NATC 2025 Phoenix: Full Schedule

8:00am MDT

Katsugi Okedo for Beginner LIMITED

Friday August 29, 2025 8:00am - 10:00am MDT

The TAIKO WORLD has unlimited possibility and you can create the new wave by yourself with your passion!
“Katsugi-Okedo” will be became the best partner of your creation.
It will give you the possibility to moving around on the stage with TAIKO and adding more aggressive and characteristic sound in your team.
After this workshop, you know how to create your style with Katsugi-Okedo!

Prerequisite/What to bring: Bachi-sticks for Katsugi
Ho-Magnolia is the best for Katsugi Style

Speakers

Ringtaro Tateishi

Artistic Director, CHIKIRI & The School of Taiko

RINGTARO TATEISHIArtistic Director of “CHIKIRI”Principal of “The School of TAIKO”Co-founder of Japan Creative ArtsRingtaro is an awardee of the 2022 Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program as a master artist by the Center for Washington Cultural Traditions, Humanities Washington... Read More →

Friday August 29, 2025 8:00am - 10:00am MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

10:30am MDT

Katsugi Okedo for Beginner LIMITED

Friday August 29, 2025 10:30am - 12:30pm MDT

211B

Speakers

Ringtaro Tateishi

Artistic Director, CHIKIRI & The School of Taiko

Friday August 29, 2025 10:30am - 12:30pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

2:15pm MDT

Katsugi Okedo - basic techniques LIMITED

Friday August 29, 2025 2:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

211B

Curious about katsugi okedo? Had a little bit of practice but want to understand the basics? This workshop is for you! We’ll start with how to tie the strap and fit the drum to your body, as well as understand similarities – and differences – to other taiko. But the majority of this workshop will be spent striking the front head with both the right and left hands, and giving people different options for both to help everyone find what works best for them! You’ll leave the workshop with a solid foundation to grow on!

Prerequisite/What to bring: 1 pair katsugi okedo bachi

Speakers

Adam Weiner

Adam Weiner (he/him) has been playing taiko for over 30 years. He spent the first 25 years with San Jose Taiko, where he performed, toured, and taught with the group, as well as having composed several of their pieces. In his taiko career, he has taught workshops to both collegiate... Read More →

Friday August 29, 2025 2:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

4:45pm MDT

Katsugi Okedo movement LIMITED

Friday August 29, 2025 4:45pm - 6:45pm MDT

211B

The nature of katsugi okedo lends itself to movement! In this workshop we’ll cover how to feel the okedo as an extension of your body as well as have it go where you want it to go, all while playing what you want to play! In addition, we’ll cover movements like turning, walking, spinning, running, and other ways to get where you want to go with the okedo working WITH you, not against! This workshop is meant for those who have some experience playing katsugi okedo already, but since the focus is on movement, your proficiency with striking is less important!

Prerequisite/What to bring: Some/basic experience playing katsugi okedo
1 pair katsugi okedo bachi

Speakers

Adam Weiner

Friday August 29, 2025 4:45pm - 6:45pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

8:00am MDT

Katsugi Okedo for beginner LIMITED

Saturday August 30, 2025 8:00am - 10:00am MDT

211B

Speakers

Ringtaro Tateishi

Artistic Director, CHIKIRI & The School of Taiko

Saturday August 30, 2025 8:00am - 10:00am MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

10:30am MDT

Katsugi Okedo for beginner LIMITED

Saturday August 30, 2025 10:30am - 12:30pm MDT

211B

Speakers

Ringtaro Tateishi

Artistic Director, CHIKIRI & The School of Taiko

Saturday August 30, 2025 10:30am - 12:30pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

2:30pm MDT

Katsugi Okedo Basics: Drumming on the Move LIMITED

Saturday August 30, 2025 2:30pm - 6:30pm MDT

211B

Have you always wanted to learn the basics of katsugi okedo, or are you looking to enhance your skills and confidence? This workshop is for you! In this workshop we will cover how to wear the okedo, how to hit, as well as how to move while drumming. You will also learn a short practice song you can take back with you.

Prerequisite/What to bring: no prerequisite knowledge necessary, bring non-tapered ho (magnolia) okedo bachi.

Speakers

Kristy "AKI" Oshiro

Independent

Kristy “Aki” Oshiro (they/them) is a queer, trans, and non-binary, fourth-generation Japanese Okinawan-American professional taiko artist based in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Aki began their taiko journey at age 9 with Kona Daifukuji Taiko in Kona, Hawai’i. From... Read More →

Saturday August 30, 2025 2:30pm - 6:30pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

8:30am MDT

Katsugi Okedo Basics: Drumming on the Move LIMITED

Sunday August 31, 2025 8:30am - 12:30pm MDT

211B

Speakers

Kristy "AKI" Oshiro

Independent

Sunday August 31, 2025 8:30am - 12:30pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

2:15pm MDT

Katsugi Okedo - intermediate techniques LIMITED

Sunday August 31, 2025 2:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

211B

This workshop is for anyone who has some experience playing katsugi okedo but wants to improve on what they already know. Even though we’ll cover striking in general, the focus of this workshop will be on the left hand, both on the front and rear heads of the okedo, in order to make your strikes stronger with less effort. And yes, we will definitely cover crossovers and ways to make them even easier to play!

Prerequisite/What to bring: Some/basic experience playing katsugi okedo
1 pair katsugi okedo bachi

Speakers

Adam Weiner

Sunday August 31, 2025 2:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

4:45pm MDT

Katsugi Okedo movement LIMITED

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:45pm - 6:45pm MDT

211B

Speakers

Adam Weiner

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:45pm - 6:45pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Foundational

8:30am MDT

Advanced Katsugi with San Jose Taiko LIMITED

Monday September 1, 2025 8:30am - 12:30pm MDT

211B

This workshop introduces San Jose Taiko’s stylistic approach to katsugi okedo. Tools will be provided to help embrace the mobile nature of this instrument based on SJT’s focus on movement. This workshop is ideally for players who have played on a katsugi okedo before and would like to experience a different approach to the instrument.

Prerequisite/What to bring: Participant has established a preference on strap length and overall fit of the katsugi okedo on body, calluses built up on hands from performance/practice :)

Speakers

Yurika Chiba

Artistic Staff, San Jose Taiko

Yurika Chiba (Kawagoe, Japan/Toronto, Canada) began playing taiko in Tokushima, Japan in 1995 and has since played with groups in Australia and northern California. Yurika is a member of the Audition Process class of 2006 and joined SJT's Artistic Staff in 2007, now touring internationally... Read More →

Franco Imperial

Franco Imperial (he/him) is the Artistic Director for San Jose Taiko. He has composed over 20 original works for SJT and has co-created and produced collaborations with artists such as Abhinaya Dance Company (“Synergy” which won the 2011 Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding... Read More →

Meg Suzuki Hudson

Outreach Coordinator, San Jose Taiko

Meg Suzuki Hudson (she/her) began playing taiko and shinobue with Odaiko New England in 1999 and became a Performing Member of San Jose Taiko in 2003. She joined San Jose Taiko’s Administrative Staff in 2005 and is currently San Jose Taiko's Outreach Coordinator. In addition to... Read More →

San Jose Taiko

Monday September 1, 2025 8:30am - 12:30pm MDT
211B

Workshop, Focus