Peter Chai （Kai Shibata), 2nd year Ph.D. Student, Political Science Major, GSPS
Nana Nishigaki, 3rd Year Student, Political Science Major, SPSE
The 8th 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 on 2nd July in the lounge of B1F of The Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library). The Campus Piano Event gave the participants a special chance to play the grand piano in the library which was previously placed in the “Peter Cat” jazz cafe run by Haruki Murakami.
The participants included students, faculty members, and local residents. There were around 60 participants, of which around 20 performed. The students who participated came from different departments, years, and nationalities. The participants performed different music genres such as classical, jazz, and pop. Some participants also came with their friends who played cello and trumpet. 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.
We not only saw the diversity in the pieces the performers played but also the different ways in which they played the same pieces. The same pieces can sound rather different because of the personal interpretations of the players. While the musical score for classical music is an important invention for preserving music in the past, it contains much room for imagination. Therefore, the players need to think about the personality and style of the composers and the historical and cultural backgrounds of the pieces. How to give a historical piece a new life without damaging its original beauty can be a challenging yet meaningful task and allows fruitful conversations to take place among piano players and the audience.
The Campus Piano Event connects students, faculty members, and local residents with diverse backgrounds through music. We feel that music is important for Waseda culture and that The Waseda International House of Literature, which holds various events, is loved by Waseda students. We also feel that music can speak to common emotions and cross language barriers. 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.
Student staff members
