I am so privileged and honoured last spring to be taught, coached, tutored, and mentored by a top-notched North American taiko drum group, indigenous to Winnipeg, Hinode Taiko, for my Annual Principal's Reading Challenge stunt-performance (alias, Tomfoolery).
For six solid weeks, twice a week, six energetic and talented young ladies coached me how to taiko-drum, the traditional Japanese way. The pupil-teacher ratio was 1:6. Who can fail to learn with that kind of learning intensity?
I had a jolly good time learning to do two songs on stage with this august group of artists in June, 2009.
I was so particularly privileged and honoured once more when they invited me this past weekend to take part in their two-day intensive taiko workshop which looked more like taiko boot camp. This time, the pupil-teacher ratio for this two-day workshop was 1:1, with six talented teachers to six "newbies".
Taiko drumming is at once aerobic and intelligently poetic. It works on all parts of one's body, particularly those non-moving parts for those who are sedentary, like me. However, it does not stop there. Taiko, as an art form, requires focus, discipline, and a big portion of intelligence to pull through. Thus, we worked, and we worked hard for eleven hours over the two-day boot camp!
I noticed a special quality about Hinode members. They are exceptionally talented, intelligent, physically fit, rhythmically magical, and oh so caring!
Not only did the group map out the weekend's lessons, they delivered them methodically, incrementally, and most caringly with tons of personal encouragement for every participant. I wish all teachers are like that, exuding the joy of teaching with unlimited stretchability in patience and wisdom.
I am a better person by being associated with this group of artists, teachers, taiko masters, and, wonderful human beings who see gifts and talents in every person.
Thank you very much, Karleen, Margaret, Peggy, Sandi, Dana, and Zoey.
I am so honoured to dance in your shadows and drum in your echoes!
1 comment:
Tom - Thank you for your incredibly generous response and wholehearted participation in the workshop. Your positive attitude to learning makes you a terrific student, and your enthusiasm for drumming makes sharing taiko with you a joy. See you at practice soon!
Margaret
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