COVID-19 Resources
Hosted by: Karen Young and Derek Oye
Featuring: Shoji Kameda, Tiffany Tamaribuchi, Yeeman “ManMan” Mui, Michelle Fujii, Wisa Uemura, and Mark H Rooney
Thank you to everyone who joined us on March 18, 2020 for our webinar, Taiko & COVID-19: Sharing Experiences and Information from the Taiko Community sponsored by the Taiko Community Alliance and Women and Taiko.
As a means of surfacing key issues we are facing as a community, a collection of over 140 individuals gathered together to share information and perspective. Through presentations from community leaders followed by small-group breakout sessions, our facilitators engaged participants on a wide variety of topics as they pertain to our lives as taiko artists and enthusiasts during these ever-changing times. This video collects those presentations by our community leaders as a jumping-off point to future conversation and action.
In response to the questions and concerns we have heard and to serve the many different people and positions faced by our taiko community, below is a compendium of resources about COVID-19, support for artists and arts organization, and ways to keep taiko and art active in our daily lives. These are all resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists. The Taiko Community Alliance is not affiliated with nor endorsing any particular resource here, and any choice to utilize tools or programs through this resource list is at your own discretion, but we hope they can prove useful!
If you know of resources that you’d like to add to this list, please submit them via the link below. We’ll review and share your resources with the community here! If you are looking for resources on a certain topic and have yet to find any, let us know and we’ll keep an eye out, and in the meantime start a wish-list here of the information we’re looking for.
About COVID-19
What you need to know, resources for the community, and information for healthcare professionals curated by the CDC.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed interim guidance for businesses and employers to plan for and respond to COVID-19. The interim guidance is intended to help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. The guidance also addresses considerations that may help employers prepare for more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19, in the event that this kind of transmission begins to occur. This guide is not intended for healthcare workers.
Learn about the World Health Organization (WHO) and their work to build a better, healthier future for people all over the world.
From the Taiko Community Alliance
TCA's Community Zoom Channels
The Taiko Community Alliance is offering TCA members access to our Community Zoom channels, which do not restrict users to the 40-minute limit* of a free Zoom account. Reach out to Paul Sakamoto at paul@taikocommunityalliance.org for more information.
*This 40-minute restriction has been lifted in some areas, but how long that lift will last and how the allocation of this free time extension is being determined is unknown at this time.
The second round of TCA’s Emergency Relief Fund closed on July 6, 2020. Visit the site for more information, and reach out to TCA Program Manager Kristina McGaha (kristina@taikocommunityalliance.org) with any questions.
Arts organizations have been deeply affected by the Shelter in Place policies of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In response to this, we convened a group of organizers who have been bringing their programming online via streaming services such as Livestream, YouTube Live, Zoom Webinar, and more. Our panel will walk you through the process of planning your next “live” event, including platform considerations and lessons learned.
Considerations for Returning to Playing/Practicing/Performing in Person – A series of slides developed by the Taiko Community Alliance with support from Karen Falkenstrom/Odaiko Sonora. What could it look like to return to taiko during an ongoing pandemic?
From the Taiko Community
RE-IMAGINING A NEW WORLD was a series of virtual gatherings over the span of 4 weeks in the summer of 2020, made urgent by COVID-19 pandemic and the BLM, anti-racism movement. The program welcomed participants to join in a virtual practice to address racism, anti-blackness, systemic oppression and activism together as a Taiko Community. 23 taiko thought leaders facilitated unique topics that were personally relevant and authentic to each of them.
Learn more about this project and read stories, view shared resources, watch video interviews, and more at Korekara Project.
Keeping up with Taiko Practice (Remotely)
Welcome to the 30 Days to Better Shime program! This free program provides one month of daily exercises for small drum practice. You simply download the workbook and companion CD, get out your practice pad and batchi, and follow the daily instructions!
Originally created for the 2008 Collegiate Taiko Invitational, over 600 taiko players in 14 different countries have now used the program.
Here are some tips when storing your taiko drums for an extended period of time. Remove drums from their covers and place them on their sides. Make sure there is plenty of airflow, and avoid direct sunlight. Placing the drums upright can cause moisture to gather between the drum heads and floor. This can degrade the sound and/or cause mold.
Learn Bon Daiko, the style of drumming that accompanies the Obon Festival.
DIY Taiko is created by Chung Wan Choi (Chung), who is frustrated with the limited access to practice instruments, which is essential to one’s taiko learning. Tire drums are easy to make and plays well for beta style (upright). However, they are bulky for storage and difficult to imitate the proper naname (slanted) angle and height. To solve these problems, Chung researches and designs effective practice instruments made of simple materials found in recycling centers and hardware stores.
Learn Dokokara through weekly lessons released every Wednesday!
From kaDON: “We are offering everybody a complimentary 30-day Gift Subscription to kaDON.com during this time! Our team hopes that this small gesture can help you, your group, and the larger community access resources to continue practicing no matter your situation during these uncertain times.
You can redeem this Gift Subscription here: https://kadon.memberful.com/gift?plan=46143
Click on the link above and gift this to yourself, using Coupon Code “STAYCONNECTED” at checkout. You will receive an e-mail with a link to activate the gift subscription. Please let us know if you have any questions on how to redeem this! If you’re already a kaDON subscriber, this process will extend your existing plan by 30 days.
