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Mark H Rooney Taiko

Taiko Instructor & Performer

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Choosing to Hit a Taiko by Jim Barnds

06.03.2020 by Linda Lombardi //

Writing about taiko feels wrong.

On my first attempt to start writing about drumming, I realized that formalizing my thoughts or verbalizing the experience (beyond the occasional kiai) seems fundamentally misdirected.  My core experience of taiko is visceral, and to the extent that I’m in my head during practice, it’s generally not useful to anyone other than myself.  It’s usually not much use to me, for that matter. Those thoughts often take the form of self-recrimination: “Why am I tuning out after the third line?” or “I wish I had found more time to run through this section on my own last week.”  I have many consciously-formed thoughts, but I don’t know how much of it is purely about the drumming versus the intrusion of leftover concerns from work; frustratingly incomplete to-do lists from home; or vestigial irritation from encounters with lane-crowding drivers or wide-sitting metro commuters.  Taiko is sufficiently enmeshed in the fabric of my life that it’s hard to neatly separate that experience from the rest.  There are other folks far more deeply entwined than I am, so perhaps my experience is transitional.

My next instinct is to segue to a Dave Berry-esque train-of-consciousness ramble that attempts to capture my experience of drumming as I’m drumming. Why is hitting a taiko drum so utterly satisfying?  And allow me to emphasize “utterly.” As in “Oh yeah.”  Not the “Oh yeah” that comes out with an ascendant breeziness; I’m talking about the one that rumbles in your chest and comes out with that deep, resonant bass that could start an avalanche. When I’m playing, that satisfaction almost immediately transitions to need, as in “I want to do that again, right now.”  I don’t know what the drum is vibing with, all I know is that it is good. If we sometimes struggle to be heard in the world, this drum is the antidote.  The drum will reward you generously for even a fairly-good hit.  I don’t know that I’ve ever hit a drum perfectly, but I can’t wait to find out what that’s like.

So why do I choose the hit the drum? It’s not an angry experience. The drums never did anything to me. I hold them perfectly innocent in all of this.  If anything, the drum is a partner, like that smart horse in the old westerns that somehow shows up in the right place to allow a quick getaway when needed, that doesn’t flinch when you jump onto its back from a second-story window.  More than that, though, the drum is a translator.  It converts the energy of exertion into communication.  Wherever that energy originates, the drum can turn it into something better.  Frustrations can be re-channeled into something cathartic and even useful.

That’s where it gets interesting. When that energy starts reforming into something external, it can take on a different character. What might have started as annoyance can shift into exuberance. When expressed in concert with others, that inward focus can alter to communal fun. If done even half-right, it even sounds pretty good. Playing three-quarters right would probably feel awesome.  I want to find out.  For me, for now, the best I have are flashes of “pretty good” and that’s enough to pull me back for another round. Giddy-up!

Categories // Taiko Voices Tags // community, taiko, taiko communication

Learning How to Kiai in a Pandemic by Molly Bergen

05.01.2020 by Linda Lombardi //

I was a shy kid who rarely raised my voice, even on the playground, yet as long as I remember I’ve been drawn to the drums. When I was eight or nine, and a recent transplant to northern California from the East Coast, my parents took me to see Stanford Taiko. I was transfixed by the entire thing — the deep pulse of the odaiko that I could feel in my chest, the crisp articulation of a dozen drummers playing in unison, the sudden swells in volume until everyone was playing full out. I also loved the energy of the players, who smiled and grimaced and sweated and yelled through it all. I had no idea what they were saying, but somehow it made sense anyway.

Since then, my love of drumming has taken me lots of places, from school concert band to jazz set lessons, from West African drumming classes to my college “found-object percussion group,” before bringing me back to taiko in 2011, when I picked up a flyer for an “intro to taiko” workshop by Mark H Rooney. Nine (!) years later, I’m a member of Miyako Taiko and the Mark H Taiko Connection.

In my ongoing efforts to become a better performer, kiai (the unintelligible yelling I remember from my first taiko show) has always been a big challenge for me. Kiai is used to convey emotion and communicate with fellow taiko players — to give energy to a tired soloist, for example — as well as the audience. A taiko song could be played perfectly, but if there is no kiai, it will probably sound like something is missing. But knowing all this hasn’t made it much easier for me to do it. I constantly have to remind myself “don’t forget to kiai,” which just goes to show how unnatural it is for me.

Fast-forward to early March 2020. I arrived at Miyako practice to find Mark Clorox-wiping bachi. Everyone was on edge. The coronavirus outbreak had just been declared a pandemic, and state and city leaders were starting to ban large gatherings of people.  We didn’t know it at the time, but this was the last practice we’d be having for a while.

After talking through some recent news developments (including the cancellation of Sakura Taiko Fest, our flagship annual show, as well as the entire cherry blossom performance season), we set up the drums to run through a couple of songs. On that particular Thursday, after a stressful week, it felt great to hit the drum as hard as I could. I was surprised to hear myself yelling, too — and it felt different this time.

Instead of my brain telling my mouth what to yell like it  normally does (“Try yelling this sound!”), I didn’t even have to think about the emotions I should be conveying. I just felt them, and then I heard them coming from my own lips — not actual words, more like primal sounds of all the emotions I had built up in recent weeks of seeing COVID-19 slowly take over and then upend our world. Frustration. Anger. Fear. Grief.

Expressing these all-consuming emotions was exhausting, but it also felt good. And as we moved on to a lighter song, and I looked around at so many people smiling for the first time of the evening, another feeling rose to the surface: immense gratitude for this group of people that I get to play with every week (in normal life, anyway).

