organizations throughout Phoenix. Organizers of cultural groups are modifying events and performances to continue to provide cultural services to the community, said Mitch Menchaca, the executive director of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.
“Having the ability to have those experiences at the ready is really important to the ecosystem of the community,” Menchaca said.
Diversity in the community makes Phoenix a “great place” people want to live, work and visit, Menchaca said. He praised arts groups that are pivoting during the pandemic.
“It’s allowing residents to be part of the arts without having to leave the comfort of their home or having to challenge themselves to take it in on a different way,” he said.
Japanese drumming has a long history in Phoenix.
The Fushicho Daiko Dojo started in 1992. The founder, Esther Vandecar, lived in Japan for seven years. When Vandecar returned to Phoenix she brought the traditional Japanese drumming back with her.
Besides classes for adults and children, Morgan said the dojo performs at schools and businesses and participates in Japanese festivals. Most performances have been canceled due to COVID-19, but some classes continue.
Rebecca Reimers, works for the Phoenix Union High School District, is a student at the dojo, and one of the drummers practicing for the festival. She was first introduced to the traditional drumming while she lived in Japan teaching English. She learned about the opportunity to teach in Japan at the Arizona Matsuri. Before going to the festival, she did not know anything about Japanese culture but the information booth gave her the opportunity to teach while traveling and experience a different culture.
“It’s really important to still be aware of other cultures,” Reimers said. “Sometimes you get caught up in your own day to day and you need to broaden your horizons.”
When Reimers returned to Phoenix she wanted to continue the practice and joined the dojo in 2005.
Morgan had been checking in on her students throughout the pandemic. She reopened her studio in June to make virtual classes available, Morgan said. It took some time to figure out the best tools to use to conduct an online drumming class at the start of the virtual options.
The dojo is now open for students to come in person, although the virtual option is still available, Morgan said. During class, community members sometimes sit and listen to the drums and local residents watch from their balconies.
Morgan said she warned neighbors about the dojo’s outdoor practices and they told her they enjoyed the music.
Morgan also sees benefits for her students. She said drumming can be cathartic, and she thinks it could be helping her students during the pandemic.
Contact the reporter at shickey5@asu.edu.