A 4-part series by Isaku Kageyama from the Los Angeles Taiko Institute (LATI) on Odaiko Fundamentals, including demonstrations of various grips for playing Odaiko, distinct strokes for playing Odaiko, the relationship between timbre and stick speed, and the basic stance for playing Odaiko.
A 2-part series on maintaining the bolts on a shime daiko, followed by a demonstration of every shime bachi available at Asano Taiko U.S.
Resources for Freelancers
The CBC has compiled a list of resources for Canadian artists & freelancers currently impacted by COVID-19, including Emergency Funding, Advocacy Groups, Online Training Resources, Health and Mental Health Resources, and Temporary and Remote Job/Volunteer Opportunities.
A massive compendium of resources aimed at addressing needs specific to freelance artists.
President Donald Trump signed legislation granting paid leave to those impacted by coronavirus. Do you qualify? Here’s what you need to know. (This also includes freelancers and other self-employed individuals.)
Resources in Support of the Arts
Notable tool include a “By Location” utility to find local organizations with programs to support artists and art organizations.
Updated regularly, Grantmakers in the Arts is sharing resources and guidance on Covid-19 virus and encouraging grantmakers to support their grantees in treating their funding flexibly in these difficult and rapidly shifting circumstances.
As disaster response and other agencies strive to control the wildfires and help residents of California, CERF+ is reaching out to artists and arts organizations in affected communities to provide emergency relief and useful recovery resources.
The Northern California Grantmakers has a series of online discussions to work together to form a philanthropic response.
Ghost Light Arts has created a Slack channel for artists connect, collaborate, and share resources during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak.
The Musicians Foundation provides grants to U.S. musicians in any genre in a time of acute need due to personal, medical, dental, or family crisis, natural disaster, or other emergency situation.
Curated by the US Department of Arts and Culture, this list focuses on how to care for ourselves and our communities during these times.
Resources for Nonprofits and Small Businesses
The NFCC has put together a collection of resources for managing credit card debt along with tips for homeowners, small business owners and student loan borrowers to have easy access to information and tips as we navigate the uncertainty of the next few months. NFCC member agencies are available to help those experiencing job loss, temporary loss of income, or financial hardship during this time. Certified nonprofit credit counselors are available by phone 24/7.
The U.S. Chamber has compiled CDC’s coronavirus recommendations for businesses and workers across the country, including sharable graphics based on the CDC’s latest guidance for businesses and employees.
SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for a small business. These loans can provide economic support to small businesses and nonprofits to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. Interest rates apply.
Full directory of local chamber of commerce. Find the local chamber of commerce near you and near your business.
The U.S. Chamber has compiled CDC’s coronavirus recommendations for businesses and workers across the country, including sharable graphics based on the CDC’s latest guidance for businesses and employees.
Livestreaming / Web Conferencing and Remote Learning Tools
For educators and IT administrators preparing for potential school closures affected by COVID-19 — or currently facing closures — here are a few ways to engage students through distance learning, including Google Hangouts Meet premium features, now free to all users through July.
This is a Discord guide for beginners, and a basic Discord tutorial in which you learn how to use Discord on browser, and Discord tips and tricks. If you use YouTube – for taiko sharing taiko practice or performance videos, or anything else – this is a particularly great tool for you to collaborate!
Vimeo’s live production team offers advice on how schools, event coordinators, marketers, and more are evolving their event strategies to optimize engaging live streaming experiences.
A Guide to Livestreaming on HowlRound TV |HowlRound Theatre CommonsThe HowlRound team shares a primer on livestreaming, in the hopes that people will consider using HowlRound TV as an alternative or enhancement to in-person gatherings.
Recommendations from WhatsApp on how to say connected with your community during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
For the Love of Art
As international governments take increased precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus, museums, fairs, and festivals are facing closures and delays. Here’s our latest on the coronavirus’ effect on the arts, updated daily.
“Here are some of the most fascinating, immersive concerts, museum tours and other virtual experiences you can explore from the comfort of your own couch.”
No matter if you enjoy taking or just watching images of space, NASA has a treat for you. They have made their entire collection of images, sounds, and video available and publicly searchable online. It’s 140,000 photos and other resources available for you to see, or even download and use it any way you like.
Academic publishing has made higher education textbooks free to access online. All 700 textbooks published and currently available in HTML format on Cambridge Core can now be accessed free until the end of May, regardless of whether they were previously purchased. We are also providing free access to research related to the coronavirus. The Press plays a global role in education and research and shares its University’s mission to contribute to society through its work.
Webinars
For US-Based Freelance Artists and Cultural Workers in all Disciplines. Join HowlRound plus a group of artists, arts administrators, and others from around the US who discussed how COVID-19 is impacting freelance artists (those who identify as independent contractors) from all disciplines and where artists can look for support in this complicated moment. The conversation will focus on shared resources (legal, advocacy, how to take your work virtual, finding emergency funding, and financial best practices in crisis) and building and grounding our national community.
Struggling with your student loans? Helping a spouse/partner/friend/client with his or her student loans? Please join the American Federation of Teachers and the Student Borrower Protection Center for a free webinar discussing how to manage your student loans during this public health crisis.