Walking the Way Reid Shimabukuro
walking the way by reid Shimabukuro
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edicated to my parents, who were always asking how my project was going, to my
sister, who was always asking why I was up so late, and to my good friends at Freestyle Academy, who were always letting me yell in the recording booths during late work hours when I got upset. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty.
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his book could not have been possible without the help of the sta members, directors, and performers of San Jose Taiko, whose love and passion for the activity sparked my motivation for researching this subject. I would also like to personally thank my old English teacher Mrs. Mia Newton for her very insightful feedback and willingness to commit her time to ensuring the quality of my writing.
Table of Contents
9 11 13 19 25 28 29
preface Introduction Chapter one: express chapter two: effort chapter three: essence conclusion works cited
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preface When the prospect of creating a research based documentary was proposed to me by my teachers at Freestyle Academy, I was initially incredibly nervous. We were required to research a subject, conduct interviews, and gather information all to be presented through a research paper(which could be translated into a book or magazine) and either a website, documentary film, or documentary animation. In the time leading up to this project, my head teemed with possibilities for research. What could I explore that really spoke to me? And how could I do it justice? I hadn’t the faintest idea where to begin. All it took was a friend asking “why not talk about those Japanese drums or whatever?” to set me on my way. As I delved deeper into the San Jose Taiko group, I remembered why I had fallen in love with the activity all those years ago. While the thought of arranging interviews and creating a book all while properly
representing the organization that I’ve come to love was certainly daunting, just the thought of researching and learning more made the prospect equally exciting. Over the course of my research I learned how to better communicate and interact with others, along with gaining a better perspective of a documentarian. I had to constantly ask myself about how to best express my subject to audiences or simply how can I get people to fully understand why this art form holds so much significance, not only to me but to its practitioners and fans. By reading this book I hope readers like you truly gain a new appreciation for the art and soul in taiko drumming. There is an unspoken beauty that resides in being able to love and cherish the natural ways of the world or the arts – to internalize the emotions that spark when you discover something that you honestly find beautiful. 9
Introduction
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he stage glows as silence collapses over the massive crowd. Only the faint lull of collective breaths can be heard as figures take to the center of the floor, the hulking wooden beasts they hold rolling gently across the platform. Time seems to slow to a halt as the performers embrace for impact. The first beat springs the ensemble to life. Among the loud booms and cries of pure soul one can witness the sheer amount of spirit and emotion that soars off of each member of the group in sacred harmony with the joy and awe of the audience, pulled into their grand performance. And then, almost as swiftly and soundly as it began, the music that filled the air fades with a large ending strike. The gratitude flowing from the crowd now fills the stage, fueling the flame within the ensemble. This is the art of taiko. Taiko (literally drum in Japanese) is mostly defined as the art of playing on large wooden barrel drums for festivals or ceremonies. Centuries ago, taiko was the instrument of choice for many Japanese festivals, theater groups and imperial courts during the Nara and Heian periods (700-1185 CE), revered in tradition with multiple mythologies and religious tales that associated the drum with holiness and the gods. This rich culture would face suppression with the coming of the industrial revolution and modernization of Japan. This had an
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impact on the arts, with traditional Japanese customs further dissolved as the nation moved more and more towards a focus on technological advancement. Once the 1940s hit and World War II came and gone, Japanese national identity was heavily reduced, and the need for cultural revival became clear. One might have thought that the arrival of taiko to the United States was just as simple as the arrival of Japanese food, music, or animation, but the story of the first taiko dojo in America and its grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka is a marvel of a movement. Initially it began when young Tanaka noticed the lack of the instruments he remembered back in Japan at the local Cherry Blossom Festival he had attended in San Francisco and, wanting to bring the music to the states, founded the first kumi-daiko (taiko ensemble) group in 1968 – the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. With the teachings of Daihachi Oguchi, founder of the Osuwa Daiko group in Nagano Prefecture, Japan in 1951 as well as the “grandfather” of modern ensemble playing under his belt, Tanaka went on to pioneer taiko in the United States, ushering the “First Wave” of American groups. This would lead to the formation of the Kinnara Taiko g roup in 1969, a group dedicated to promoting Buddhist ideologies through taiko, and, in 1973, the formation of San Jose Taiko Dojo by PJ and Roy Hirabayashi.
