ABOUT ME
MY STORYI joined San Jose Taiko (SJT) in 1993.
I’d never heard or seen taiko before 1992, and my first exposure to it was seeing San Francisco Taiko Dojo performing at a festival a few months prior. I was hooked. I needed MORE of whatever this art form was! I found San Jose Taiko and took a few public workshops.
For 25 years, I performed, practiced, toured, taught, and composed with the group.
I learned to play everything I could get my hands on, from odaiko to okedo, from chappa to chekere, to unusual instruments like the didjeridoo and the kulintang. I dove deep into rhythmic complexities, efficiency of movement, and improvisation as expression. I routinely challenged myself to get better and was never satisfied with “good enough.”
When I left SJT group in 2018, I struggled with what to do next.
I found myself wanting to develop beyond what San Jose Taiko could afford me and our goals were becoming increasingly incompatible. Even though I knew I couldn’t stop playing taiko after leaving, I didn’t know where my path might lead or where to start.
The 2020 pandemic was the catalyst for Tic Tac Taiko.
I’d started teaching workshops to other taiko groups as an independent artist in 2019 and had more lined up at Asano Taiko U.S., just when the world shut down. I still had this strong desire to teach but no outlet for it! And so, with no experience making/editing videos, creating social media content, or even a long-term plan, I started Tic Tac Taiko with the goal to reach as many taiko players as possible who were also cut off from their groups and their community.
I continue to make videos, but also teach workshops.
I taught my first-ever workshop to the taiko community way back at the 2003 North American Taiko Conference (NATC). I continued to teach many workshops while with San Jose Taiko and I continue to do so after leaving the group. Aside from many different NATC, I’ve also taught at the World Taiko Gathering, Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational, Scottish Taiko Festival, and continue to work with various groups and individuals to help everyone play the best taiko they can!
I’m more than just taiko, and that influences my art.
Not only have I been doing taiko for over 30 years, I’ve been practicing martial arts for almost as long. I hold a black belt in Shotokan karate, occasionally teach the art form, and have dabbled in other arts like Tae Kwon Do and Capoeira. I created, analyzed, and compiled surveys and survey data for 5 consecutive NATC in the past. I’m also the Program Manager for the North American Taiko Taikai. I’ve gotten proficient with both knife and axe throwing and have dabbled in metalworking. All of these experiences shape how I think about my taiko, how I approach my teaching, and why I do what I do.
