My name is Derek Oye and I am currently a student at the Los Angeles Taiko Institute (LATI) hosted by Asano Taiko US. In order to improve my skills and connect with other taiko players, I decided to enroll in the 12-week course “Naname Patterns: Omiyage Chu-Part” on Sundays from 2-3:30pm (http://taiko.la/course/naname-patterns-omiyage-chu-part-sun). All 12-week courses include 7 weeks of instruction by either LATI Principal Yuta Kato or Head Instructor Kris Bergstrom followed by 4 weeks of mentoring by LATI Coaches (all distinguished professional taiko players). The course ends with either a performance and interactive activities with friends and family, or a last day of instruction which is determined by class participants and instructors.
The first Omiyage class began with a short introduction and overview of activities for the 12 weeks. The head instructor, Yuta, then reviewed basic naname, or slant drum, form. Next we learned how to hit utilizing the whole body, a new concept for me and my taiko playing. Instruction continued to basic hits typically used in Omiyage and learning the first few lines of the piece. I am familiar with some parts, yet Yuta made me think critically about hand, arm, bachi, and body positioning in relation to meaning, presence, and feel. The class ended with bachi twirling exercises, something I need to practice at home.
The largest, most exciting and challenging takeaway from week 1 of instruction was a question and goal Yuta proposed to the class: Figuring out what Omiyage means to me as a taiko player and how to express this in my playing. I’m excited for next week’s course and exploring these concepts with the help and guidance from Yuta and my peers.
*Check out the website next week for a post about week 2 of Omiyage class and an announcement for Kris’s next set of classes starting February 6th. Happy New Year!