In conjunction with the exhibition Striking Chords: Music in Ukiyo-e Prints, on view at the RISD Museum through July 2022, the RISD Liberal Arts Division will sponsor two performances featuring of Japanese traditional instruments. The exhibition of fourteen woodblock prints curated by students in the RISD Ukiyo-e Prints class (THAD 791, Fall 2021) focuses on the ubiquity of music in the life of Japanese townspeople during the Edo period (1615–1868). Live Japanese music will complement and animate the images from the exhibition, providing for an immersive experience.

A local group of musicians led by Shingo Tanaka will be playing Japanese flute and drums right at the entrance to the Asian Art Galleries. The lilting melody of the flute and rhythmic drum beats inspired by the ukiyo-e prints on view will provide a lively accompaniment to the exhibition.

Shingo Tanaka is a Japanese flute and taiko player from Shizuoka, Japan. Specializing in traditional community music, Shingo’s ensembles have performed all over Japan and Taiwan. In addition to performance, Shingo continues to conduct research of traditional community-based music in both Japan and Indonesia. Most recently, Shingo appeared in performances at Boston University and served as the musical director for an animated film in the Providence Children’s Film Festival.

Michael Lewis is a music educator in Rhode Island and has taught music in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts. An alumnus of The Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, Michael specializes in contemporary and world percussion performance and education. Michael is an avid percussionist, composer, and has a strong interest in Japanese music and culture.