My First Taiko Performance

Today I had my first taiko performance with my Tsuyama taiko group!  Many friends asked for photos and/or video of today's performance.  Unfortunately, I got neither, at least on my own camera.  I did snap a couple shots on my iPhone later of the hall we played in.  One person got video on her camera, so I will ask if I may get a copy from her at our next rehearsal.

This performance was held in a concert hall, the same hall in which I saw the piano concert that I also wrote a blog entry about.  The event today was a sort of cultural festival celebrating various Japanese performing arts, including dance and music with unfamiliar stringed instruments, aside from taiko.  It was an honor to perform on this stage, but I must admit, it took me by surprise.  I haven't performed on stage since I was still a college student, and during my time at NAU, I became well accustomed to the boomy, echoing qualities of our dear Ardrey Auditorium.  I forgot that many concert halls have a much dryer sound, this one included.  My shock was partly due to transitioning to a full concert hall after practicing in the small room at the community center where the walls shake when we practice.  Making that transition, I felt as though we were playing into a vast openness where there was nothing to bounce our sound back at us.

I performed the first piece of our set, which consists of 4 main pieces.  We also added a song, sung to a 6/8 rhythm, into the set for which I got to walk back on stage and play along, but normally the set is just "Tsuzumine, Sakura, Matsuri, Danuchi."  I played a drum called the okedou-daiko (I will get a picture of it up soon) which is the taiko drum that is slung around the shoulder and played to the left side of the body.  It has drum heads on both ends that can be played and I got play on the back drum head a couple times in the piece I played today.  Our group has two of these drums, and Kumi-san plays the other.  She taught me my part, and I've only been playing this drum for about 3 weeks (5 rehearsals in total).  It was a challenge, but also very fun!

 This was the last group to perform today, they did a dance.

That's Kumi-san, the other okedou player, in the blue t-shirt in the front.  She plays taiko and dances!

This is the view of the hall from the upper level after the event had ended.

This is the sound/lighting/tech booth on the upper level in the back.  Sorry for the poor quality.  We were on our way out as I snapped this.

This is my awesome new t-shirt with our logo on it.  During the performance, we wear the traditional getup of taiko outfit-goodness, but after, we all sport these stylish matching T's.  A picture of the performance outfit shall come soon.

These are our lovely drums, freshly painted.  The o-daiko is the one closest in this shot.  Normally it's up on a stand much higher than this.  The ones on stands are called chuu-daiko, or nagado-daiko, and are the drums that most often come to mind when one hears the word "taiko."  This is the tiny room that we're used to rehearsing in.  Definitely a change from the concert hall!  Next weekend, we perform outdoors, I believe, so that should be a new and exciting performance opportunity.

I really enjoyed my experience today, and I look forward to our next performance in a week.  It'll be another performance opportunity to improve my skills, and snap some better pictures for my next blog entry.