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Class overview
Class overview
Berkeley Buddhist Temple Taiko is a weekly class based at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple teaching students the Japanese performance art of drumming called Taiko. We focus on moving our bodies for health, expression, and music.
About Us
About Us
Koh Yamakawa (he/him)
Koh Yamakawa (he/him)
Koh is a Taiko artist, composer, and educator based in Berkeley, CA. Alongside performing around the SF Bay Area, he is an avid Taiko teacher at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple and founder of Club Hachijo, a group focused on practicing the folk art of Taiko found in the island of Hachijo, Japan. He specializes in Set and Odaiko (large drum) style Taiko drumming and actively explores new avenues of creative expression through Taiko as well as through other contemporary performance art based in Japanese tradition.
Trisha Mah (she/they)
Trisha Mah (she/they)
Trisha is a taiko artist, educator, and collagist based in Berkeley, CA. While native to the Bay Area, her taiko journey began in Boston, Massachusetts with The Genki Spark, where she was also a founding member and staff. In addition to teaching beginner taiko classes at Berkeley Buddhist Temple, Trisha currently plays with Oakland-based groups, Queer Taiko and Club Hachijo. They enjoy sharing their passion for taiko with new folks as well as celebrating taiko's significance in Asian American narratives and histories.
What is Taiko?
What is Taiko?
Taiko is a performing art based around playing Japanese drums called taiko. Traditionally, these drums were used in religious rituals, festival music, and as musical accompaniment to theater, among other things. During the 1950's American occupation of Japan, it started being played on a stage, becoming a performance art in and of itself. Since then, Taiko has traveled to America and has evolved to have spiritual, cultural, and musical meaning to those who play it.
In our class, we play Taiko to enhance our musicality, strengthen our health, and connect with its cultural roots. Shown are the oldest known artifacts depicting taiko drums in Japan, circa 6th century CE.
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