Taiko

TAIKO

Hit one head of a drum and both heads vibrate. They form one tone that is the unique signature of that instrument.

For me, architecture and music are the heads of a drum, an impact in one always sending vibrations to the other.

kuchishoga, a symbolic representation of the phonetic notation of taiko drumming

I have always sought to link my practice of design into my pursuits in music, as well as including my love of music, which includes the phenomena of hearing and sound, into my practice of architecture. It is an ongoing passion which I will pursue throughout my career, seeking the one tone that is my unique signature.

One of the fundamentals of building, our profession, is fine craftsmanship.

One of the fundamentals of musicianship, one of my passions, is rhythm.

I am seeking to find the marriage of those two fundamentals in this travel, to explore the tradition of the Japanese taiko drum.

Leaves of the Japanese Zelkova tree, whose wood is used for taiko.

Image from bowerandbranch.com

HOW

WHERE

Okazaki, Aichi; Minamiaizugun, Fukushima; Matto, Ishikawa - these are but a few locations of taiko drum makers in Japan. They exist in every prefecture, with their own traditions. Newcomers on the scene have traditions spanning 150 years. Others approach 400 years. I will visit the drum makers, intending to observe and learn as much about this craft as possible .

WHY

It could be said the three sustaining rhythm cultures in the world are West African, Native American, and Japanese taiko. In my view, the Japanese tradition is the one that has taken precise craftsmanship of their instruments to a level of refinement that sets it apart from the others. I am seeking the intersection of fine craftsmanship and rhythm, and therefore Japanese taiko tradition has the utmost appeal.

These are traditions that precisely shepherd a process from the cutting of a tree to applying the last coat of varnish. The finished artwork is embodied with a resounding spirit unleashed at the strike of a stick. This inspires centuries of makers, honing their craft to continue and advance with as much care as ever. I hope that exploring this story, environment, and passion with us as designers and builders, who are also continuing and advancing centuries-old sets of skills, can inspire us to continue with care in the same manner.

I will document and share this journey through photos and video, as well as location sound recording and music. The connection to sound and musicmaking this exploration fosters goes hand-inhand with my preferred method of documentation, field recording. All of these will be composed to form an audio/video record available to all of HMC.

Image from http://www.craftsman-times.com/

Image from http://www.craftsman-times.com/