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Honoring the past

Williamsport’s Pajama Factory, 1307 Park Ave., once a center of manufacturing rubber goods in the late 1800s and the world’s largest pajama company throughout the 1950s, now stands as the home of a vibrant community of artists. From painters to poets, the Pajama Factory regularly hums with creativity and diversity. One such artist is percussionist Urie Kline, who teaches taiko, or Japanese drumming, lessons at his Lyco Taiko studio.

“Lyco Taiko was founded in January of 2015 with the goal of providing classes, workshops and performances that further the art of taiko,” Kline said. In addition to teaching at the Pajama Factory, Kline serves at Lycoming College as an adjunct faculty member of the music department. “I’ve also visited local schools, the Uptown Music Collective, the Susquehanna Health campus and other locations for educational outreach,” he said. “This past March Lyco Taiko performed at a taiko festival in Leechburg.”

Kline’s newest project is to host an obon festival on July 24.

Obon is “a Japanese Buddhist festival that honors the spirits of one’s ancestors,” according to the Pajama Factory website. Families and friends gather to share food and music and memories.

“My first exposure to Obon came while studying taiko in Pittsburgh,” Kline said. “The beginner piece ‘Bon Daiko’ features drumming rhythms used during this festival in Tokyo (in different parts of Japan, the rhythms are different). When I moved to Hawaii to study taiko full time, I got to attend this event in person, as one happens every weekend during July and August. So, I feel a connection to the part of my life when I lived in the islands, and also the memory of first learning taiko. I still play ‘Bon Daiko’ and variations of it, so that’s an ongoing relationship.”

The Williamsport Obon festival will have music from artists across the Susquehanna Valley – Mike Hickey, of Bloomsburg; Dan Montville, of Sunbury; and Lee Saville-Iksic, of Williamsport, as well as taiko drumming provided by Lyco Taiko, Kline said. The festival also will have food and educational booths set up to provide glimpses into Japanese culture, and vendors of several varieties.

The festival also is a fundraiser to benefit Lyco Taiko and the Williamsport Community Kitchen, a nonprofit kitchen. Lisa Andrus, owner of the Community Kitchen, is donating the use of the space and kitchen for the event.

“She is in many respects my partner in organizing this event. For that reason we’re splitting the funds raised,” Kline said. “While the two organizations are certainly different, we’re united in our community-oriented focus.”

The idea to combine Lyco Taiko and Williamsport Community Kitchen came from Dustin Sawyer, a taiko student. According to Kline, it was Sawyer’s his idea to put on Williamsport’s own festival, and the idea to make it a fundraiser evolved out of that.

“Taiko equipment is incredibly expensive, so we’re hoping to raise some much-needed funds to purchase more equipment and provide a richer experience to our students and the local community,” Kline said.

Previous experience with Japanese culture or Buddhist tradition is not necessary to attend the Obon festival.

“Since most folks who live in Williamsport aren’t Japanese, we’ve adapted and changed details while retaining the core focus on entertainment and the veneration of our ancestors, a Buddhist idea that isn’t so different than American holidays – Memorial Day especially comes to mind,” Kline said.

Kline believes the event is “a fantastic opportunity to introduce yourself to taiko, which is still a very uncommon activity in Pennsylvania. It’s one of the many strains of our vibrant musical and cultural community. We’ll be having taiko performances and demonstrations throughout the day, and individuals are welcome and encouraged to take a hands-on approach.”

More information can be found at www.pajamafactory.net.

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