NATC 2025: Taiko Vegetables

Hello NATC 2025 Taiko Veggie Eater - This content is for you and your group only. Please do not post/share publicly. Thank you!

San Jose Taiko’s Four Principles were developed by the company’s founding generation in the early/mid 1970’s:

SJT’s Taiko Vegetables Workshop breaks down some of the most important aspects of each principle. We hope this offers a framework for development for you and/or your taiko ensemble:

  • Musical Technique: Playing in time, playing with relaxation

  • Kata (form): Lower body engagement

  • Ki (energy): Expressing with intention

  • Attitude: Showing/sharing respect for art form and origins. Beginner’s Mind

Rehearsal Toolbox:

  • Contrast Drills: Explore extremes to increase awareness/ability with tension, musical dynamics, etc.

  • Listening Drills: aka “if you can’t hear the ji you’re playing too loudly” :)

  • Mirror movement / critical eye: sometimes better to show then tell.

  • Sample 2.5 hour rehearsal:
    30” Warmups (focus on mix of flexibility, cardio, strength)
    10” Tie / prep equipment
    30” Shime drills: sweet spot focus
    40” Songwork (drill application)
    30” Songwork
    10” Sweep/clean, bow out

TAIKO FACTS QUIZ 2025 (from SJ Obon Potluck)
Each group must answer 10 questions correctly (at least 1 from each category) before they can get their food. 

TAIKO IN JAPAN

Q: What is kumidaiko? Who is credited with founding this art form? What decade was kumidaiko founded?

Q: Describe three traditional uses of taiko.

Q: Name two taiko groups from Japan.

TAIKO IN NORTH AMERICA

Q: Name the first four taiko groups to form in North America.

Q: Who were the founders of your collegiate taiko group, and what year was it founded?

Q: What east coast taiko group appeared on both Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow?
A: Soh Daiko. Sesame Street (1994) & Reading Rainbow (1987). 

REPERTOIRE

Q: Are you allowed to learn and perform taiko pieces you find on YouTube or elsewhere online? Why or why not?

Q: What is the name of the traditional oral system used to teach taiko patterns?

Q: What does it mean if a composition is open source? Name one open source North American taiko piece.
A: Korekara, EJNK, Tatsumaki, Omiyage, Jack Bazaar, Yorokobi, etc.

COMMUNITY

Q: Name two colleges that are not located on the west coast and have taiko groups.
A: U of N Iowa, UConn, SUNY Stonybrook, St Mary’s U (Nova Scotia), The College of New Jersey, Miami U (Ohio), RIT, Penn State, Princeton, Bowdoin, Wellesley, Columbia,  U of Richmond, Oberlin, Swarthmore, St Olaf, Brown/RISD, Cornell, etc.

Q: What do the acronyms NATC and TCA stand for, and why are they important to the taiko community?

Q: When and where was the first Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational?
A: 1995, Stanford

Q: List these taiko groups in order of chronology: 

  • Kodo

  • Stanford Taiko

  • SJT

  • Taikoproject

A: SJT ('73), Kodo ('81), ST ('92), TP ('00)


EQUIPMENT & ATTIRE

Q: Describe the differences between Japanese and North American taiko construction.

Q: Name three components of a typical taiko costume/uniform.

Q: Which is the most traditional way of wearing a hachimaki:

  1. Low in front, high in back

  2. High in front, low in back

  3. Both front and back the same