Level up!
There are lots of ways taiko groups and music educators can level up - from building your skillset and learning new songs to expanding the ways you bring in revenue. I’ve had an interesting journey to get where I am, with years spent teaching (from individuals to huge groups), performing (from tiny venues to nationally televised events), and fundraising (from scrappy kickstarters to $500,000 grants), and would love to share all I’ve learned to help your group thrive! Click for full descriptions, and email with questions about pricing or choosing a workshop that’s right for you.
LEVEL UP YOUR SKILLS:
Taiko Fundamentals Crash course
A comprehensive workshop in the taiko styles/drums most common in North American groups: tachi-uchi, naname, Odaiko, and shime. This session will help your group level up across the board by detailing similarities and differences between stance, strike, and grip in these styles and introducing drills to help you improve at all of them. (Beginners, 3 hours)
Straight up awesome taiko: Tachi-Uchi Fundamentals
The most accessible way to play taiko, tachi-uchi is the drum in its basic straight-up style (perpendicular to the ground). This workshop will teach you how to get a solid sound out of your drum in a relaxed, energy-efficient way. Improve your ability to play big and loud with less fatigue while also expanding your understanding of kuchishoka. (Beginners, 90 minutes)
Naname Fundamentals
First made famous by Sukeroku Taiko, the naname (slant) style of taiko is one of the most recognized in North America. Learn the body mechanics behind this dynamic and exciting way to play and drills to help you improve your naname playing. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of tachi-uchi and kuchishoka. (Beginners, 90 minutes)
Who's the boss? You are! Shime Fundamentals
There's a reason you'll often find the best player in a group on this little drum - a taiko group is only as good as its shime player! Learn proper technique and drills to build your ability to set and maintain a strong jiuchi at any tempo. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of tachi-uchi and kuchishoka. (Beginners, 90 minutes)
Get a grip with Odaiko Fundamentals
Iconic and powerful, the Odaiko is one of the most revered instruments in a taiko ensemble. Learn how to approach this honored instrument; stance, grip, strike, and mindset. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of tachi-uchi and kuchishoka. (Beginners, 90 minutes)
Soloing with heart not heartburn
Soloing can be intimidating! In this session, we’ll demystify the soloing experience. You’ll learn simple ways to build a solo and increase your comfort as a soloist. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of tachi-uchi and kuchishoka. (Beginners, 90 minutes)
More Is Better: Playing Multiple Drums
Playing one drum is cool - playing two or three drums is very, very cool. Learn the basics of playing multiple drums well and the secret to artful, rapid crossing over. (Advanced beginners, 90 minutes)
Out of Thin Air: Beginning Yokobue
Never played a wind instrument before? Can’t get a sound out of your yokobue? This is the workshop for you! Learn tricks for getting a consistent sound out of your yokobue and how to read Japanese yokobue notation. Participants must each have a #8 yokobue (PVC ok). (Beginners, 90 minutes)
LEVEL UP YOUR REPERTOIRE:
Bamboo Shoots
Need more songs to teach your beginners? Bamboo Shoots is a great piece for taiko newbies. It builds fluency in kuchishoka and can be played tachi-uchi or naname as a practice or performance piece. (song composed by Rome Hamner) (Beginners, 90 minutes; recommended in conjunction with Taiko Fundamentals Crash Course.)
Sanae Swing
This fun swing piece evokes the sunny days of late spring and early summer, when sanae (rice sprouts) begin to appear in rice fields throughout Japan. Written for beginners, Sanae Swing can be played naname or tachi-uchi and includes soloing. (song composed by Rome Hamner) (Beginners, 90 minutes; recommended with Naname Fundamentals and Soloing with Heart)
Yagura no Chochin
Multiple players on multiple drums - what could be better? This song includes crossing over and movement around drums, reminiscent of chochin swaying and dancers rotating on the yagura at Obon. (song composed by Kristin Block) (Beginner - Intermediate, 90 minutes; recommended with More is Better: Playing Multiple Drums)
Tsukiyomi
Tsukiyomi is the Japanese God of the Moon, and this Odaiko piece tells of his fall from favor with his sister Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. (song composed by Rome Hamner) (Beginner - Intermediate, 90 minutes; recommended with Odaiko Fundamentals.)
Tenryu
Tenryu (Sky Dragon) conveys the freedom, connection, and power generated when we channel our ki -- ALL of it-- into a collective effort. This workshop introduces the rhythms and basic structure of this powerful tachi-uchi piece; your group will require additional practice on your own after the workshop to get Tenryu performance-ready. (song composed by Rome Hamner & Kristin Block) (Advanced beginner - Intermediate, 2 hours)
LEVEL UP BEHIND THE SCENES:
Pulling back the curtain on stage presence
A good taiko performance stands out in technique and musicianship; a GREAT taiko performance stands out in stage presence. Learn how to get out of your head and wow an audience, even if you’re “not a performer.” This workshop employs improv and mime exercises and has very little “drum time.” (All levels, 90 minutes)
On the right foot from Day one
To start a group, you need money, space, drums, and players. You also should decide your fiscal structure, group philosophy, decision-making process....Learn how to approach these challenges in a way that helps your group be its best right from the start. (All levels, 90 minutes)
Making money without selling your soul
Keeping your group going requires hustle and savvy. Learn about the most consistent income streams for taiko groups and how to secure them for your ensemble, including fundraising tips from a reluctant fundraiser who’s raised millions. (All levels, 90 minutes)
Back to school! Great taiko residencies
Teaching taiko in a school environment is very different from teaching in your own dojo. In this session I share my approach to successful programs, built through 15+ years in urban, rural, public, private, and charter schools large and small. (All levels, 90 minutes)
Taiko Coaching
Are you a group leader wondering how to make practices more efficient? A player who wants one-on-one help with a particular issue? A taiko teacher about to do their first summer camp? I can customize a session to help you define, meet, and exceed your personal goals.
LEVEL UP for music and classroom teachers:
Taiko for Percussionists
This experiential overview introduces the ways taiko drumming differs from other types of percussion (i.e., snare, timpani, kit, etc.). Topics include: taiko instrumentation and notations, vocabulary, history of the art form, and an introduction to the full-body integration that makes taiko so dynamic. This workshop is great for those with backgrounds in classical or jazz percussion and western music. (Up to 2 hours)
Unlocking Learning Through Drumming
This session, based on my Orff training and 15+ years of classroom and arts integration experience, covers how taiko (and other drumming styles) can build classroom environments that foster engagement and reward creative risk-taking while meeting state educational standards. (2 hours)
