ONE members gather to welcome Shane, Greg and the New Year

Pardon my sentimental blubbering. A few days ago in a shinnenkai celebration, with cheers, laughter and more than a few damp eyes, we welcomed two new members to Odaiko New England: Greg and Shane. It was with enormous pride in their efforts, accomplishments and promise that we bestowed on them in our welcome ceremony the rare and esteemed Purple T-Shirt of Membership. This was a huge step for us, because they are the first new folks to join since our Community Group was formed. Two years ago, in a leap of courage and faith, five ONE members invited in fifteen additional enthusiastic and dedicated taiko lovers, and the Community Group became a reality. Suddenly ONE quadrupled in size from an intimate group of five, to an intimate group of twenty. It was a new model for everyone.

This huge and sudden growth has been a challenge: logistically, emotionally, and professionally. How to provide equipment for so many people? How to make group decisions? Train and rehearse so many different skill levels? Distribute performance opportunities fairly? Together (and with the wise guidance of the Fabulous Five original ensemble members), we did it! Sixteen years after our founder Elaine Fong began banging on old tires, we are growing and flourishing. We finally have a real office! Paid staff! Costumes that fit (mostly)! For sure, our equipment could use some upgrading (I speak lovingly of drums such as Mr. Jingles, Harry the Hiccupping Hira, Helen the Holey, and Thumper the shime). But that, too, will surely come to pass.

The admission of our first “new” new members Shane and Greg has led us to think about who we are, what we do, and where we want to go. Some foregone conclusions: (1) we love taiko and want to share our passion; (2) we don’t just want to drum: we want to drum together; (3) we are a family: we share each others’ joys and sorrows, watch each others’ backs, nurture each other as we can, and rejoice in our “in-laws” (partners, families and pets). So welcome, Shane and Greg, to the joyous, passionate and diverse taiko family that is Odaiko New England.

Our newest members sport their purple t-shirts.

I was participating in a special New Year’s event for Cambridge Masters Swim Club.  The swim was broken up into units of 100 yards swum on timed intervals.  I chose 1 minute 35 second intervals for each 100.  All I had to do was repeat that 100 times.

There were 7 people in my lane when we started.  One by one, we launched into our swim, leaving 5 seconds after the person before us.  The first few 100’s were easy, with lots of rest, and plenty of time for our coach (Abe) to check on us.  I felt like it would be a piece of cake.  That didn’t last.  About 2/3 of the way through I started wondering if I was going to make it, but two things kept me going.  One was the moral support of my two dear friends who took a moment to cheer me on, though they had not been able to keep going themselves.  The other was taiko.

What’s good for a taiko player…

Shigeru maintains a stable frame while playing odaiko. (Photo courtesy Lauren Poussard)

I’ve often thought about taiko while swimming, as the two activities have  a lot in common.  In particular, swimming is often like a slow oroshi.  Both involve the careful coordination of your entire body, while keeping to a steady rhythm.  Staying relaxed is a big part of maintaining endurance, and the details of arm movements can really make a big difference in either activity.

Though I’ve been aware of this for quite some time, it’s become much clearer to me in recent months.

At the end of October, Mark and Juni were off in Switzerland for a week, performing with Marco Lienhard of Taikoza.  While they were away, the other ensemble members took over leadership of the community rehearsal.  Each led a separate segment of rehearsal, which serendipitously built up in a wonderful way: from Shigeru’s segment on body awareness, to Kristen’s oroshi involving mindfulness of our motions, to Karen’s segment on observing one another while playing a song.  It was a wonderful practice, and a real change of pace from the previous few months which had included a lot of intense preparations for performances.

One of the many things that really struck me during that practice was something that Shigeru said.  He explained that he’d noticed the importance of maintaining one’s frame across a wide variety of activities.  From taiko to dance, to swimming, golf, basketball, etc., athletes and performers who are good at what they do, are good at maintaining a strong and stable frame.  (You can think of the shoulders and hips as the corners of a body’s frame.)

He is so right!  It doesn’t look good if a dancer dances hunched up on one side, the best swimmers do not twist much as they swim…  This doesn’t mean that people are completely rigid, but rather that they maintain square shoulders and a stable core while staying relaxed.

