I'm Alive and Well

Wow, an entire month has passed since I last posted. Where did the time go? Last week marked the end of spring session at the Taiko Center of the Pacific. Kirsten-sensei spent most of this session reviewing things like form, bachi control, and soloing. I liked the way Kirsten-sensei divided class time. To warm up, we always began with a 2 minute drum roll. During this exercise, we practiced switching between a fist-grip and a shime-grip. We then transitioned into crescendos and decrescendos. The challenges of this drill included hitting the drum evenly with both sticks and producing fluid crescendos/decrescendos. The muscles in my forearms used to burn after this short exercise. However, now I feel less pain. I must be developing stronger muscles. hurrah! After the 2 minute drum roll, we would run through "Renshu" a few times. "Renshu" typically includes 5 patterns, but Kirsten-sensei introduced a 6th pattern. The kuchi showa for the 6th pattern is:

tsu-ku-don-do-ro-tsu-ku-don-tsu-ku-don-don

I have a tendency to forget the kakegoe when I am playing "Renshu." Scott is the kakegoe master, but he wasn't in the class this session to keep everyone on beat. :P Following "Renshu," we would practice the San Jose Taiko drill, which focuses on developing proper alignment and form. My favorite part of this drill is the "butterfly" motion, which used to be the most challenging part for me. I finally get it! We usually ended practice by playing "Ouichi daiko." We would run through the song three times with the three different x-pattern endings (normal, arm swing, finish pose) followed by solos. Everyone who wasn't soloing played the shimedaiko beat "teke teke teke teke...." After we all took turns soloing, we would return our individual drums and finish the piece with two more rounds of "Ouichi daiko." And to think we accomplished all of this in a 1 hour class! :D

Oh, I forgot to mention "Bachi Hakobi!" I believe Kenny Endo-sensei came up with this drill to help his students practice their stick control. This drill really works my brain. This drill is composed of four patterns. In each pattern, the double beat shifts places. In the first pattern, the double beat falls on the third beat. In the second pattern, the double beat falls on the fourth beat. In the third pattern, the double beat falls on the first beat. In the fourth pattern, the double beat falls on the second beat. If you think my explanation sounds confusing, it's because the drill itself is confusing. lol. The trick for me is remembering when to keep my bachi down and when to bring them up. Actually, the ultimate challenge is playing this piece with another person and having the beats alternate so it sounds like a call and response. My head is spinning after that.

I probably will not be continuing with taiko classes this summer, but I hope to practice on my own when I can. I should also begin to research taiko groups in Kyushu. Less than two months before I leave for Japan! I don't think the reality of it all has hit me yet...