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express S
ince the group’s founding in 1973, San Jose
perhaps the most proactive group in spreading taiko, San
Taiko(known colloquially in taiko circles as just “San
Jose has toured around the U.S. as well as around the globe,
Jose”)has created a name for itself within both the
performing in countries such as Mexico, Canada, the United
taiko world and musical world at large. However, this desire
Kingdom, Italy, and of course, Japan. This global activism,
to push the art form beyond local spheres was not always what
combined with the group’s impressive repertoire of collabora-
drove the group to play. That same oppressive feeling that
tions with many modern musicians and artists truly cements
lingered in the hearts of many Japanese Americans following
San Jose Taiko as one of the most innovative groups today.
a long tiresome period of internment led to many of the post internees to try and distance themselves from the culture they found a home in. This dry feeling would not sit well with the younger generation of Japanese Americans, who wanted to express their uniquely mixed identities despite their older relatives’ resignation.
This thirst and need for expression is the philosophy behind the founding of San Jose Taiko, which its mission statement captures. As the years have gone on it became clear to the staff and followers of San Jose that this art form was something to be shared with the world. Considered
But there is more to sharing the art form than just music alone. Anyone who has practiced under taiko’s discipline can attest to the principles and ideologies that shape the ensemble as well as begin to influence them as people. This sentiment is certainly expressed by the instructors at San Jose, including executive director and performing ensemble teacher Wisa Uemura, who states that “we [the organization] feel that by sharing our values of community building, empowerment, and equity, as we shWare the art form, we are- and this is the vision statement- connecting people through cultural understanding, creative expression and rhythmic heartbeat.” 13
There is little doubt as to why dedication to taiko drumming has been coined as “the Way of Taiko” by author and taiko veteran Heidi Varian, who wrote a novel of the same name, as it is indeed a way of livelihood, of learning, of striving to better oneself, and of pushing beyond limits, regardless of who you are and where you came from. These values harken back to the vision of expression that founded the group as we know it today. On this ideal of expression, Uemura also says that “it appeals to something that is inherently human in all of us, I think. The desire to have a big, powerful sound or voice, I mean, in this case, musical through the drum, even I think those who struggled to step in front of audiences or a group of people, I think they can connect to that desire to want to be heard.” The first step to really understanding taiko as more than a musical art form is to appreciate that it moves beyond the drum and the music; rather, taiko permeates the heart and soul of each player who channels it. One must understand that, despite its recreational nature in the world at large, taiko playing is, with no uncertainty, a life path of its own.
“...even I think those who struggled to step in front of audiences or a group of people, I think they can connect to that desire to want to be heard.” 14
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effort G
iven taiko’s demand for physical and mental dedication,
While a foreign term, it can be more simply defined as a performer’s
instruction and knowledge of the activity underlies its
stance and appearance when playing. This principle is especially
success. One of the bigger conflicts of modern taiko teaching
important to hone as it incorporates the physical aspects of taiko,
is the problem of inexperience among new groups and their teaching
which encompass one of the most difficult parts of the art form.
methods; a lack of understanding of taiko’s physical requirements and
The most difficult principle to define for taiko newcomers is “ki”,
etiquette can cause many blooming members to develop unhealthy
or more precisely, “energy” or “spirit”. As any person who has seen
habits or fail to understand the history and cultural integrity of the
or experienced taiko can describe, taiko playing emits this sort of
art form.
unique aura, one that intends to captivate and hold audiences.
This issue is important to the First Wave groups, and this is
especially reflected in San Jose’s own cultivated teaching styles. One of San Jose’s most famous contributions to the art form is what have been dubbed the “Four Principles of Taiko.” These consist of attitude, musical technique, kata (stance), and ki (spirit or energy).
Attitude is defined as the mindset and focus one has towards
their work and practice. This is the respect and gratitude one expresses for the art form as well as the teachers and students who are influencing you and helping your success. Musical technique naturally encompasses the intricacies of actually playing the instrument, including the elements of timing, striking, volume, and motion. And then there’s kata.
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“It makes it always seem like it’s… playful and it’s just a really good growing experience.”
