04.30.04 The TAIKOPROJECT performs to a full house for the student matinee at the University of Washington, Meany Hall! Check out photos here...Thank you to all the students and teachers who came on out!! Photos of backstage madness right here... 04.29.04 Check out the TAIKOPROJECT on the front cover of the Seattle Times' "TICKET" section!! Thanks to reporter Tina Potterf and everyone at the Seattle Times for the great article, which no doubt helped sell the very full houses at UW's Meany Hall! Click here to check out the article 04.26 - 29.04 The Home TAIKOPROJECT cast packs up the truck and send Yuta and Shoji on their way to Seattle! With a quick stop in Stockton, and then Mt. Shasta, and finally arrival in Seattle. Check out the misadventures of Yuta and Shoji here! 04.26.04 The students at TT Minor Elementary School in Seattle give us their interpretations of the TAIKOPROJECT....cute!! Check it out...! 04.20.04 The first show of the Spring, 2004 tour is almost here...preparations are well underway, so look out Seattle...also, more photos added to our residency gallery... 04.17.04 Bombu Taiko and Kitsune Taiko give an even more rousing performance at the Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival! Check out the photos here! 04.11.04 Bombu Taiko and Kitsune Taiko give a rousing performance at the Annual Hanamatsuri celebration at Nishi Honganji. Check out the photos here! 03.29.04 The Spring, 2004 TAIKOPROJECT residency starts! Naoko, Tiffany, and Kelsey return to Los Angeles to join Maz (new nickname - "Fromage Baba"), Shoji, Yuta, Michelle, and Bryan, for four weeks of show preparation and madness. Work begins on funkier Expanding rhythms, the new Pioneers piece, Many Sides arrangement, Home choreography, editing of multi-media sections, and a revamped Omiyage, plus the Encore...check out photos here. Special thanks to Senshin Buddhist Temple and Rev. Mas for letting us rehearse at Senshin for a week before we head into the JAT... 03.22.04 Bombu Taiko hosts a workshop with Kodo's Ryutaro Kaneko!! Thanks Ryutaro and Daniel for sharing "Playing Taiko with a Relaxed Body" with us and hope to see you again soon! Check out the amusing photos here and for more info on Kodo Arts Sphere America (KASA), click here! 03.18.04 John, Shoji, and Bryan meet to discuss upcoming plans for the spring residency and the show. Tickets for Mondavi Center are sold out...video segments of the show are being revamped and improved...and our shimes are in transition from bolts to rope! Also new, check out our new guestbook and drop us a line! 03.11.04 The new tech rider is almost done, the study guide is finished and mailed out, updated multi-media for the show is on its way, plans for the DVD are in full swing, and our new t-shirts are done! Tsunami Taiko's concert up in Seattle last week went really well...On Ensemble's concert in LA tomorrow is sold out! What's next...? 03.04.04 John and Bryan meet to discuss plans for the upcoming Spring residency...Bryan talks to Steve Dung about filming the Mondavi Center performance for our DVD, postcards are mailed out for the JACCC performances, Mich finishes up the study guide, Gerry works on lighting design updates, and Maz works on our touring equipment logistics... 03.03.04 Bryan and Qris Yamashita meet to look over TAIKOPROJECT tour posters... which will be available in April, 2004...also, a second run of t-shirts and merchandise go into production... 02.28.04 Kris, Maz, and Bryan head out to Marina Del Rey to research marine ropes for our shimedaikos! This Spring, our shimes will sport the new look of fine marine ropes and we leave the metal hardware at home... 02.25.04 Now you can listen to songs from the TAIKOPROJECT online! Click the links below to hear three musical excerpts from "(re)generation." Special thanks to Shoji for cleaning up and arranging the pieces!! Expanding, performed by Masato Baba, Shoji Kameda, and Bryan Yamami Hachijo, performed by Yuta Kato and Masato Baba Behind the Odaiko, performed by Bryan Yamami, Eric Chang, Vivian Seki, and Charles Kellogg (2001) 02.23.04 Just received word that our performance at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis is nearly sold out!! There are only 18 tickets left right now, but in mid-April they will release a block of additional tickets to the public. 02.18.04 Tomoko and Bryan meet with Scott LeGrand, one of our potential Spring, 2004 technical directors, about getting all of our technical logistics together. Thanks Scott, for coming on down to Little Tokyo to meet with us! 02.17.04 Mich and Bryan meet to put together the TAIKOPROJECT's school study guide! Packed with taiko history, rhythm and kuchi shoga activities, musical instrumentation, and more, the study guide will be given to teachers at elementary and junior high schools that will be attending our extensive residency activities! 