“Had to have high, high hopes for a living, shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing” this is one of the catchy lines on the famous song of the Panic! at the Disco. “I spent too long not setting my expectations high enough, worried about how it felt to fail. I hit a point when I realized I had to aim high and fail, fail, fail in order to keep growing. This one is for all of you who helped me go for it all. I thank you.” This is how Brendon Urie, the vocalist of the band, described the meaning of the song.
This might also be the motto of the talented and amazing members of DRUM TAO. Suppose you are not familiar with them, according to their official website. In that case, DRUM TAO Japanese Drumming Art Performers is created through performances and expressions consisting of “Wadaiko-drums” and the amazing melody of Japanese flutes and harps. They tagged themselves as the “Japanese Entertainment” for a new generation. Due to their incredibility, they now possessed multiple awards like “Outstanding Cultural Contribution” from Oita prefecture, “Culture Creators Award” from Taketa city in Oita prefecture, and “The 6th Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Award” and “Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Award” from the Japanese government.
These numerous awards are not surprising if you’ve seen even one of their performances. One worth mentioning is their rendition of “High Hopes.” If you close your eyes and just listen to their performance, you will think that you are literally listening to the original version of the song. With HIDEHARU as their guest singer, the DRUM TAO members show off their incredible talents in the powerful beat of their traditional drums.
Watch their powerful performance below and be in awe of how a pop-rock song can be played in traditional Japanese drums.
If you can’t get enough of them, just like I do, follow and subscribe to their official YouTube account.
