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One of the finest Taiko groups in Japan, Sukeroku Taiko, was in town this past weekend for a wonderful performance at the Riverside Church for "The Festival of Japan: Drums + Dance", and we were lucky to have them come in for a workshop! It was a very special occasion to learn directly from the Sukeroku Taiko performers. Some members of Biwanko, and the dance group Minbu (民舞) joined us as well. We learned a short and fun piece, a variation of Matsuri music played during Bon Odori, or Bon Dance.
The Sukeroku style of taiko, played on the slant stand, is
very different from our Suwa style but the director and the instructor, Sensei
Imaizumi, taught us that even if we have different styles of taiko, we should
learn from each other and have fun playing taiko. That's exactly how he plays and how he wishes the audience to feel. The great teacher teaches
more than the techniques and Sensei Imaizumi taught us how to be a good
taiko player besides learning the techniques. It was truly a wonderful experience. Thank you Sukeroku Taiko!