More than 40 days into social distancing here in Washington, D.C., taiko practice is one of the things I have been missing the most. I can’t wait for that first post-pandemic practice, whenever that may be — something tells me we’ll need that kiai more than ever.

Photos copyright Thomas Huggins

 

Categories // Taiko Voices, Uncategorized Tags // taiko, taiko communication

A message from Mark H

03.31.2020 by Mark H //

Warm (though distant) Greetings, Everyone!

I am somewhat without words for the moment. I was caught as off-guard as anyone when the world shut down and I went from trying to figure out a line-up for a busy season of performances to trying to figure out which groceries have the best shelf life.

As I come to a place of acceptance, I still harbor the need to provide … SOMETHING for my students, my taiko family and the broader community. Largely, I have the MOST inefficient skill-set to face the “current abnormal” (I refuse to call it the “new normal” as it implies both longevity and business-as-usual!). But, luckily, I am surrounded by people with amazing adaptability and energy for moving forward. Inspired by those people, I am determined to do what I can.

A few quick updates…
  • Intro Workshops for April 19th and 26th are both CANCELLED. We will be sure to get new workshops scheduled as soon as  we can get back to the studio!
  • The Tsuru For Solidarity March and Rally set for June 6th is POSTPONED. We’ll share the new date for this event as soon as it has been set (May not be til Summer 2021, but stay tuned)
  • CONNECT 2020 is currently STILL SCHEDULED for August 1&2. There is of course the possibility that it will need to be postponed, but that discussion is still a few weeks out as we all wait to see how the world changes. In the meantime, deadlines for early registration and full refunds are extended indefinitely until we have more information.
For the time being…

I will work on my virtual game! I am fortunate to have not only a huge backlog of videos from recitals, performances, etc. that I can share, but also space in my house where I can play taiko AND a garage where I can make drums and stands. I also have the materials to make at least a dozen taiko on hand and MANY drums that need re-heading! I intend to put all these resources to work for the duration and be ready to come out on the other side of this pandemic SWINGING (a bachi… at a large drum. I’m not a fighter!)

Please stay connected!

Even though we can’t be together in person, the Mark H Taiko School lives on!

  • Check out our newly-hatched Taiko Voices blog featuring members of the Mark H Taiko community from long-time players to newer students!
  • Visit my YouTube channel for past performances by my students, Miyako Taiko and others (with exponentially more content coming soon!)
  • Follow me on social media: I’m MarkHTaiko on both Instagram and on Facebook
  • And, of course, feel free to explore my website – there are quite a few items to discover!
And stay tuned!

I will do my best to keep y’all up-to-date as we generate new content online and plan for the future. In the meantime, everyone please take care of yourselves and loved ones, continue to connect at a responsible distance and show your support for all those on the front lines – medical care workers and other essential fields. Try to patronize local businesses and services much as you can. And, if possible, show some love for your favorite artists and entertainers to make sure that we all have a vibrant world to return to once we all get through this crazy time.

Be Well, Stay Strong, Move Ahead,
— Mark H

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If you’d like to support The Mark H Rooney Taiko School and its various future programs, please consider a donation of any size. Greatly appreciated!

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@MarkHRooney

Categories // Updates Tags // community, DC, taiko

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Random Acts of Taiko

TONIGHT!! In less than 7 hours, (at 8 PM Eastern S TONIGHT!! In less than 7 hours, (at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time, tonight, Friday, 2/19) - Ryo Shimamoto takes to the Meet the Artist screen! Please register ahead of time: https://www.markhrooney.com/event/meet-the-artist-ryo-shimamoto/ See you soon!
Just THREE DAYS!! Feb 19th, 8 PM EST, join us for Just THREE DAYS!! Feb 19th, 8 PM EST, join us for our fourth virtual “Meet the Artist” featuring the (intended) Artists of CONNECT2020! This one is close to my heart as it features my remarkable teacher and taiko-brother Ryo Shimamoto @jdryo!  As it will be Saturday morning in Japan (where he is joining us from), Ryo is recommending lemon tea but also encourages pear cider (which he can’t find in his area but we got him hooked on back at Kristen’s and my wedding...!) Pull up a sofa, set up a viewing device with good sound and get your drink on as we #MeetTheArtist this Friday! #MarkHTaikopresents  https://www.markhrooney.com/event/meet-the-artist-ryo-shimamoto/
Our very first INTERNATIONAL “Meet the Artist” Our very first INTERNATIONAL “Meet the Artist” event features Ryo Shimamoto @jdryo , my teacher from Wakayama, Japan! I can’t BEGIN to convey how excited I am for this - Ryo is not only a talented taiko teacher and artist but is also an endlessly engaging taiko-talker! See you Feb 19, 8 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time - please check for local time). Space in LIMITED so sign up today HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYld-iurj0qHdVyTh_3ufvvyD-rk9FgNtDG  #markhtaikopresents #MeetTheArtist #withryoshimamoto
THIS SATURDAY at 8 PM EST! Mark H Taiko presents a THIS SATURDAY at 8 PM EST! Mark H Taiko presents another in our virtual “Meet the Artist” series - featuring Michelle Fujii and Toru Watanabe AND Unit Souzou ensemble! #virtualMeettheArtist #MHTpresents #unitsouzou
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About Mark H

Mark H Rooney studies, performs, and teaches taiko: a dynamic form of full-body drumming based in Japanese tradition. Mark combines that traditional foundation with a modern sensibility to create performances and classes that are full of energy, endurance, and excitement!

Interested in bringing taiko to your school, organization, or event? Contact Mark H. Mark will work with you to tailor a workshop or performance to meet your needs…
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