When we moved on to Kristen’s segment, she talked about using our koshi: starting the motion from the core–so that we aren’t just using our arms to drum–instead we are using our whole bodies.  Engaging muscles in our cores allows for much greater strength and endurance than if we rely on our arm muscles alone.

All this was reinforced by a visit from Kaoru Watanabe a couple of weeks later.  I was lucky enough to participate in two sessions with him, one on body mechanics playing on yokodai, and one on Yatai Bayashi.

Kaoru focused on starting movements from one’s koshi, and allowing one’s arm to follow along.  He broke it down in an exercise that allowed us to focus on moving a single joint to hit the drum, gradually working from wrist to elbow to shoulder to koshi.

He noted the importance of good posture–mostly emphasizing that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to hunch over as we play.

He also discussed the concept of the unbendable arm, using expanding muscles in your arms and back, rather than the strength of one’s biceps to keep your arm straight while under outside pressure.

Here’s a video which describes the same concept:

This is an important concept for taiko because you usually focus on bending your arm as you bring it downward to hit the drum.  Shifting your focus to expanding the arm outwards has a big impact on what muscles you use, how your arm moves, how relaxed you can be while playing, how it looks, and how long you can endure.

…is good for a swimmer.

Much of what Kaoru, Kristen, and Shigeru shared has translated into good advice for swimming.  The first time I jumped into the pool after Kaoru’s visit, I started thinking about those expanding arm muscles; and the more I thought about it, the more I could feel the motion come from my back.  The more I engaged my back, the stronger I felt.

When I swim I’ve always known that the power in my kick comes from my thighs and buttocks, not at all from bending my knees or flexing my feet  (in fact, I keep my knees and ankles almost completely relaxed).  Yet until Kaoru put the last piece in place, I never made the connection that what was true for my legs is also true for my arms.

As I continued my swim this morning, I thought about those connections: the expanding arm muscles, maintaining my frame, finding strength in my core, and using my back muscles to move my arm.  Focusing on these things allowed me to continue.  Though I was tired, I was able to maintain my intervals, finishing the swim 100 yards at a time, stroke by stroke.  I was swimming like a drummer, and I’ve never gone so far in my life.

My snow driving skills put to good use… So much fun to be in a show with such other wonderful musicians… Attack of the curtain!.. Thank goodness for the extra help, or we would have never made it to the next appointment!.. I was certain she’d said “Last time!”… Bananas and a rubber chicken… Testing my new camera by taking pictures of Tiger Okoshi… Good thing I carry my own hachijo bachi… Amazing to see the girls so enthusiastic… MC’ing because I’m loud and the mic is broken… A night sky filled with confetti… 4 shows in 4 days is my taiko limit and when someone offers you nuts, take them!… Great fun to jump into a piece I hadn’t played in 6 months… Improvising on stage as people file in… Too many things to mention… Temporary tattoo for Sheilarae… My first parade and being very colorful… Playing Reimei at dawn… I can’t help but thank my closest taiko friends for letting me drag them to a mountain and order them around… Playing in the back of a pick-up truck and dancing in the street… Manny, the world’s largest athlete introducing us and waiting for Martin Short before we can set the stage… Forgot a drum stand, time to improvise!.. Made our own hachimaki in the time between shows… The ONE family bond is stronger than my personal fears… Canceled due to tornado warning!… Solidified the relationship of performer to audience… This street isn’t big enough for all the noise we make!.. Many amazing taiko groups under the apple trees… So many of us were sick, but we still gave it our all… Even sick, you can’t stop me from fue!.. Almost everything that was said about their dojo, we could echo about ONE. It was amazing to see their strength of community and what it had built… My first MC’ing where I got to think about it ahead of time… ONE working towards its own street fair! Plus I made a new shime stand.

A few of the year's taiko moments.

I feel exceptionally blessed by taiko in 2009. I can only hope for what 2010 might bring.

