Taikoza- Japanese drums and bamboo flutes

East Coast NY, CT, PA, NJ, VA, MD, RI, MA for other locations minimu of. 3-4 shows or extra travel costs

Learn to play Japanese taiko drums. Students will discover the fun rhythms of Taiko Drums. Some warm-ups and dances will also be part of the teaching.
Students will learn some basic words in Japanese.

Taikoza presents a unique and exciting program using Japanese Taiko drums (that weigh up to 200lb drums) and bamboo flutes. The program will take you on an unforgettable journey through Japan. It will take students to different areas and through the seasons of Japan.
Students will be experiencing a new culture in a fun and exciting way, they will get a chance to see and at times touch the ancestral drums. The taiko drum has the power to touch everyone with its thunderous sounds and vibrations. Taikoza hopes to open the students' eyes to the richness of the Japanese culture and spark an interest. We hope that this will spark an interest in other world cultures. Taiko has been associated with many aspects of Japanese culture since ancient times. It is said that Taiko was used to drive away the plague and evil spirits. In the Shinto religion, it was used to call upon and entertain the gods, or kami, and in Japanese Buddhism, its sound was the manifestation of the voice of the Buddha.
What your students will experience in a performance by Taikoza:
Taikoza's programs can be tailored to your school's specific needs and interests. In a performance by Taikoza your students may experience:
They will hear and see taiko songs. Taiko is often compared to martial arts as the drums are played in a very physical way using sticks that are look like baseball bats.
They will hear songs played on the bamboo flutes.
Some will get a chance to play on the drums and interact with the performers.

Students will:
- learn about a new culture and learning about its history and the context in which the music is used.
-learn Japanese, opening their minds to a new music that they are not familiar with, new scales and melodies.
- learn about the importance of teamwork to create harmony. Also that each member of a group is important to create the harmony of the group.
-learn about the importance of practice to achieve a skill
- learn about taiko, the background , how to play the drums, when they are used and how they are made.
-learn about bamboo flutes
-learn about Japanese festivals

The mission of Taikoza is to advance public interest and understanding of Japanese and Asian music and performing Arts; to expose the public to music from Asian countries through workshops, performances and production of new works incorporating elements of Asian music; to provide musicians with a forum to expose their work to the public and to conduct any lawful activities which may be useful in accomplishing the foregoing activities.One key point of the organization is to present programs of the highest quality. Our mission is to bring programs of the highest quality to schools, communities of different backgrounds, and people with disabilities.East Winds, Inc. presents more than 200 concerts (live and virtual) a year. Performances range from school educational performances (in public and private schools in the five boroughs) to Concerts in Colleges and theaters and free community programs. Each year, East Winds presents over 200 performances and workshops worldwide. Concerts are held annually in New York City at Symphony Space and other venues. During the summer, East Winds presents free concerts in the parks in the five boroughs of New York City, reaching out to audiences of all ages and backgroundsreas of the city in low-income a.One of East Winds' accomplishments is that it has been able to continue its program live and online during the 2020-2022 pandemic, with a nightly live mini-concert held on the roof of our building in Inwood ( from March to September 2020) and live concerts held in Europe in late summer and early autumn of 2020. Taikoza has also done tours throughout the country ande international internationallyconcerts, worksh since 2020. Morops, and teaching artist conferences in Italy are planned for the coming year.The organization’s board comprisessian women (Fili predominantly Apino, Chinese, and Japanese). We developed programs to include women performers and international teaching artists' educational programs to be more conscious of the environment, with annual conferences for teaching artists about sustainability, led by our teaching artist, Patricia Cruz (Filipino-American background).The performing groups have been led by some of the top Japanese musicians in the Americas: Masayo Ishigure and Marco Lienhard.

We have presented school assemblies in colleges worldwide since 1995. The programs are very popular with audiences of all ages.

Letter of reference from Regina Larkin, Manager of Education Programs

“Taikoza under the direction of Marco Lienhard

has been working with us over a decade and, Taikoza is an

integral part to our

Asian Studies program. Here at Symphony Space we integrate cultural arts

programs

into the Social Studies curriculum for the Department of Education

public and charter schools as well as

private schools in the New York City

area. Taikoza are an excellent team of artists that have worked with

diverse

communities and ages. (Pre K - adults) Not only are the students entertained

with traditional music,

dances and stories of Japan but they also are filled

with content that deepens students understanding of

traditional and

contemporary culture of Japan. They are interactive with students that span

learning

Japanese words, playing drums, listening to the flutes or hearing the

stories behind the traditional songs

and dances they present. They acknowledge

teachers and students by creating a setting where all

participate and feel free

to ask questions. Students definitely take away a deeper understanding of the

culture and people. The power of the Taikoza drum, the enlightenment of the

flute and the beauty of the koto

resonates in our students minds years beyond

the initial workshops and/or performances.I highly

recommend Taikoza to visit

your school for they are valuable educators who are dedicated to the culture of

Japan.

Sincerely,

Regina

Larkin, Manager of Education Programs

SYMPHONY

SPACE

2537

Broadway at 95th Street

New

York, New York 10025

212

864-1414 ext. 212

212

932-3228 fax

Regina.larkin@symphonyspace.org

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