| I saw Mugenkyo, not knowing anything about taiko, and immediately wanted to do it. I had seen Kodo years before but just saw it as a show, not something I might do |
| I was a drumkit player and fell in love with taiko. |
| To connect to my cultural heritage and through the Buddhist church. It was my parents’ decision. |
| I was blown away by the positive vibes and energy and had to try it myself |
| because I saw a performance and I was sold. |
| After the death of my father, my sister wanted to learn taiko and asked if I would take the class with her. This was a bonding experience for us and I have continued since then. |
| because I had a burn out and was looking for a hobby that could give me positive engere |
| Because of the rythm |
| When I first saw taiko in January 2017, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was so awesome, but I first only saw Asian people. When I got closer (this was at the Women’s March in St. Paul), I saw a middle-aged woman like me with this huge smile on her face. I then knew that I could also do it, and within a couple of weeks I was in a beginner’s class. |
| September 2019 |
| Curiosity |
| I was looking for a new active and exciting hobby in order to bring peace in my head, after quite some heavy months |
| sounded like fun |
| Because it fulfilled me completely |
| Because I once saw a show, then couldn’t find anything in the area. Years later I was playing other percussion instrument with 5 ladies, we went to a taikoshow together. After one month I got a message from the theater where the show was that one of the players opened a school 20 minutes from my house. But why? I was very impressed at the skills, sounds, movement, I liked everything about it and felt I wanted to do it myself, so when i got the chance, I jumped at it 🙂 |
| it’s a combination of music and movement |
| I wanted to experience the energy flowing during drumming in a group |
| After my father died, and dealing with the mess that was his life, I needed a way of rejuvenating my spirit. I’d been to several taiko performances (Kodo, Ondekoza), and was inspired by the art form. The idea popped into my head to see if someone was teaching taiko in Minnesota. As luck would have it, Rick Shiomi (former student of Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka) of Theater Mu had launched public taiko lessons just two weeks prior. That was September 1997. I’ve been training and performing ever since. |
| I wanted to do something I never tried before, that includes moving the body, also as a part of my therapy from postpartum depression |
| July 2014 |
| I don’t know, good question. |
| I wanted a new challenge in life. |
| I’m American but ethically half Japanese. I joined initially to get a better understanding of this side of my cultural heritage. |
| I needed to regain sense of self after being over absorbed by “mom duty” and with hopes of finding like-minded friends. I also liked taiko from seeing a couple of groups perform in the past. |
| 2014 |
| Looking for a performance opportunity after being dormant for about 25 years. |
| Lived in Japan and found myself being invited/voluntold/arm twisted into many local activities. Joining a kids float for my town’s festival, and being peer pressured (in a nice way!) into joining my town’s Deer Dance group (adult) were my introduction to playing taiko. Both were very different from kumi daiko. |
| I saw a concert and was impressed, it gave me so much energy, just by watching it, so when after the concert they said there were lessons for beginners, I subscribed immediately |
| I wanted to play a drum kit when I was young but never learned. I did not see taiko until I was an adult in my 40s. As soon as I saw our local group play I knew I needed to play. I was instantly drawn to it. |
| I had seen some videos and live performance and loved how resonant and full of life the music was. |
| We had Japanese exchange students and went to a show. My daughter thought it would be fun. |
| Finding myself |
| September 2011 |
| I happened upon taiko when I was living in Japan. My American friend joined an all-female taiko group and was bugging me to join for weeks. I resisted but she bought me a ticket to a Kodo show and that changed my life. I turned to the leader of the taiko group in the theatre during the interval and asked if I could join her group. |
| After clearing his hording situation and a lifetime of the bad energy that went with it, after my father’s death, I need something to cleanse my soul. |
| My earliest memory of hearing the taiko was when I was around 2, it was O-Bon in Toronto. I was sitting in my stroller facing the Yagura, and a man started beating the taiko!!! I was so happy my Mom said I was tapping my foot and clapping. From that moment on, I have always loved to sound of the taiko!!! As I grew up in the Buddhist church I also learned that the sound of the Taiko was the voice of the Buddha, so I started a children’s taiko group at my father’s church. It was like a win win situation!!! I could learn and play with my students!!! I was so happy!!! |
| I saw it on TV, and then coincidently, I had the possibility to try it. |
| Last year |
| My partner worked.for then local.council in the music and performing arts service and they did a steel pans group. I wanted to join amd it was.full so she suggested a new group. Joined and.loved ot. |
| It felt good |
| See “The Way of the Drum… Taiko without Borders” |
| Because I felt I needed to learn about rhythem, timing and social coordination (Ma). |
| It was fun! |
| I saw a performance at an outdoor festival. Really, I heard it before I saw it. The drums called me. I knew I wanted to play. |
| Investigate as complement to taijiquan. |
| I Saw a performance of my teacher Who inspired me to play |
| I was fascinated by Tako sound a lot of years ago seeing the performance of Yamato. A taiko group in Madrid. Spain. Since then I got very interested. |
| I had already been drumming, and I wanted to do something different! It really was that simple. |
| I just knew that it was my time to start! |
| There was a great attraction to taiko because of my interest in Japan and my love for music and percussion. I had seen it before in Japan and it was a natural thing for me to try it out. |
| At that time I was just up for a new adventure 🙂 |
| I was bored at college, had a drum playing itch, and a friend from drumline introduced me |
| I love the sound and physicality of the genre. |
| I was always interested in drums and rhythms, and became interested in japanese culture, so when I first encountered taiko I instantly fell in love. |
| After seeing live performances I was inspired by the joy the performers exuded while playing. I have been immersed in Japanese culture for 10 years (I practice sumi-e/Shodo and teach swordsmanship) and find it to have a rigidity that I thought was necessary within the culture- until I found taiko. |
| I have done martial arts and percussion all my life. Taiko is the perfect merge between martial arts and percussion! I play for fun, for sharing this fun and last but not leat for my great interest in Japanese culture and language. |
| September 2020 |
| I became interested in Taiko when I came across a youtube video of Kodo. I was studying Japanese and I looked for a class when I moved from southern to northern california. I’ve been playing since 2006. |
| I saw taiko in 2004 and wanted to try, there was no taiko in Italy, so I gave a try in Japan in 2006 and than be able to study it in Japan for two months in 2010-2011 |
| I started taking classes in April 2007 as part of a parent-child class at Mu Daiko. We did it because it was something fun to do as a family. |