And so it was that I left my taiko widower and orphans at home to take part in our 2009 Winter Extravaganza on Sunday the 13th at our dojo in Woburn.  And extravagant it was!  We had performances by six taiko groups and guest violinist Yael Bat-Shimon; plus a crafts bazaar, bake sale, auction and reception.

But first, there was a lot of work to be done to get ready.  ONE members and students began arriving as early as 10:00 am to begin decorating and setting up for the event.  I arrived around noon to help set up the reception snacks and bake sale.  It was an unfortunate task for someone who’d forgotten to eat lunch!  Our savior, former Community member Junko Kargula, arrived with sushi, crackers and hot tea.  She was soon followed by Wasna with a batch of her Aussie Lamingtons — not for the bake sale, but for us!  We truly and unanimously adore Junko and Wasna!

Before long our dojo was festooned with holiday cheer.  Christmas trees, garland swags, lights and wreaths transformed our minimalist practice space.   Jasmine’s snow-dusted cherry blossom mural and last year’s wrapping-paper cranes formed a beautiful backdrop for the coming performances.  Karen’s origami and orange tulle pom-pom garlands hung from the lobby ceiling.  We were ready for our guests.

The first group to play was ONE’s Recreational Taiko class.  They played Raku, which Karen and Shane brought back from a visit to Shidara in Japan earlier this year.  As a mom, it’s hard to watch.  I marvel that no one put an eye out or lost a tooth playing this wildly dangerous song on a crowded stage.  But anyone could see that they were having a blast, and the audience loved it.

Recreational Taiko Class playing Raku (Photo Courtesy Wasna Nark-Kasem)

Next up was Wellesley College’s collegiate taiko group, Aiko.  Their song — also called Aiko — was a peaceful and complex exchange of rhythms.

Aiko from Wellesley College playing Aiko (Photo Courtesy Wasna Nark-Kasem)

The third number, Yatai Bayashi, played by ONE’s Taiko Styles class (and yours truly) was a grueling  event for a number of reasons.   Firstly, well, it’s Yatai — a taiko song played in a stomach-burning half-sit up.  Second, we had so many masochists — er, taiko players — who wanted to play, the song took nearly 20 minutes to get through.  And third, I missed six weeks of rehearsal time in the months leading up to the Extravaganza so I played like a buffoon.  My apologies to those who put in a much better effort.  Yatai was mercifully followed by a break for auction- and craft-browsing and bake sale goodies.

Taiko Styles Class: Shime players keeping the ji for Yatai Bayashi (Photo Courtesy Wasna Nark-Kasem)

Taiko Styles Class playing Yatai Bayashi (Photo Courtesy Wasna Nark-Kasem)

ONE Ensemble members returned with Kaminari, in which the thunder god playfully dances and beats his drum against a background of vocals, strings and more percussion.  This is my absolute favorite ONE piece!

The Odaiko New England Ensemble playing Kaminari (Photo Courtesy Hiroshi Hasegawa)

An adult community ed class taught by our own Mark H Rooney at Concord-Carlisle High School played next.  Joining them was Mark’s student from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, jazz musician Tyshawn Sorey.  Their thunderous performance piece, Kiyohime Daiko, did not actually loosen dust and debris from the rafters, nor shake loose any light gels, as is typical in other venues, but it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of power!

Next up was Kashmir, again with yours truly.  Many members of ONE’s Community group had only just started learning Kashmir four short weeks ago.  Well done!

Dave Buerger is ready for Kashmir (Photo Courtesy Wasna Nark-Kasem)

In all, 49 taiko players performed together for a finale piece, Kokyo.  No stage could contain the enormity that was Kokyo, as it was more party than performance.  Hilda and Rita wore jingle bells as they played our big hiras out in front of the stage.  Others played accessories as they danced among our guests in the audience.

Kokyo! (Photo Courtesy Wasna Nark-Kasem)

In the end, I only missed my family a little bit.  As I congratulated David’s daughter on her impressive tennis season, asked Jasmine’s son about his chorale performance earlier in the week, and chatted with Lauren’s mom and Mark’s parents, I realized that I was with my taiko family, after all.

