What has your taiko journey looked like?
I played with Stanford Taiko for four years, took classes with Jimi Nakagawa at Kallan Nishimoto’s studio in Oakland for two years, and learned from Kaoru Watanabe many years later when I was living in NYC. Over the years, I’ve learned from an incredible mix of taiko greats through various workshops, and the Intercollegiate Taiko Invitationals and North American Taiko conferences have been so meaningful. The performance jitters and adrenaline rushes at Stanford Taiko spring concerts, jamming out at taiko parties in Oakland, and playing on stage with 200 other New Yorkers at a Shakespeare in the Park performance — these are just some of the priceless taiko memories I have. Taiko challenges me in a good way. It makes me feel happier and lighter. But what I absolutely love most about taiko is the community and the friends that I have made along this incredible taiko journey.