Our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, is playing and I badly want to sit down.  It’s not my patriotism in question — I’m just dead tired!  I’m actually playing the anthem on taiko drums,  so that’s another reason to keep upright for a bit longer
Backing up to the beginning:  Odaiko New England formed a [...]

 
For the second year in a row, ONE played for Northeastern University’s International Gala Night. From the general bounciness of Kokyo to the rock ‘n’ roll of Mahora, we were definitely setting off some good vibrations as evidenced by the enthusiastic response of the audience, not to mention the dust floating down from the [...]

Just over a week ago, Odaiko New England founding member Karen Young and advanced student Shane Tysk left Boston and flew to Japan to take part in a two week residency with Shidara.  Shidara is a professional taiko group living and practicing in Toei, in the remote regions of Japan’s Aichi prefecture.
During our trip to [...]

Bachi flew everywhere. So did bananas and the chicken, making its plaintive cry as it flew through the air.

My first live KODO concert experience started with a pleasant surprise. By being at the right place at the right time, my son and I got to go backstage at Symphony Hall before the concert and meet some of the KODO people. One performer was practicing shime-daiko with bachi that were tapered [...]

It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been on a blind date – afterall, what would Mr. Lau say? Yet that’s exactly what meeting Kodo today feels like! Not only do I get to meet members of Kodo, I’ll be driving some of them to our reception after their Boston concert.
Yesterday, [...]

It may have been the first time anyone has participated in a jam-session Miyake with Kodo while wearing an LBD (Little Black Dress). It was certainly the first time I observed such a thing. For sure, a Kodo drummer pounding out a wild, macho Miyake on one side of the drum, with a poised, elegant [...]