But wait! There are opportunities out there to get a meaningful glimpse into that world without having to throw a wrench in the works. One such opportunity that came into existence recently is the Shidara Residency. Shidara has put together a program that feels like a mini apprenticeship. Their goal is to provide an authentic experience of what it means to be a taiko player in Japan. I had been playing taiko for less than a year when I first heard about it and I jumped at the opportunity and let me say, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Not to mention that it made a big difference in my understanding of taiko.

This was Shidara’s first residency, and while it will most likely evolve and improve over time, they did an amazing job. The residency was two weeks long and took place in April of 2009. The bulk of the residency was spent living and learning alongside Shidara members. Shidara is very dedicated. They live their lives for taiko, 24/7/365. The key here is that you spend your time living as they live. This isn’t a program tailored to what they think North Americans would like to do while in Japan.

This is what a typical day of the residency was like: 0515: Wake up. 0545: Morning taiso then go for a group run in the mountains. 0700: Have breakfast. Squeeze some practice in. 0830: Souji: Clean compound in groups. 0900: Morning workshop. 1200: Have lunch. Clean up. 1315: Afternoon workshops. 1730: Onsen 1915: Dinner. Clean up. 2000: Free Time / Practice 2100: Workshop Participant Meeting 2200: Go to sleep

Shidara put on a mini-performance for us.

For the most part, this is what a typical Shidara member’s day would look like too. There are, of course, some differences. When we did uchi-komi it would last for 15-20 minutes instead of Shidara’s usual 1-1.5 hours. Our practices were structured into detailed morning and afternoon workshops. These workshops were a privilege to attend. I noticed the Shidara apprentices were in the back of each workshop paying close attention and eagerly taking notes. This was obviously a learning opportunity for them as well.

We had workshops covering Bachi and Fue making, equipment maintenance and care, uchi-komi (shime drill), Kihon (basics of Shidara’s style), dance basics (with guest instructor Akira Kataogi), Onikenbai costume history and dance background (with guest instructor Akira Kataogi), and accessories (chappa, shamisen, etc…). We also devoted a day to learning a song called Raku. This is an original composition by Shidara that they have written as a gift to the rest of the world. Their desire is for as many people as possible to learn and play this song, no strings attached. We learned it in a morning workshop and then played it for the local villagers that afternoon as a thank you for the wonderful barbecue lunch Shidara and the villagers made for us.

We made bachi from scratch using locally grown hinoki.	Akira Kataogi performed for us during the dance workshop.

Every aspect of their lives is focused on improving themselves as taiko players. They don’t just practice together, but they live together, which solidifies the group and allows them to draw inspiration from each other and their surroundings. The mountains they live in are often sources of inspiration for their music. And not just big things like that, but other things you wouldn’t necessarily think of…like using their chopsticks in their left hands while eating to improve coordination and dexterity. They truly dedicate their whole lives to taiko.

There is an unbelievable wealth of experiences in a trip like this. A blog post can’t even begin to capture it. An experience like this will increase the breadth and depth of your taiko life. So, visit other taiko groups, attend taiko conferences, see every show you can, listen to every CD, watch every DVD…your instructors didn’t get to where they are by practice alone and neither should you.

Here I am making a fue from local bamboo.	Shidara played for us at the train station as we left Toei cho.

BTW: Shidara is coming to Boston in March of 2010, so if you want a taste of the Shidara Residency but don’t have the time or money for a trip to Japan, then consider a trip to Boston. You won’t regret it. More information can be found on Odaiko New England’s website.

ONE in the late 1990's: We didn't always have a dojo, but we had each other.

It made me remember our roots and our 15-year history as a taiko group– the days where we didn’t have a dojo, the days when we didn’t have drums and we drummed on tires wrapped with duct tape. It’s incredible to realize just how much people can get done when our goals are in line and we work together.