This aura manifests in players’ performances in a variety of ways, from their facial expressions and visual energy to their vocal cries; these theatrical aspects engross the audience as well provide a passage for each individual player’s personality and passion for the activity. To put it simply, the energy and spirit that any player exudes when playing can be thought of as ki. It’s essentially what separates taiko from more traditional or classical musical disciplines. So how does one go about teaching this art form to so many people with so many factors involved? Even San Jose in its early days expressed problems with inexperience and dissonance from the original art form. As quoted by Samuel Fromartz of Natural History, “P.J. Hirabayashi, of San Jose Taiko, remembers that young musicians jamming on the taiko drums ‘had no inkling how to play.’” Likely a reflection of this beginning issue, the San Jose Taiko Junior Program is the oldest and largest taiko youth organization in North America, with children being able to learn from about eight years old until they graduate high school. When asked to describe the relationship between teachers and students, junior taiko member Devin Wong said that “I think the relationship between the teacher and the student is really special here – we still respect them as teachers but they still create a really fun learning environment that doesn’t make it seem like it’s work. It makes it always seem like it’s… playful and it’s just a really good growing experience.” The instructors also make an effort to individualize teaching to each student. As another junior taiko member, Anna Sprouse, notes, “they give you really good advice because they can always see when you’re struggling or you don’t feel the most comfortable, so they’ll try to give you tips and they can see what you’re doing wrong or what might help you, so they would always help me with my kiai and being louder that was one thing they would always work with me on.”
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The head of a taiko drum, commonly made from a cowhide.
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San Jose Taiko is also incredibly active in spreading and informing about the art of taiko worldwide, hosting workshops and summer camps and touring the globe. They have even co-founded a group in Canada as well as inspired the taiko movement in Europe, having toured and collaborated with groups there. This desire to spread the art has also applied locally, such as when San Jose brought the three First Wave groups together in 2003. This effort stemmed from an underlying contention that lay between the three groups over what the real definition of “taiko” was in North America. After meeting and collaborating for a grand musical project the groups came to a reconciliation which has led to more positivity within the activity. When asked about the experience, artistic director Franco Imperial stated that “when we started collaborating for this particular project in 2003, it was for us younger generation, we were just sort of wondering, you know, how this is amazing – this is building bridges between groups that maybe had a history that was somewhat checkered, and making amends and playing music together. So to witness that I thought was very cool to see how music could bring people together.” Imperial and previously mentioned executive director Uemura have both expressed their gratitude and willingness to contribute to the company, leading both of them to undertake important directorial positions for the business as well as instruct classes in the junior program. Taiko drumming is, like any art form, still bound by the rules and values of learning and teaching required to give the activity accessibility and enjoyment. San Jose Taiko has proven that with a strong will to spread an art form comes an incredible culture, one that will continue to spread as more people continue to show interest in it and try and understand it.
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essence B
ut like in any activity(such as a sport or other musical
the familial aspect. As both a long time member of San Jose
outlet), the benefits have to speak for themselves.
Taiko and my high school marching band, I have noticed that
Since the introduction and spread of taiko in the
recurring familial theme. The key difference I have noted is
United States the art form has been integrated into multiple
in the nature of the ensembles: while marching bands are
rehabilitation and mental facilities. This integration is
large and have many differing instruments, giving the group a
attributed to the naturally therapeutic effects that come with
feeling of underlying separation. This feeling is fairly absent
the intense amount of mental concentration and physical
in taiko ensembles, as the spiritual disciplines and musical
dedication that taiko requires. As Heidi Varian, author of
congruence makes for a collaborative environment in which
The Way of Taiko, describes, “there is true healing in being
everyone’s success is incredibly reliant on one another. While
able to beat the drum. To join with others and communicate
the concept of dependence for success does exist within
without words is empowering, creating a bonding and
musical activities like marching bands, the fact that taiko
sharing that is both subliminal and kinesthetic. Taiko players
ensembles are typically small, sometimes communal groups
create expression and also react to one another. It is likely
amplifies the sense of community.
this special bond that is the impetus for the phenomenal growth of the art form today.”(35) This is always one of the most important takeaways from the way of taiko drumming –
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San Jose performer Mitchell Fukumoto in rehearsal.
“Taiko is anything but quiet.� 22
The students are fully aware of this effect and enjoy the com-
ist outlook of their parents’ generation and the prevalent ste-
munity that they’ve built. As long time junior taiko member
reotype of the ‘quiet Japanese’ (taiko is anything but quiet).”
