The 9th Campus Piano Event Report

Peter Chai （Kai Shibata), 3rd year Ph.D. Student, Political Science Major, GSPS
Nana Nishigaki, 3rd Year Student, Political Science Major, SPSE

The 9th Campus Piano Event, organized by the Faculty of Political Science and Economics and sponsored by the Waseda Society of Political Science and Economics, was held in the lounge of B1F of The International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) on December 17. The participants had a special chance to play the grand piano on display in the library which was previously placed in the “Peter Cat” jazz cafe run by Haruki Murakami.

Students, faculty members, alumni, and local residents participated in the event. There were around 50 participants, of which around 20 performed. The participants were from different affiliations, generations, and nationalities and had different levels of piano skills. The participants performed different music genres such as classical, jazz, and pop as well as soundtracks from movies, dramas, and anime. There was not only diversity in the different pieces the performers played but in the different ways in which they played the same pieces. Before and after the performances, student staff asked the performers to introduce themselves, the pieces they were going to play, and how they felt after playing. The chairs behind the piano created a space where the participants could have conversations about music in between performances.

The Campus Piano Event allows participants with diverse backgrounds to interact through music. We feel that music is a common language for Waseda students and an important part of Waseda culture, and that The International House of Literature, which holds various events, is a popular facility on campus. We also feel that music can speak to common emotions and cross language barriers so that different people and communities can connect. We believe that the success of this event is owing to the collective efforts made by the student staff who planned event details, designed promotion materials, and helped on the event day.

Music is a recurring and significant element in Murakami’s works. Characters who play the piano appear not only in several of his major novels but also in many of his short stories. In addition, references to a wide range of musical genres can be found throughout his writing. His works often possess a jazz-like rhythm and at times unfold with the suspense of a detective story, creating an atmosphere that is uniquely Murakami. The participants in the Campus Piano Event, who performed music from different genres in their own distinctive styles, seemed like characters who had stepped out of his novels. Although they met and parted within a brief span of time, they left behind melodies that lingered in one another’s hearts.

Student staff members