As the martial artists told stories of what Aikido meant to them, I thought of the many times I had tried and failed or tried and succeeded to get through difficult pieces. I find playing taiko to be extremely difficult.  In fact, it continues to be one of the most challenging things I do. Playing taiko requires so much concentration — whether it be the rhythm, timing, kata, kiai, emotion, or the connection you make with fellow players or the audience — each piece takes an enormous amount of effort to get right. Which means that you have to get it wrong a lot before you get it right. There is no way that I could persist in an activity where I failed so much if it weren’t for the people and support I have felt through Odaiko New England. I understood exactly what the martial artists meant when they talked about love. When you watch someone persist and challenge themselves to do something difficult, you can’t help but love them.

One of our final songs was Mahora. It’s a physically demanding piece and I knew that as martial artists they would appreciate it. As I introduced it, I could hear them gulp when I said it was a endurance piece that required stamina and concentration and took ten minutes to play. At the end we got a standing ovation. If anyone understood what it took to play that song, they did.

Saturday night: A little disheveled and sweaty after our performance. (Beth, Cat, Joy, Karen, Shigeru, and Kristen) Photograph courtesy of Zenshinkan Dojo

Joy's orange Crocs match her kayak...

...And the lovely foliage.

I was nominated to write our blog post because I took the pictures.  This puts me in an awkward position — it seems indelicate to boast about one’s own reverse paddling skills in one’s blog post.  (But I am a really awesome backwards paddler!)

Kate puts-in.

Tanya (standing) and Beth arrive.

It took us a while to get organized and into the water, but when we finally did, we decided to paddle downstream, toward Boston.  Our goal was to reach Cronin’s Landing in Waltham, where we gigged in June as part of Waltham’s Riverfest.  It’s three miles away and we’re paddling into a strong headwind.  The water is so choppy our kayaks actually slap the water!

Why is this a taiko blog post?  Well, group kayaking certainly enhances the kumi of kumi-daiko, and the paddles put blisters in places your bachi might have missed.  Most significantly, kayaking is a good prep for Yatai Bayashi, which we’re currently working on in our Taiko Styles class.  Each pull of the paddle engaged my entire core.  I’m happy to have two full days of recovery before playing Yatai again.

We soldiered on.  Though I love that dirty water, I was really pushing it.  Perhaps my companions also would have enjoyed a break now and then, but, like me, didn’t want to be the wimp to suggest it.  Instead, we took pride in how strong we were.  Taiko did this for us.

We made it to Cronin’s landing and rafted together for a snack break.  That was when Kate endured the harrowing near-loss of her Odaiko New England water bottle.  Stainless steel sinks fast!  Luckily, Kate is faster.

Well rested, we enjoyed the tail wind for the ride back, with Ranger Kate pointing out a cormorant and a heron along the way.  We also passed many ducks, gulls and, at one point, ten swans in a cove.  Afterwards, Beth hosted dinner.  We might make this an official annual ONE event.

Kate, Joy, Tanya, Beth and Sheilarae at the end of a 6-mile trip.

Rockin' out on Shin-en

With festival pieces like “Matsuri” and “Shin-en” in our repertoire, it was only natural that Odaiko New England would be invited to perform for the Allston Village Street Fair. Dubbed an “urban Mardi Gras”, this event featured many different bands and performers, and we were thrilled to be adding taiko to the musical stew for everyone to enjoy.

Our presentation for the fair was a bit different than our concerts; we played right on Harvard Avenue, between Commonwealth and Brighton Avenues! We played mainly to passersby strolling up and down the street instead of a seated audience, so we opted to perform 4 pieces as a set which we could repeat as needed for the duration of our time slot.

Due to our limited space, we arranged a setup of three chu’s, an okejime set, and miscellaneous percussion. An advantage of the set rotation was that everyone got a chance to play different roles for each song. Thus, I sometimes played chappa, sometimes uchiwa, and other times a chu daiko.

We played two popular pieces from ONE’s repertoire on nanamedai, or slant-stands – Matsuri and Hachijo. Personally, I thought we rocked out pretty well on Hachijo, and the dramatic choreography of that song made it a crowd-pleaser even for casual observers, compelling them to pause, listen & watch. Another highlight for me was my first-ever opportunity to finally play Shin-en on a chu! For more than two years I’ve had “ji duty” when playing Shin-en, setting the groove with the swing ji rhythm at our concerts and other performances, so there was real satisfaction for me in finally playing the chu part.