02.12.04 Maz and Bryan meet to go over equipment, packing, touring, and trucking logistics for the Spring, 2004 tour. Work gloves...packing straps...moving blankets...and dollies...oh my. 02.12.04 Spring, 2004 tour dates updated! Check it out on the timeline page--added workshops and residency activities from L.A. to Seattle! Also, thanks to Erik for updating our media page and movie menus and Bruce for updating our splash page!! 02.03.04 The debut Spring, 2004 edition of the TAIKOPROJECT newsletter is out! Click the link below to download! The first issue features segments on our Arizona Tour, the TAIKOPROJECT store and CD/DVD project, Bombu Taiko, Kitsune Taiko, and our updated tour and class schedule!! Thanks to John Ko and Shozo, for your technical assistance with Adobe Acrobat/Reader!! TAIKOPROJECT:NEWS Spring, 2004 edition 01.28.04 Bryan and Derek Nakamoto meet to discuss plans for the upcoming CD/DVD project for the TAIKOPROJECT. Photos also posted from Bryan's trip to Hawaii (visiting Taiko Center of the Pacific, Hilo Taishoji Taiko, and Zenshin Daiko (would have had photos of Kona Daifukuji too, but I forgot my camera on the trip...d'oh!!). And if that's not enough...more photos from Bryan's trip to the Arts Presenters Conference in New York City, and hanging with Soh Daiko folks at their Mochitsuki. 01.24 - 25.04 Bombu Taiko has a busy weekend--preparing for taiko skinning season, painting tacks, restaining taiko stands, sanding some new shime bachi, reorganizing our taiko inventory, and then performing for Higashi's New Year's Luncheon...whew! Check out photos here! 01.24.04 Shoji, Maz, Bryan, and Yuta record audio tracks for p.r. for TAIKOPROJECT's spring 2004 tour. Special thanks to the JAT for letting us set up and do a quick recording session! 01.21.04 The very first TAIKOPROJECT on-line newsletter is almost done! Sign up on the contact page to receive a copy via email! 01.20.04 The TAIKOPROJECT store is now online!! Check it out here!! The store is hosted by Ryan Suda's progressive clothing company, Blacklava. Right now our t-shirts and bachi are available online, and coming soon are posters, postcards, and a second run of t-shirts! Stay tuned... 01.15.04 Bryan has dinner with the staff and Advisory Committee for the Japanese American National Museum's upcoming American taiko exhibition, due to open in Spring, 2005. Our very own Bombu Taiko student Sojin Kim is the lead curator for what is sure to be a fantastic exhibition. 01.14.04 Bryan meets with Kevin Higa, Roy & PJ Hirabayashi, Kenny Endo, and Alan Okada about the 2005 North American Taiko Conference. For this next conference, we are instituting a new system of leadership and programming with an Advisory Board and a new Working Committee. For more info on the 2005 conference, check out the site here! 01.09.04 The TAIKOPROJECT is invited back to perform at the Tofu Festival for 2004... 01.08.04 Bryan flies out to New York City for the Arts Presenters conference to start booking the Spring, 2005 TAIKOPROJECT National Tour... 01.07.04 The TAIKOPROJECT receives notification of the awarding of a $1,000 grant from the L.A. Treasures program, administered by Craft & Folk Art Museum and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department! 01.04.04 Bryan meets with Chizuko Endo and Pono Chong about Hawaii’s forthcoming International Taiko Convention, at what better meeting place? Zippy’s, of course. 01.02.04 Bryan visits Zenshin Daiko in their new dojo, as Wisa and Franco from San Jose Taiko give a basic drills workshop to the junior group. Congratulations on the great new space and your in-progress Ohiradaiko! 01.01.04 Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu!! Bombu Taiko performs for a special New Year's Celebration at the Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo! 12.30.03 Bryan gives a workshop for Hilo Taishoji Taiko. Based at the Hilo Taishoji Zen Temple, this group performs throughout the Big Island and also has a fantastic youth ensemble. Thank you Edith for helping to arrange the workshop and for letting us borrow your Odaiko! 12.29.03 Bryan visits Kona to sit in on one of Kona Daifukuji Taiko’s last practice of the year. Daifukuji alumni Lyanne, Kristy, and Cedric, were back in town to visit and perform with the group. Special thanks to Rev. Tamiya for letting us come and visit practice, and to Lyanne for helping arrange the visit! 12.26.03 Yuta performs with Tanaka-sensei and San Francisco Taiko Dojo for a special tv appearance on the "Life With Bonnie," which will air in late January, 2004. Stay tuned for details...   printable version