classes Archives - Mark H Rooney Taiko

Thanks for an amazing 2022! (plus new classes starting in January!)

12.22.2022 by Heather Mitchell-Buck //

DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA! ありがとうございました!

THANK YOU to all of the awesome folx who have been part of the Mark H Taiko community in 2022!

Our deep gratitude goes out to all of our wonderful students, to the members of Miyako Taiko and MHTX, to all of the phenomenal peeps who attended and supported CONNECT 2022, to the groups that joined us at the return of the Sakura Taiko Fest, and to every single person who’s taken a workshop, attended a performance, watched a livestream, or made a donation in 2022. We would not be here without your amazing energy and support. 🙂

Lots of great taiko coming up in 2023!

Of course we have loads of cool stuff coming up next year – from workshops to performances to another amazing Sakura Taiko Fest to plenty of #randomactsoftaiko! Here’s what’s coming up in January alone …

Introductory Taiko Workshop on 21 January!

There are just a few spots left in our next Intro Workshop, so if you have been wanting to try taiko for the first time (or you know someone who does), this is the perfect time!

Winter Classes beginning on 22 January!

We have three amazing classes coming up this winter session…

As always, our Adult Recreational Taiko Class is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to have hit the big drums in a fun, friendly, and supportive atmosphere!

This winter, our Skills Class will focus on Set Playing and it’s gonna be fun and challenging class for those who’d like to try out playing more than one taiko at a time!

And our Styles Class will continue to work on their Odaiko skills this winter, helping students with previous odaiko experience develop their own styles of soloing and expression.

Don’t miss out!

We know the holidays can be a busy time of year, but trust us … take a few minutes and register TODAY! You do NOT want to miss out on all this amazing taiko and our workshops and classes nearly always fill up!

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Mark H Taiko!

Lots to look forward to this fall!!

08.14.2022 by Heather Mitchell-Buck //

August is here and that means that it’s alllllllmost time for a new season of classes here at the Mark H Taiko School! We’ve got some great stuff coming up (including three – yes THREE! – different classes for you to choose from!), so fasten your seat belts, grab your bachi, and get ready for a busy fall filled with taiko!

Intro Workshops

Sunday, September 11 AND Sunday, September 18, from 5 – 8 pm

If you’ve never tried taiko before, or if you’re looking for a refresher on your taiko fundamentals after the summer break, join us for one of our TWO Introductory Taiko Workshops coming up next month and find out what it feels like to play a drum with your whole body! These workshops are always popular, so claim your spots TODAY!

Adult Rec Class

Sundays from 5 – 7 pm, beginning on September 25

As always, our Adult Rec Class is a great opportunity for taiko players at all levels to get together and have fun hitting the big drums with a bunch of other amazing people! Like our Intro Workshops, this class usually sells out very quickly, so don’t wait to register!

Skills Class

Sundays from 2 – 4 pm, beginning on September 25

If you have taken at least two series of our Rec Class, want to level up your taiko mojo, AND learn an awesome taiko song, join us for a special session of our Skills Class this fall! We’ll be working on bachi control, form, and more … all while learning Mark H’s signature taiko anthem, “Shin-En”! Whether you’re new to playing this song or you’ve been playing it for years, we guarantee you’ll find this class both fun and challenging!

Styles Class

Tuesdays from 8 – 10 pm, beginning on September 27

Back by popular demand, our Styles Class will once again focus on Odaiko this fall! This powerful style is what many people think of when they hear the word “taiko” … and, as anyone who has ever tried playing odaiko can tell you, it’s a challenging and exhilarating experience! This intermediate-level class is a good fit for those who have completed at least three of of our Rec Class sessions.

Plus: Fall Recital!

Sunday, November 20 @ 7:30 pm

As always, our classes will wrap up with an informal, family-friendly recital. Please save the date and join us to see loads of fun taiko! The recital is a great way to kick off the holiday season and celebrate our whole Mark H Taiko community. More details on the recital will be posted here soon – stay tuned!

We can’t wait to see everyone this fall!

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!