The Los Angeles Taiko Institute (LATI) is a dedicated taiko (Japanese drumming) school in Torrance, CA offering 12-week courses, drop-in classes, multi-day intensives, and one-time workshops on a variety of taiko topics.
The "Learn-Taiko!" link above provides the full list of classes at the Institute!
LATI is housed at Asano Taiko U.S. a full-service taiko maker offering exquisite Japanese drums and accessories, as well as on-site taiko repair and reskinning.
Los Angeles Taiko Institute/Asano Taiko U.S. location:
20909 S. Western Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
310-974-4490
taiko@asano.us
I've posted a video from Yuta and my performance of our new work-in-progress piece, Sugamen, along with some thoughts about the sugagaki technique.
http://onensemble.org/2014/03/sugamen-work-in-progress/
Last month, our brave Valentines' Intensive participants became the first LATI students to learn the sugagaki technique and did wonderfully!
Omiyage class week 7 reviewed and tested our knowledge of the known parts. We began with reviewing different sections we had questions about or requested to review. Then Yuta tested our knowledge by saying different sections and having us play them immediately after. It was difficult but we were able to use the cheat sheet for help. However, after a few run throughs he took away the sheet and we had to go through them by memory, which was much more difficult.
Oh me oh my....
Asano Taiko US Store will be closed this Friday, February 21 from 3pm to Sunday, February 23. If you have any questions regarding our products please email us at taiko@asano.us
The fifth week of Omiyage class began with a warmup of the basic strikes while utilizing movement through kata and the rubberband-like tension built between the player and bachi. Yuta was able to focus on everyone’s basic strike and help them concentrate on form, refining each person’s bachi, arm, and body movements. Next, Yuta taught the “River” section, or a part that is heavily reliant on timing, playing together, and utilizing movements to begin and end in specific timing to create a cascading effect.
LATI invites anyone interested to come and try Kris’s new courses during Week 1 of instruction (Thursday, 2/6 to Wednesday, 2/12) for free!
We are excited to offer this great opportunity and share the experience of taiko with anyone interested!
Check out the New List of Courses available for a trial.
RSVP to reserve your spot by contacting us by phone or email. We look forward to playing taiko with you!
This class was the most difficult, yet rewarding. It was difficult because Yuta taught the left handed bachi twirl, which added a whole new layer of difficulty in body and arm coordination. However, by the end of the class I was beginning to feel more authority over playing the piece!
We understand... it's difficult to find time to practice. This is why I'm very pleased to announce that my new courses will include 15 minutes of practice time at the completion of each class, without increasing the cost of courses! The extra 15 minutes will allow individuals to review and practice the skills from that day's class at their own pace. The room is turned over to students with the teacher just outside, available for assistance. Armed with the effective practice techniques taught in class and this 15-minute session, students will make even greater strides!
You can't talk about teaching taiko without phrases like "Authentic", "Legitimate", and "Traditional" coming up. When students embark on a journey to learn, they want to feel like they're investing in something real. They want evidence that their teacher can produce results. Are you that teacher? Do you feel confident that you're teaching it the "right" way? Do you ever feel the weight of thousands of years of craftsmanship and taiko mastery staring over your shoulder as you run your weekly class?
Primer Week is a series of free taiko lessons open to community to try taiko.
Lead by Kris Bergstrom (LATI Head Instructor), these lessons require no prior taiko or musical experience and are completely free! Try taiko on hand-crafted instruments from Japan, learning powerful taiko music from professional players.
| Date | |
|---|---|
| ODAIKO Mini Intensive with Tiffany Tamaribuchi | March 30, 2019 |
| FREE Trial Class! (Sat 2-3:45pm) | April 06, 2019 |