Biography:
Eien Hunter-Ishikawa is a musician, composer, and educator specializing in taiko, shinobue, and percussion. Recognized for his musicianship and versatility, he organically integrates his jazz and Western percussion background with traditional Japanese music training, resulting in an unconventional point of view. Eien was born in Saitama, Japan and was first taught by Saburo Mochizuki, a preeminent Japanese classical percussionist and a founding member of Sukeroku Daiko. Following his undergraduate music training under Robert Hohner, Eien earned his Master of Music in classical percussion at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Eien has worked with many pioneers of hybridized music including the Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble, Kenny Endo, On Ensemble, John Kaizan Neptune, and the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra. As an in-demand instructor, he travels around the country teaching workshops and private lessons in a diverse range of topics pertaining to musicality. Eien has also made his extensive educational content available to everyone through the articles, instructional videos, and online lessons offered on his website. Currently, Eien is working to make Edo Bayashi (traditional festival music of Tokyo) accessible everywhere through a partnership with his longtime teacher Kyosuke Suzuki of Wakayama Shachu.
When not on the road, Eien makes beer, bread, natto, kimchi, miso, hot sauce, and other culinary delights at his home in Portland, Oregon. Recipes can be found on his blog, along with musician interviews and various topics of interest. Visit www.eienhunterishikawa.com/blog for more information.
