I love taiko. And I love California.
Lisa, Eric, and Karen and I flew to LA to partake in the 5th anniversary celebrations at Asano Taiko US. This is an amazing taiko facility where I've taken many taiko lessons and intensives, and part of the reason why I love taiko so much!
It's difficult to write about this trip. I enjoyed every moment, and it's so difficult to put into words.
My workshops were Drills with David, who I've learned from on a number of occasions. My brain felt slow as I tried to survive some of the more difficult drills! I was blown away by the odaiko workshop with Yosuke, and had so much fun building the mini taiko. It's funny how excited we all were, about building these little drums!
The concert was amazing. For me, the highlights were watching Yuta and Chieko play Hana Hachijo and the final number with Sensei Tanaka, Yoshikazu Fujimoto, and Yuta. Time was suspended and it was like everyone was holding their breath.
After the celebrations were over, we enjoyed a private lesson with Kris Bergstrom to work deeper into Jack Bazaar. It's amazing how long a person can work on a single phrase (ie, Murder), and the level of detail to which Kris forces you to think.
I spent a few introvert days in California after everyone else had left, enjoyed some botanical gardens and the ocean/beach. I also spent some time with Yuta on Omiyage and Yodan. I loved Yodan, and am really looking forward to practicing hard and sharing with the taiko community here in Calgary.
Photos below are from myself and my fried Yuri, who I didn't know was so talented with the camera! She got some great shots!