Inside the Downing University Center auditorium on Thursday, a handful of students treated themselves to a Chinese music performance.

The Chinese Music Club’s performance was put on on behalf of the Chinese Music Club and the International Club.

Cincinnati junior Kelli Hogue, president of the Chinese Music Club, said the group was happy to perform.

“Basically, we’re here for the community,” Hogue said. “If they wanna hear us play, we’ll play for them. Otherwise it’s just us having some fun and learning new instruments.”

Various Chinese musical instruments were used in the performance including the dizi (a bamboo flute), the erhu (a Chinese fiddle) and the pipa (a lute).

Leitchfield freshman Kori Mann, who played the dizi in the performance, began to learn the instrument three weeks before the performance. Despite this, she said had no trouble playing the foreign instrument.

“I played the flute and it’s really similar,” Mann said.

Throughout the performance, the Chinese Music Club would pause to inform the audience about their club and the different types of instruments they played.

Chinese music was not the only music played at the event. The performance opened with two original songs performed and written by Long Island, N.Y. freshman Orion Graudick.

Graudick, a member of the International Club, said he was nervous about performing.

“It was nerve-wracking,” Graudick said. “I’ll never get used to it, ever.”

Graudick’s performances consisted of him playing the piano while providing his own vocals.

Graudick said he wrote his first song, which was performed at the event, after being confused on how to express his feelings during a certain time in his life.

“I found that signing it or writing it down really helped,” Graudick said. “And then bam, it became a song and I’ve been writing since.”

The event was originally going to be an international music festival with several acts.

Hogue said the president of the International Club invited the Chinese Music Club to perform after several of the acts dropped out.

One of those in the audience was Winston, Ga. junior Leah Railey. She said she enjoyed the show.

“I never heard Chinese music, especially played right in front of me,” Railey said. “It was really interesting.”

After the event, Hogue provided students with information about the Chinese Music Club for potential members or those who want to learn more about the instruments played.

“Anyone who wants to join can join,” Hogue said. “We’re always open and always looking for new members and we’re really hoping to get more students to join us because we’re kinda small right now.”