The taiko world needs you... to create! So many taiko players are afraid of writing music. That's because, in all honesty, it's hard. But it's fun too! Face the challenge and join this soiree of creativity to find the idea for rhythm generation, capture, arrangement, or musical meaning that you need to get over the hump. Open to players of all levels, this workshop presents the tools Kris and Minh have used in their now 5-year composition focus, as well as insightful prompts to help individual participants determine their own strengths and weaknesses. Whether you have a piece in the works, or you want to start, bring a notebook, pen, and questions. Kris and Minh (Arugakki) will perform a selection of their newest workand share the creative process behind the music/dance. Plus we'll have tea as we chat. Join us on the fun/frustrating rollercoaster of composition!
Hachijo Daiko is an improvisation-based Taiko style from the island of Hachijo. But learning to improvise is hard! Learn the basics of improvisation while playing Hachijo Daiko as we go through a set of exercises designed to help you warm up your improvisation muscles and be freely in the moment. These exercises can be taken home and used for other styles of Taiko as well.
Koh Yamakawa is a Taiko artist, composer, and educator based in Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area in California. He started his Taiko journey in 2009 with the Dublin Taiko Group and has subsequently played with Columbia Taiko, New York Taiko Aiko Kai, and Jiten Daiko.Koh is... Read More →