After awhile, the two main stages began sound checks for the PA systems and bands, and the volume was just too much for our unamplified drums. We were all set to perform the next song, but how much of it would anyone really hear? Mark came up with a great solution to this impasse: we grabbed all our portable equipment (okedo’s, chappa, uchiwa, kane and fue) and took our brand of taiko on a mini-parade down the street and back again! This unexpected excursion was really fun and made for a fitting conclusion to our performance.

I must add that our merchandise table was staffed by the indefatigable Joy. Despite nursing a sore ankle, she played chappa from her chair for a few songs and efficiently managed our table. And while the rest of us were busy preparing for the next song, or supervising a youngster having a go at playing one of our chu’s, Joy handled inquiries from the passersby stopping to peruse our wares and sign up on our mailing list.

Due to the transient nature of the audience we played for, one of Kenny Endo’s pearls of wisdom came to mind - the notion that at a given concert there will be people hearing taiko for the first time as well as people hearing taiko for the last time, and we want them to have a good experience of taiko. On a warm, sunny, late summer Sunday in Allston, I think we left people in either of those categories with a positive  experience of taiko.

During two of my workshops at Taiko Conference I’d had the opportunity to play on a Remo shime.  Although they don’t  quite have the same sound as the genuine hide drums, I thought they seemed pretty decent.  I guessed that they are less expensive than a lot of natural skin shimes.  Also, as a vegetarian, I’m always wishing that there weren’t animal parts involved in my music-making.  So, I started fantasizing about getting my own Remo shime, but when I found out the price ($625) from Remo’s website,  I figured it would be a while before I got one…

…but what the heck, I’ll see what’s being sold on eBay…

Just what I wanted!

There she was, a used Remo shime, and I won the auction at a price I could afford!

When she finally arrived, I opened the box with glee, but…

“Ew!  It smells like an ashtray!”

Before cleaning, the smoke residue came off on my bachi tips.

How did she end up smelling so bad?  Taiko is such an athletic activity, I don’t think many taiko players smoke.  Maybe she used to hang out in smoke filled bars and nightclubs.  She’s a hard working showgirl.  I think I’ll call her Smokey.

Whatever her past, she’s moved in with us now, and I’ve promised to give her a new and healthy life.  Fortunately, after consulting with the helpful customer service at Remo, I found out that I could clean her heads with Windex and body with furniture polish.  Then with Joy’s help, I changed the rope.  She’s gone from stinky white synthetic to elegant wine-colored hemp.

Cleaned Up and Retied

And thanks to Smokey, I finished 30 days to better shime on schedule!

My Practice Setup

At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, I absolutely love and recommend Kristofer Bergstrom of On Ensemble’s program 30 Days to Better Shime. I first heard about the course while attending this year’s North American Taiko Conference in Los Angeles, California. Not being one to often play the shime (a small, high-pitched drum often used to lead a taiko ensemble), I almost passed the program by without a thought. Luckily, I realized the very fact that I didn’t play the shime very much was exactly why I should sign up. 28 days in, I can safely say that in my 10-odd years of studying music, this course is one of the most singularly helpful and beneficial tools I have ever encountered.

If I had to find fault with the program, it would be that the title does not imply nearly the full scope of what it has to teach. The exercises and drills that Mr. Bergstrom has put together often focus on musical skills far more fundamental than technique for just this specific drum. The exercises in coordination, tempo control, ear training, and basic practice skills (to name a few) are so well constructed as to serve as training tools for fundamental rhythmic ability and overall musicianship. They’re broken down to their very basic forms, allowing them to easily be applied to other taiko, drum kit, percussion in general, and I’ve even used some of them in my guitar playing.

30 Days is ultimately as simple to use and to complete as it is useful. The entirety of the course can be completed with a single pair of drum sticks and a practice pad, and if you’re willing to practice in front of the computer, all of the materials can be downloaded for free. After a few weeks of practicing 15-20 minutes a day, I’ve already noticed a considerable improvement in my timing, technique, and consistency, and I would strongly recommend this program to any musician, percussionist or otherwise.