On 19 September 2009, PEN-International, RIT and NTID welcomed members of the Circle Percussion Group SEN and HIBIKI to Rochester. The group made its first visit to the United States to perform in the "Upstate NY Tour 2009 Taiko History-To the Future of Music and Disability." Taiko, meaning "Big Drums," is a traditional Japanese percussion instrument. Taiko drums have a unique low, booming beat that ancient Japanese believed held special powers. To this day, Taiko plays a vital role in Japanese festivals and ritual ceremonies.

Performances were enjoyed at RIT/NTID, School for the Arts, Mary Cariola Children's Center, and the Rochester School for the Deaf. SEN and HIBIKI performed several different styles of Taiko drumming arrangements. After each show, audience members met the performers on stage and were able to test their drumming skills for themselves.

Dr. Harold Mowl, Superintendent of the Rochester School for the Deaf, said, "The arrangements so expertly performed for us by members of the group, and by those with disabilities in particular, truly reinforced in our students the fact that they must not allow their deafness or anything else to hold them back, in their young lives now and as leaders in the future."