If you'd like to explore how taiko can work in the context of today's popular music, today is your lucky day. :D
A few years ago I recorded myself playing along to several pop songs from various genres of music ranging from R&B to New Age. As an example, here is a recording of "Countdown" by Beyonce - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YycbRYnfxuY
The experience was extremely eye-opening and I found myself growing both fundamentally as well as artistically. For example, this might seem obvious, but in order for drum covers to sound good, I needed to be able to play in time. Who would've thought!? But yes, what I would have previously considered "accurate enough" was no longer the case when playing along to the music.
The project forced me to come up with ways to support the music while keeping it interesting. Every good song has a storyline, and it's important that our playing supports that narrative. When the song goes from the verse to the chorus, the drum part should also change... or should it? Sometimes it was better to completely change the part, and sometimes it was better to make only a subtle change. Exploring these musical decisions and the impact they had on the overall sound was just one aspect that made this project so much fun.
Whether you're looking for a composition/arranging challenge, whether you're looking to explore nuanced playing, or whether you just want to jam out to some great songs, I hope this class will be a lot of fun for you. Hope you can be a part of it.
Course Schedule
Saturdays from 12-1:45PM
Dates: 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/29, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21 (NO CLASS 2/22)
Price and Purchase
$176 for all 8 classes
$96 for every 4 weeks x 2 installments
Purchase Online - make sure to click on appropriate class title