Contact Kristina McGaha

Kristina brings with her to the role both taiko experience and business acumen. She has played taiko for close to 30 years, having learned the artform originally from Stanley Morgan. Many know her as the Director for Suzuyuki-kai Mogan Daiko in Tucson, Arizona. Now, she enjoys teaching children taiko and will be doing a collaborative summer camp class with fellow Tucson group Odaiko Sonora.

Kristina holds a Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership. Her work as a business consultant and freelance grant writer have helped to shape many growing organizations. She is also a published scholar and recently wrote a self-help book in 2020 entitled Dr. Widow under the pen name Zarina Garrison. Kristina reports that she is especially excited to be returning to TCA in this role and continue to help support the taiko community.

Contact Brandon Pierce

Brandon Pierce is a native of New Orleans, LA and a current resident of Greensboro NC. Brandon brings almost 10 years of corporate IT (Information Technology) experience and another 8 years of fundraising experience including corporate philanthropy. In his spare time, Brandon enjoys spending time with his wife of 8 years and his 4 little kids (6, 4, 2 years old, and a new baby who arrived in February of 2023

Contact Gregory Wada

Gregory (he/him) loves performing, composing, teaching, organizing events, and writing about taiko. He is an instructor at the Northern California Koyasan Buddhist Temple and the founder and Executive Director of the Davis Cherry Blossom Festival. Gregory is a former Artistic Director of Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan, where he was a member for both his undergraduate and graduate education in Anthropology at UC Davis. Gregory is a contributor to the Young Buddhist Editorial and former president and editor for the publication of the Center for Archaeological Research at Davis. As a yonsei Japanese American Buddhist, Gregory has a deep appreciation for the history of North American Taiko and the ways in which it continues to connect communities, tell histories, and envision worlds to come.