Lauren Antonio has described, “we’re kind of one big fam-
The more it became evident that any indulgence in Japanese
ily because we’re really close with each other and you get to
culture might be seen as “suspicious”, older generations of
know one another really well, so… I really like that part.” The
Japanese-Americans decided it was better to try and appear
tight knit nature of this ensemble activity requires a distinct
more “Americanized”, as it were. This left many of the young-
level of cooperation and connection, one which naturally its
er generation feeling stifled, making the desire to re-
members to develop kind relationships with one another. This is best reflected in the communal nature of groups
connect to their home culture incredibly appealing. This post-war need for reconnection was a major
like the native Japanese Kodo ensemble, who spends
factor in the evolution of these early groups, an
about a third of each year on the island of Sado in
unspoken mission statement which drove them through the decades.
Niigata Prefecture where it has its headquar-
Over the years, San Jose Taiko’s group has
ters, practice studios, and housing. Along with being an avenue of great
grown and diversified, and while they still
social connection for practitioners, groups
believe in keeping in touch with the fun-
like San Jose Taiko are also great sources of
damental culture taiko originated from, they
cultural connection and interaction. Even in its founding days back in 1973, San Jose Taiko helped a lot of young Japanese-Americans get in touch with their
have shifted to focus more on the concept of helping their players find their own unique soul and voice.
cultural roots, especially coming off of a post-war era of dis-
Their mission statement may continue to evolve, but
crimination and internment. As Samuel Fromartz summarizes
at its roots, the company will always provide an entertaining,
in the article Anything But Quiet, “Japanese-American youth
beneficial and accessible art form for all to enjoy.
began to explore taiko during the same turbulent times, when they were battling what was viewed as the stiff assimilation-
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conclusion T
he art of taiko drumming, with its roots in the impe-
continue to spread as the years roll on, helped along by the
rial courts of Japan and its migration across the globe,
waves of eager performers who are still willing to discover its
has touched the hearts and souls of many who have
greatness.
fully experienced its depth, whether through witnessing a per-
Taiko is more than just a set of drums on a stage. It is
formance or actually standing behind the drum, it is a musical
a cultural icon which comes packaged with centuries of learn-
and spiritual moment that can never be replicated.
ing philosophies and disciplines that we can still utilize and
As a long time player and lover of taiko drumming myself, be-
continue to learn from. All that it needs is the chance for a
ing with San Jose Taiko has taught me a phenomenal amount,
voice.
and through its rigorous lifestyle and heartfelt community I have only grown. Not just a player, but as a student, and as a person. I have seen the many faces that have gathered together just to enjoy this powerful instrument as one, have watched the glowing faces of audiences who shine with gratitude and appreciation, and have felt the edges of my soul shudder with vigor as I complete a performance. May this beautiful art form 24
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Works Cited Fromartz, Samuel. “Anything But Quiet.” Anything But Quiet, Natural History, 2000
www.fromartz.com/Pages/taiko1.html. Accessed: 6 March 2018.
“Overview and History.” Taiko Resource: Taiko Overview and History,
www.taiko.com/taiko_resource/history.html. Accessed: 7 March 2018. Takata, Takeshi. “The Thundering World of Taiko.” Taiko Resource: The Thundering World of
the Taiko, Taikology Magazine, 1997, Accessed: 6 March 2018.
www.taiko.com/taiko_resource/history/thundering_takata.html. Accessed: 6 March 2018 Antonio, Lauren. Personal interview. 11 March 2018 Imperial, Franco. Personal interview. 2 February 2018.
---. Personal interview. 4 April 2018. Nishimura, Kyle. Personal interview. 11 March 2018. Sprouse, Anna. Personal interview. 11 March 2018. Uemura, Wisa. Personal interview. 11 March 2018. Varian, Heidi. Way of Taiko. Third Millennium Press Ltd., 2017. Wong, Devin. Personal interview. 11 March 2018. 26
Reid Shimabukuro, born April 20th, 2001, has always had his head in the clouds. He always tries to view the world through a creative lens, whether it be through music, drawing, writing or just plain daydreaming. Reid has been an active member of the Mountain View High School music program for nearly three years as a percussionist. He has developed a love for performance and music, including taiko drumming in San Jose Taiko’s junior program for the past five years. Having had a love of both animation and video games his entire life, Reid feverishly dreams of one day becoming an animator for a video game company or perhaps even founding his own independent company. He also wants to become a video game composer and finally visit his country of ancestry, Japan, a country whose animation and video game history has inspired him since childhood.
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Walking the Way Reid Shimabukuro