CONNECT registration opens on Monday!

03.16.2022 by Heather Mitchell-Buck //

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is almost here … time to register for CONNECT 2022!

We’re still working behind the scenes to get all lots of final details ready … but we know y’all are as excited as we are about this so here are a few FAQs:

When does registration open?

You can register on Monday, March 21, starting at NOON (12pm) Eastern time and the link to register will be live on our CONNECT 2022 registration page.

What’s happening at CONNECT 2022?

Everyone who attends CONNECT 2022 will get to take the same 4 awesome workshops – that’s 12 total hours of drumming in 2 days! Because of this unique format, there’s no need for you to agonize over which workshops to sign up for. All you need to do is register!

Your registration includes everything on our full schedule of conference activities …

12 hours of taiko workshops (4 workshops @3 hours each)
Admission to our Taiko Open Mic Night
Discussion sessions with our instructors and other special guests
The opportunity to save on shipping costs for quality taiko equipment from ASANO TAIKO U.S.
And LOTS of great opportunities to connect, including informal lunchtime roundtable discussions and optional night owl/early bird activities

Do I have to figure out my own meals?

We’ve got that covered! All registrations include lunch and dinner on both Saturday and Sunday. If you’re staying on campus, you also get breakfast on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

What about a place to stay?

If you’re coming in from out-of-town, we have on-campus accommodations all ready for you! Your registration covers your room for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights (yup, that’s THREE nights for about the same price as you’d pay for a single night at a local hotel) … which gives you plenty of extra time for taiko camaraderie!

So what’s the bottom line?

Register ASAP and take advantage of our special early registration rates – there are only 80 spots available for CONNECT 2022 and you don’t want to miss out!

Double room + registration: $595.00
Single room + registration: $645.00
Commuter registration: $390.00

Registration opens Monday at NOON! See you then!

CONNECT is back!

11.24.2021 by Heather Mitchell-Buck //

Join us July 30 & 31, 2022!

Are you ready to re-CONNECT?

We are BEYOND EXCITED to announce that after being postponed … twice … CONNECT is finally back!

From the very beginning, it was essential to all of us at Mark H Taiko that CONNECT be the awesome shared experience that we’re all looking for. And ESPECIALLY after too many months of not nearly enough connection, we wanted to be sure that ALL our participants, instructors, and staff felt comfortable playing taiko together and connecting, person to person – which has always been our main focus for this event!

And even though things in the world today are not 100% “back to normal,” we do feel confident that we can deliver that experience this summer! And so, mark your calendars, break out your bachi, and plan to join us in College Park, MD this July for CONNECT 2022!

So what can I expect at CONNECT 2022?

Everyone who attends CONNECT will get to take the same 4 awesome workshops – that’s 12 total hours of drumming in 2 days – with our amazing instructors: Yurika Chiba, Ryo Shimamoto, Michelle Fujii & Toru Watanabe of Unit Souzou, and David Wells! PLUS there will be lots of other great stuff like Taiko Open Mic Night, discussion sessions with our instructors and other special guests, and of course lots of opportunities to connect with your fellow taiko players!

See y’all this summer!!

We’re working to get all the details ready for you before registration opens in early 2022 – make sure to reserve July 30 & 31 on your calendar so you don’t miss out!

Bring on the kumidaiko!

08.28.2021 by Heather Mitchell-Buck //

We can’t wait to get back to our regular taiko classes in just a few short weeks! And because we’re starting a NEW class this fall, we wanted to take a moment to tell y’all a little about it…

Introducing the Intermediate Styles Class!

After the past 18 months, we know everyone is ready for more connection and more interaction – in short, more KUMIDAIKO! So we’re putting our Advanced Skills Class on hold (because that class is more about working on your own individual technique) and swapping in our new Intermediate Styles Class for the fall!

Who should take this class?

If you’ve been part of our Rec Class for a few sessions and took our recent Intro to Naname-Uchi Workshop a couple weeks ago, this is perfect for you! The class combines all the fun and kumidaiko of the Rec Class with a bit more of a challenge. We’ll move at a slightly faster pace and learn the dynamic style known as naname-uchi. Many taiko players (side note from Heather: I am one of them!!) say that naname is their favorite because it opens up all kinds of cool moves and is super-energizing to perform. AND it helps you build on all those great feelings of connection with your fellow taiko players: you simply see and interact with each other in a different way when you’re playing naname. (Trust me, you’ve just gotta try it to understand!)

If you’re a taiko player who’s new to the DC area and you’ve got experience playing naname, we’d also love to have you join this class – it’s a great way to get to know the Mark H Taiko community, keep those taiko muscles in shape, and dig into the nuances of “Matsuri”!

And if you’re a member of Miyako Taiko who’s feeling like you’re ready to up your naname game after being a bit out-of-practice on this style after the past year, OF COURSE we’d love you to join us too!

OK, sounds great! When is the class?

We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings this fall, from 8:00 – 10:00pm. We’ve found this time gives most folx enough time to get something to eat after work, change into their taiko clothes, and make it over to DX for class! Yeah, maybe you’ll be a teensy bit tired on Thursday mornings, but it is WORTH IT! 🙂

Ready to sign up?

Not ready for this class yet?

Never fear, we’re still running our Rec Class! And for anyone who’s brand new to taiko, we have two Intro Workshops coming up on October 23 and December 5!