"Gagaku" music introduced to NY children

Children in New York had a chance to experience Japan's traditional court music called "gagaku," which dates back more than 1,000 years.

300 students took part in the event at an elementary school on Monday. It was sponsored by an organization which has worked to introduce Japanese music to the American people for 35 years.

Gagaku is said to be one of the world's oldest forms of music. Wearing ancient costumes, the musicians explained the instruments used in gagaku, such as the "sho" and "hichiriki."

The children listened intently to a performance.

They also had a chance to touch the instruments and learn how to produce sounds from them.

One student said the instruments were very different from ones in America, and that it was fun to play the drum.