Home again, home again, one two three.

It's been a while, but now feels like the perfect time to pick up the blogging reins again.
The good people of Wai Taiko have just returned from our three-week trip to Japan, to celebrate the group's ten-year anniversary! (We went to Japan to celebrate. Coming back was not the bit to get excited about. Just thought I'd clear that up.)

Japan was amazing. And hot. And inspiring. And enlightening. But mostly hot. Really, really hot.

For most of us, it was our first visit to the Land of the Rising Sun, but there was no time for culture shock. We were essentially thrown in the deep end and told to swim or sit on the bottom and sulk, so we broke out the doggy paddle and didn't stop. Three weeks continuously on the go: drumming, walking, workshopping, performing, watching other people performing, eating, sleeping, travelling, dying of heatstroke... it was full on. Culture shock is for the weak.

Speaking for myself, I returned to New Zealand completely amped about taiko and my place in that worldwide puzzle. The people we met and drummed with were so awesome, and every workshop I did fair set my head alight. I felt no urge to put the fire out either, as unhealthy as that sounds. Let's hear it for wobbly metaphors.

Now, back in New Zealand, I can't stop thinking about it. I want to improve on my control and speed for shime, my technique on fue, and I want to have a go at writing my own songs. In short, I want to push myself a little further than I have been; I want to improve.

I dearly hope I'm not alone in that.

Last Wednesday's practice - the first night back for me - was really good. We messed around with a few rhythms to begin with and moved on to practicing some of the new bits and pieces we learned on our travels, followed by the resuscitation of a few old pieces. I'm sore now, I must have done good.

The Japan trip is not something I'll forget in a hurry. So many intense, hilarious or otherwise memorable moments, and so much food for thought when it comes to drumming!

Go team. Wai Taiko World Tour 2020?

Counting down to Christmas...

well, it's been pretty quiet on the homefront for a little while now. Which can only mean that we have been working our poor people so hard that they have no strength left for typing!
While the previous post explains how physical taiko can be, it does not compare to lugging trailor loads of wood around a farm to build a bonfire! Or the stamina required to do 2 performances in the hot sun and then teach 20 people that have never held drum sticks before how to play together in a way that transduces the beats from noise into music.
Ah yes, very fulfilling stuff.
We had a very successful bonfire night thanks to the Taylors generous hospitality and everyone making delicious soup and cakes, and have been drumming all over the place.....and now we are embarking on our very own royal variety performance! (sans royals).
It's all coming together rather nicely, but it's going to be a surprise for all of us on the night as we won't get a chance to see all the acts before the show.....
we've been practicing up some Christmas taiko songs though which makes for an interesting cultural mix :)
and in the middle of all of that we are trying to write a brand new song for ourselves!
we are definitely earning our Christmas holidays!


- michelle

Ow.

I think I'll write another blog entry. Seeing as it's been a while, I'm bored, and I can barely move...

Well, it's certainly been a while since I've actually been seriously sore from taiko. When I first started, I'd be aching all week, getting back to normal just as the next practice night rolled around... Then I'd be sore for another week. That hasn't been the case for a long time. And though I may be too late to say "Welcome home, Michelle!" in this blog, I'm certainly feeling the effects of her recent return! Ow.
Okay, so I'm not completely immobile or anything. Don't want you lot thinking I'm completely soft - though I know my weakness is my weakness (haha...) - but I've definitely noticed the difference in our usual practices over the past few weeks.

I think everyone agrees that the endurance training is great, even if you do really feel it afterwards. I find myself focusing much harder on strike, stance and all those little fiddly details, while simultaeously trying to go hard and not burn out! I hope we keep up the drills in some shape or form. Hooray for totally not-subliminal subliminal-messaging!

And as for that nest 'exercise', wow! Seriously funky and cool. Can anyone else see that in a Seiryu-esque set up or is it just me? I'm especially excited about this one because I've never had a chance to play more than one drum at a time before. Can't wait to learn more of it!

That's all from me for now, I think I'll hobble off and do something else. If I can manage. Hmm.
~Iris

Random stuff

Hey Iris, can we change the colour of the text of the blog? I can hardly read it....

I've just been youtubing - I recommend it for inspiration for what's good and bad!

This ones a young, American group using lots of hip hop - do you recognise the tune the fue plays at the beginning?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhcdw0XhUJU&feature=related

This one is the one I showed in class of Marco playing with a group in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There are 2 girls who do solos and there is a marked difference between them - see what a difference confidence, energy and sharpness make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZxrK6P-FJE

And this one is another young American group. The first half is ok and then it really ramps up with a change in performers - the choreography is amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3ilm7EXYZ0

Roll out the barrel...

Okay, second post, second author.

So, now that you know what Wai Taiko does, and what they do it with (and if you haven't, that link to the website might come in handy about now) you might be interested to learn a bit more about how we get good enough to do so.

Training for the group is twice a week, Monday's and Wednesdays. Two hours each, usually, so that's four hours of classes together. But it doesn't stop there. We get homework to practice on, depending on which songs we're learning we might work over tricky sequences, or just try and drill our timing into something coherent.

Our group's unofficial slogan is 'One Drum', and it's also our goal. To get in perfect synch with each other, so that our entire group sounds like the fall of a single stick onto one drum, that's what we aim for.

Sometimes we get there, sometimes... not so much...

But, we're off fundraising now, so enough blogging.

Mark

Let's get the drum roll... rolling?

Hello, hello, and welcome to Wai Taiko Blog!
This will predominantly be the ramblings of a junior member of Wai Taiko (that's me!), but I'd like to convince other members to write to it as well, so it'll hopefully become something of a group project.

First things first, a little introduction is in order. Wai Taiko is a Japanese drumming group based in the mighty Waikato, specifically the mighty Waikato Uni. The group was formed in 2000 by our wonderful leaders, Lianne Stephenson and Michelle Miles - who is currently in Japan going to workshops, festivals and all manner of exciting things. We're all so jealous! The group's first drums were made out of wine barrels by Barry Stephenson, who just so happens to be Lianne's multi-talented father.

Highlights over the years include performing at the premiere of The Last Samurai and The Big Day Out.

Anyway, more info on the group and taiko as a whole is on our website, so enough about the past already...

Those of you who can do math will notice that the group is nearing its 10th anniversary, and we have plans to go to Japan mid next year... More on that later.

To jump ship once more on my subject, we held a public workshop last night. We had a good turnout and everyone seemed to pick it up quickly and enjoy themselves, which is the main idea, really.
We went over basic rhythms (doko doko; san doko etc.), stance and strike, then progressed on to swing beats and a bit of minaguchi. Then miyake, which I more or less taught, with some guidance from Lianne, followed by seiryu, always the crowd-pleaser. There was an almighty "AWWW!!" when we finished that one. We warmed down, chatted and went over twirls a little too. Then it was time to put the drums to bed for another night and depart.

Well now it's done. Goodbye for now!

~Iris~