When I graduated from college, I wanted to continue playing taiko and improve my skills. I always remembered talking to Kris at collegiate invitations. He was very friendly and generous with his knowledge, inviting anyone to come practice with him in Gardena/Torrance. I was lucky enough to move back to the area while Kris was planning his first Matsuri Battle, inviting anyone to practice with him. I decided to ask if he could help me develop a Matsuri Battle solo and he agreed!

LATI friend and taiko colleague, Joe Small, is seeking taiko players to join in the development and presentation of his final MFA thesis at UCLA. Joe spent a number of years studying with Eitetsu Hayashi and is now focusing on choreography. It's an exciting project and a chance to work with dedicated taiko artists. Read on for the details and contact Joe if interested.

CALL FOR TAIKO ARTISTS (or aspiring artists!) in the LA/Southern CA area for CONCERT project with taiko/choreography artist Joe Small

What an amazing week with an amazing group of taiko players! Thank you to the fourteen members of Stanford Taiko who spent a taiko-filled week with us, studying naname, small-drum, hachijo, and odaiko forms. In addition to four hours of instruction each day, the group rented rehearsal space for practice and arranged get-togethers with local groups. Everyone in LA who had the chance to spend time with Stanford Taiko was glad they visited!

After a very full week, we wrapped up today with a final recital incorporating everything we’ve covered: Matsuri solos, a group small drum jam, Hachijo, and odaiko. We also followed up the diagnostic videos from Monday with ending point videos, and in both cases, it was really remarkable to see how far everyone has come in just five days. Given that the group came with relatively little experience overall, we very much appreciated the exposure to a wide range of styles and surfaces.