Downsides to taiko communities?

Are there certain societal or cultural structures in the taiko communities you have experienced that hampered or hurt your experience as a taiko player?

no
Taiko can be a bit ‘tribal’, and people often look down on other styles or schools, which is an obstacle to deeper understanding and development. Also, there are problemas about being a professional player, as you are expected to follow your group’s style and artisic director’s vision, and keep a certain external image. This means we were not allowed to learn from some teachers, or to go to certain events, or say certain things, as we were representing the group even in our personal lives and in our personal time.
Yes. The popular style I’m America were made by 4 Japanese men with misogynistic views and noninclusive stances, and clothing that does not fit all American bodies.

I also think appropriation, inferiority comple, and imposter syndrome are big feelings that are shared in North American taiko.
No
my previous teacher was so afraid that someone with imitate us. taiko should be about sharing and not about mine, mine, mine !
In taiko? no…But, I do feel at odds with my husband at times when we played taiko together…. Difference in styles, opinions.
no, not so far
Not really. Just some politics here made me realize I need to do my own thing because I know certain people won’t support me or will see me as competition instead of as a co-collaborator in the project of taiko. I think in many art communities there are big egos and people who think they have more right to this or that, and that is here also in the taiko community, even tho overall, the community is wonderful. For me, I often reached out to people not in my area for inspiration, help, and support, and I found it very easily. The people I had connected with, encouraged me to “just be me,” to go for it, that what I was doing or that my ideas were worthy of pursuing.
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No, not at all
no
no
Not the taiko community, but from those who just come to hit the drums, and have no respect for the history and traditions of taiko.
No
The Japanese business culture where a Senior member has absolute power over a Junior member is jarring for dutch people, who are used to having more discussion with their senior.
No
No
I get annoyed at gender inequality in taiko
Yes. As the different groups form and split apart and form new groups it splits the group cohesion. People who feel hurt don’t look towards the new Taiko team favorably even though we are all playing the same music. I don’t like to discriminate and sometimes it feels as though me being in multiple groups puts a strain on relationships
No they have enriched my experience.
Maybe not societal or cultural but more organizational, with founder led (not much transparency or effort to get buy in/consensus) on one extreme versus perhaps too democratic (too many opinions so no decisions/progress made) on the other. So too much leadership versus too little. I think this can be common with community groups.
We have had a couple people question before booking us if our players are Japanese.

As non-Japanese taiko players, we try to respect and honor Japanese culture by learning as much as we can about it’s history and traditions. We have visited Japan to see it’s beauty, experience the culture, and learn from Japanese teachers. We are studying the Japanese language in hopes of communicating more easily with both future Japanese students and teachers. I see taiko as connecting us to one another, not dividing us.
I have experienced a few times the comment of my being “too white” to really “properly” play taiko (not being a good representative of the art form, cultural appropriation arguments, etc.). This has come both explicitly and implicitly from people both in and out of the taiko community. It is not common, but it is something I have experienced.
Some groups are for Asian people only. I have mixed feelings about this as a white woman.
Not to my limited experience although I am aware this is not the same for everyone.
Not applicable.
Not hampered, but there are those who feel if you’re not at lease east Asian, you are a cultural appropriator and have no business performing taiko.
No, I am respectful of it all
no
No
Taiko specially in Japan carries a lot of sexism. There is also political taiko matters that divide taiko groups in Japan and Brazil. I can also say about unnessessary rivalries and the “my style over your style” kind of thought.
No
(No millionaires that support the whole community so everyone can play full time…)
Some groups believe they can restrict members from experiences, and they exclude integration of personal paths by standards that do not fit the world of individuals. These usually come down to fears of leaders because they cannot face their own inabilities.
n/a
No.
No
No
Not at all for the moment
Yes! I was part of a group that had a version of the sempai-kohai system. In spite of how important that program was in my development, it was a really bad system, where the sempai didn’t have to maintain very high standards and were superior just because of their greater experience.
No.
No
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About the only thing I can think of is how much of the resources are in Japanese and are hard to find using (english) google/bing. I might have the romanization of a word or term or song name, but rarely can I use that to find anything relevant.
I feel that I need to continue to force my way into the general taiko community because I am an African American.
Non so far.
Not so far, no
I have noticed some taiko schools that put the money first and not the fun. I really hate that. These schools run as commercial institutions…I hate that.
No

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