Is there something about taiko that is different from other activities that you think makes it have extra potential to bring about internal or external changes in people or society?
| not strongly. it is more holistic in combining bodywork, art and social life than anything I know, but I couldn’t say what difference that makes |
| Different people connect with different activities, and I don’t think taiko is any better than, for example, karate, violin, or foraging – every one connects with something and it is about finding what connects with individual people. Because of its sonic qualities, however, taiko can have a very powerful impact on people, as it can affect us at a very primal level. It can also have a very powerful impact on deaf people who struggle to hear other music – many times we received incredible feedback from deaf people who had come to our concerts. |
| It’s musical, physical, teamwork, and stems from purpose. It also dates back to a further history once you get past Sukeroku. It’s emotional, like music is, and there’s an emphasis on community. It’s versatile and constantly changing. I guess any activity can bring out these aspects once you get deep enough into it, but I think because the sound pierces your soul, the drum and bachi connection to nature and humanlife, and that it is so diverse it makes it different than other activities. |
| It just makes me happy. I never experienced anything that gave me such energy and such drive to do it again |
| low tresshold : anyone can do it, music without being able to read music sheets |
| Drum circles exist in other cultures and communities, but I have never heard of any other instrument that is gathered and played together… I think it brings out a pulse that can connect with others and brings us together. |
| I think it is the positive energy that it creates that makes the difference. |
| There are surely other activities that can be just as powerful, but taiko is definitely extremely powerful because it makes us think, use our body, feel huge. It’s all about community, connection, eye contact, making music, feeling strong and heard. It is also about using our voices. All of this is especially powerful for someone with trauma or for highly sensitive people. |
| I think that’s different for everyone |
| In the Taiko community it seems quite easy to make friends, to socialize, to respect people for who they are. |
| Yes. I have been pondering about why this is the case, but I can’t find the answer! |
| I think it’s a very primal sound, so it almost looks like people remember. Playing together is a very big part for me, and when I talk to fellow taiko players 99% has the same opinion. I think its the combination of sports, musicality and able to perform and really make an impact. |
| The deep resonance and the fact that everyone is welcome to join regardless of age or gender. |
| Going along the lines of PJ Hirabaishi’s Taiko Peace project, taiko training brings people together. If you truly have taiko spirit, you look for ways to find common ground, and take care that all of those you play with are cared for. There is no space in taiko for divas and tantrums. |
| It’s history and it’s nature are characterised by a culture of inclusion. The somatic, emotional, spiritual connection especially between the players are unique. Even just listening to a piece can’t leave you untouched, there is tremendous amount of energy going on |
| Almost everyone I know that tried it, loved it! |
| It brings people together |
| I have noticed that the taiko group I ended up in people are very open minded. While I noticed in previous attempts at finding a suitable hobby that there were a lot of narrow minded people… Having a mental illness is not visible, and this was the first group who accepted me just for who I was. But I noticed open mindedness is something that is more present in the cultural sector… |
| Not necessarily. I think it’s unique and a beautiful form of art but I’ve seen people that really enjoy it and others that got very frustrated with it. Basically I wouldn’t put it too high on a pedestal. |
| Healing and personal development can done via many meaningful, socially collaborative activities. Taiko, even just saying that word, fills me with joy and gratitude. I will always have a special place for it in my life and my heart. It has helped shift lots of discomfort and suffering caused by various trauma and a hope to keep growing. Not just me, I hope more people do. |
| I think that the call of the drum, literally the vibrational heavy bass that happens, changes people because we are able to connect with each other through the shared vibrational energies. The discipline of playing Taiko could also be world changing as people learn about a different culture and are able to reply restraint to themselves |
| Taiko and all forms of music have the power to inspire and motivate people. |
| There are lots of appealing angles to it. The physical, the community, the cultural, the musical, the choreographical (probably not a real word…), the mental stimulation, the performance etc. |
| I think that taiko is more universally accessible than other kinds of music. People like different genres of music, but I have yet to meet someone who didn’t enjoy taiko after seeing it performed live. In this way, I think taiko can be a force for unification across boundaries that might otherwise be hard to bridge. |
| No |
| We all have our own, internal drum so to connect with Taiko seems almost natural. However, I believe it is the open, welcoming nature of all players that sets it apart from almost any other activity. Taiko is to my mind unique in the way someone with no musical background could, with just a few hours coaching, perform a piece of music with a group. |
