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Mark H Rooney Taiko

Taiko Instructor & Performer

Happy Fall from Mark H Taiko!

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person wearing grey socks stands on wooden stairs with pumpkin, leaves, and coffee
photo by Alex Geerts on Unsplash

It may still feel like summer here in DC (how many more of these 90-degree days are we going to have?) but we know you’re as ready for those warm and fuzzy fall feelings as we are!

We’re super excited to be back in the taiko zone again after a summer break. Our Fall class series kicked off this week and we’re loving all the great energy all of our students are bringing to the Recreational Taiko Class and Advanced Skills Class! Don’t miss the opportunity to see all of these great folks sharing that taiko energy at our Fall 2019 Recital … our Mark H Taiko recitals are always fun and family-friendly events and they just keep getting bigger and better every year.

Mark is also super excited to bring his newest venture, The Mark H Taiko Connection (aka MHTX), to the venue where he first saw taiko 22 years ago! Boston-area friends, come out at see MHTX at the Manjiro Festival in Fairhaven, MA this Saturday!

And for those of you looking ahead to 2020, we’re excited to announce our next Introductory Taiko Workshop, which is coming up on January 12 … our last several Intro Workshops have all sold out, so if you or a friend wants to sign up, don’t wait to register!

And now … bring on the pumpkin spice! 😉

Join us for July Workshops!

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summer to do list

Summer is a time when many of us try to take things a little easy … and in that spirit, the Mark H Taiko School will be taking a brief “summer vacation” in the month of August (though Mark will see some of you at the North American Taiko Conference!).

But before we do, here are all the details on our awesome July workshops! We just KNOW that you don’t want to wait until the fall to get your next taiko fix, so go ahead and register today!

Sunday, July 14, 5-8pm

Introductory Taiko Workshop

Whether you are new to taiko or just want to brush up on the fundamentals, if you’re interested for this, register soon – our Intro Workshops have a history of selling out! This workshop is open to ANYONE – if you are interested in joining us for our next Rec Class series, this workshop is the right place to start!

Sunday, July 21, 5-8pm

Odaiko Like a Boss!

Whether you are new to the form and looking to learn the basics or inspired to take your odaiko solo to the next level, don’t just play odaiko – odaiko LIKE A BOSS! In this workshop we will start with basic form and technique, learn multi-leveled drills to challenge any level of experience and build stamina and even explore the creative process for building solos. This workshop is open to anyone who’s taken at least two full series of our Rec Class or who has equivalent taiko experience!

Sunday, July 28, 2-4pm

Make your own Gomikan Taiko!

In this workshop, you’ll not only learn how to make a practice drum out of a heavy duty trash can and tape (lots and LOTS of tape!), you’ll also leave the workshop with your very own completed model to use at home so that you’re ready to roll when our classes start up again in the fall! (Ready to ROLL … get it?) This workshop is open to pretty much anyone who would like to make their own practice drum!

Sunday, July 28, 5-8pm

Taiko Drills from Basic to Insane!

If you’ve been looking for more ways to practice taiko at home, don’t miss this workshop – drills are the perfect way to keep your taiko momentum going between classes and work on speed, coordination, ambidexterity, and bachi control – in short, all the foundational skills of excellent taiko playing! This workshop is open to anyone who’s taken a full Rec Class series or who has equivalent taiko experience.

See y’all in July … and stay tuned for info on our fall classes coming SOON!

Save the date for summer workshops!

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calendar with notebook and laptopSummer is a time when we’re supposed to relax, but somehow, it always ends up being a really busy time – there are vacations to plan, pools to swim in, barbecues to attend, and lots of ice cream to eat!

As you’re planning all your summer fun, don’t forget to save time for TAIKO! Although we don’t run a standard 8-week session of our Rec Class or Advanced Skills Class in the summer, we know that it’s just not possible for you to go all the way til September without a few chances to hang with your taiko peeps!

With that in mind, here are some dates to reserve on your calendar…

Saturday, June 29, 5:30-7pm

Bon Odori Workshop

Learn folk dances from one of Japan’s favorite summer festivals! Open to ANYONE: no dance or taiko experience required!

Sunday, July 14, 5-8pm

Introductory Taiko Workshop

Whether you are new to taiko or just want to brush up on the fundamentals, if you’re interested for this, register soon – our Intro Workshops have a history of selling out!

Sunday, July 21, 5-8pm

STAY TUNED!

We’ll reveal all the details of this workshop soon – but we can tell you that it’s open to anyone who’s taken at least two full series of our Rec Class or who has equivalent taiko experience!

Sunday, July 28, 2-4pm & 5-8pm

STAY TUNED!

W H A T ? ? ? More mystery workshops?! Yup, you know it! After all, we don’t call Mark “the world’s most dangerous half-Japanese/half-Scottish solo improvisational taiko artist” for nothin’ … we like to live on the edge here at Mark H Taiko! There will be TWO workshops on this date and BOTH of them are open to anyone who has taken one series of our Rec Class! We guarantee that these workshops will give you plenty to practice and keep your taiko mojo going until our fall classes kick off in September.

Watch this space for the rest of the details and we’ll see you this summer!

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