| I think that taiko is amazing because it speaks to the heart of being human. Daihachi Oguchi said the first taiko you experience is your mother’s heartbeat in the womb. Drums and rhythms seem to appeal to a very basic part of ourselves. Taiko also brings your body and movement, voice and kiai into this mix to further increase the opportunities to immerse your entire self in the experience. Taiko also creates a pause and a space to allow participants to stop, to breathe, to contemplate the bigger things about what it means to ‘play’ music, to be part of a team, to listen to your team mates, to support your team, to bring your best self to the experience and to hold this space. It is equal parts breathing in peace and calm, and breathing out exhilaration and exuberance. For our particular society and community, taiko is a way to bring people together who may not have other opportunities to come together. It is a way to hold space for kindness and respect, for play and for getting to know each other. |
| It brings people together. |
| I feel it unites people, I have brought staff to play taiko, and they all loved playing together!! People who did not get along, got along for this activity. |
| You have to listen although you play loud. You are a part of a group. You can destroy a whole piece, if you play nonsense 🤪 You have responsibilities. Sometimes you can hide, but sometimes you are the only one who plays and then you have to deliver, for yourself and for the group. |
| No opinion |
| It is for everyone. It needs physical strenght, stamina and flexibility, but you don´t have to be an athlete. It requires musical sense, but you don´t have to be a trained musician. It asks for interpreting emotions, but you don´t have to be an actor. Male or female, young and old, we are all mixed up, and we all love it. |
| Singing and dancing have the same power, but taiko is very accessible. |
| The power/might of taiko is the impossibility to be unmoved. Players are inevitably brought to the brink of their abilities (if the teacher has personal growth in mind). Crises are common and welcomed to accelerate the process of independence and social responsibility. Also: the joy it brings to others is almost as much as one has playing by themselves. Facing this existential balancing act of frustration and joy witnessed by an audience and by team members is especially binding as it is not about the other team to beat, or to lift more weight, but to hone in on excellence and self expression while being accepted for it. It is less confined by rivalry and can approach friendships more easily than either sports, religion or music. |
| Since we learn taiko by Kuchi Shoga (mouth notes), this is good for people who can’t read sheet music. That makes |
| I think its the combination of: moving your body (which produces endorphins), creating music (good for the soul), and using your brain. Also, I think playing together is important. That feeling of being a part of something larger; needing to work together; knowing that your part, however small, is necessary to create this piece of art. There is even the sharing that happens during performance between the performers and the audience. All these things come together in taiko to make something really special. |
| Feeling while playing amd creating something together |
| The way you work with your body, physically and mentally |
| The joy of playing Taiko togather with other people |
| Sure. I think group musical activities have a power that other activities don’t. It unlocks something deep and profound in us when we’re part of it. I think that’s where it ends though. While the camaraderie and the discipline are important for self-development, they aren’t really unique to taiko. I do think the vehicle is impressive: audiences are struck by the choreography and the sound, and at that point they’re open to whatever message you want to share. |
| Yes – taiko is enjoyed by people of all ages from the very young to the very old. Taiko unites us all as just being alive – all human created differences dissolve away and there is such overwhelming unity, joy and love! |
| I don’t think that taiko is the only activity that can bring internal or external changes in people or society. But after so many years I’ve become slightly more realistic and wonder of taiko will ever come out of it’s niche, to reach enough people that I could make a change on a larger scale. |
| Playing the taiko holds immense power mostly because of the vibrations it ewoks. It resonates inside you, purify you, change you so you can be able to change the world itself just by playing! 🙂 |
| Not sure |
| I believe that it is a physical experience for some individuals. The sound can penetrate more than the ears. It washes through the body. What adds to the experience is the visual physicality of the performance. |
| At a basic level it is not an activity that is limited by age, ability, language. Anyone can play taiko and become part of a community, and usually it is not a stricts disciple with rigid rules, but a way to create music withlut having to learn challenging fingerings and notations for an instrument. Since it’s esier to play, it promotes self-confidence by providing the feeling of personal success and accomplishment. And it feels good to groove. |
| I think there is a connection between the drum and our primal selves. A part of us that is otherwise tucked away can safely come out to play and thus has the potential to unlock parts of ourselves. Being able to tap into this connection can bring profound changes to those that have blunted their emotional selves. |
| Don’t know. |
| It’s an unusual and exciting pastime |
| I think a high skill in Taiko is the smallest portion of Taiko. Traditionally and contemporarily, Taiko is about community and endurance and I think that I why people are drawn to it. Everyone works together to make a “thing” happen and that “thing” is for benefit and/or enjoyment of others. |
| Taiko has both the power of social music activity as dancing or eat together and the individual transformative power of yoga, meditation, music study or intense sports training. I think most of the activities are either socially or individually oriented while taiko is equal. Nevertheless most people maybe stop at the social transformative part… |