The presentation today went by really fast and I felt like I rushed through a lot of my points. Thinking about it now, I felt like I had some sort of anxiety about presenting. Maybe it's because I didn't have a taiko in front me. In the discussion portion of the presentation, a lot of interesting things were brought up that I had never really thought of as well as questions were asked that I didn't know the answer to, but that's exciting because then that means there's a lot more for me to explore!
I find that the subject of the commercialization of taiko that Ryan brought up was really interesting and would have been awesome to do a field study on. In response to this, I do know that composer Christopher Tin makes use of taiko as one of the main percussion instruments in his music - currently Stanford Taiko of Stanford University is collaborating with Christopher Tin and the Stanford Chamber Chorale on his newest album and song "The Storm-Driven Sea" where they will be touring in Thailand this summer. Other forms of commercialization have occurred with TAIKOPROJECT in some more recognizable productions like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM3cZfC0lk0
I have learned much more about taiko after this course. However, perhaps my specific focus on the subject did not work out too well for this course - The [Japanese] American form of taiko and how it is ever evolving and adapting to the values and ideas of the many individuals that are involved. Being a Japanese-American myself and coming from a background far removed from any influences of my heritage, I view taiko more as a connection to its history and not necessarily its traditions. But, that is because I have never learned these traditions and am not quite sure on what traditions we really have in taiko and also who started them, etc. I think it's because I focused specifically on kumidaiko and not just taiko in general. Kumidaiko is all I know though, and having not grown up with taiko in my life, I have a very limited perspective. I would really love to study all forms of taiko and obtain a greater appreciation of the art form and all of its traditions, many of which I do not know.
What I have gathered though is that anyone and everyone can love taiko, and groups are accepting of who plays it. There's no racial or ethnic boundaries that impose limitations on those who can or cannot play, and it really is a melting pot (overused term in this project) of all cultures. What everyone's own musical experiences have enrich taiko in so many ways that it is hard for me to call this "traditional Japanese drumming" as many collegiate taiko groups would say, but more as using these traditional instruments to explore and create music through the lens of taiko. Perhaps one of the best examples I can think of to support this is the group On Ensemble, a group that pushes the limits of taiko and explores many different genres and forms that can include taiko.
http://onensemble.bandcamp.com/music
This is their most recent album titled Bizarre Heroes, and there are some really great tracks on here that are really worth listening to!
All in all, my exploration of taiko will not stop here, but I think I need to focus my research in a bit and find an area of study that I can use to help make research a bit easier. From there I can begin to broaden my horizons in terms of study later on.
Here's a list of links to all the videos I used (or was planning on using) in my presentation today:
Jodaiko - Seijaku Dotou: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApYC2J5NcTo
KODO - Miyake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntCvduEumGI
TAIKOPROJECT - Omiyage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUj0uI0-ec0
Oedo Sukeroku Taiko with Kenny Endo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_9Zu6Een_I
^ This song has very strong influences from Jazz and other genres (that I can't name). It's very catchy!
San Diego Groups:
San Diego Taiko: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUe58sy1tdI
Naruwan Taiko (San Diego community group): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-3JyjVp2EM
UCSD Asayake Taiko (my group): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wpwHh7Vf4U
I thought it was very interesting how taiko is all inclusive and taiko groups can be started to anyone. I've always compared lion dance to taiko at UCSD because we are fairly similar in that it is considered cultural and that there are very large and loud drums. However, the history behind these two arts is very different. While I learned from you that kumitaiko is a new development and isn't attached to too many ancient traditions, lion dance is the opposite. There are many symbolic moves, beats, and gestures that the lion and music will do that is significant of some sort of important Chinese tradition. In addition, although nowadays you can find members of all sorts of ethnicities performing lion dance, there is a lot of territorial aggression between groups, especially since there was a lot of gang association with lion dance even in recent times. Depending on who starts a lion dance troupe and where, they can receive bountiful support or none whatsoever. It is great to hear how supportive the taiko community is and how open it is to learning new things. There are lion dance teams that do push the boundaries like that, but the old school Chinatown-esque teams are very rooted in their traditions and views.
ReplyDeleteI was also very interested to learn how relatively new taiko is. Like the general public you discussed in your presentation, I also assumed that it was steeped in tradition. I think perhaps the reason that (at least in san diego) taiko is so inclusive could be largely because it has not developed to be otherwise. You discussed how it is relatively inexpensive to participate in, as well as how the performers are from mixed backgrounds. It seems to me that since it kind of developed out of other traditions (maybe even as a social, or accessible form of art) it was predisposed to have a less rigid structure.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point. I would say that the reason for why taiko is so accepting of other cultures may be that it has developed in an period and area in which people are generally more accepting of other cultures/traditions. If one is passionate about a particular artform, why tell them that they cannot do it because of their race/ethnicity? Sure the term melting pot may have been used several times, but I think you nailed it on the head with it, Jordan. Side question: did you run into any particular difficulties along the way study a topic that you are directly involved in yourself? Has it changed your perspective on taiko?
DeleteI agree with Amy, it is very interesting to see how taiko has became accepting to people of all different backgrounds. But what was more surprising, to me, is how much taiko has grown in the US for the amount of time that is has been over here. Definitely how quickly it has spread among the collegiate groups. And groups like TAIKOPROJECT and On Ensemble are taking taiko to new heights with the collaborations and blending of new musical styles with taiko.
ReplyDeleteI also find how taiko is so accepting to be interesting. Not only does taiko accept people from all backgrounds, it seems to be very open to adding different music styles to its sounds too. One question that I had soon after you finished your presentation was about how martial arts came to mix with taiko. Was this something that was found with early taiko? Also, does taiko normally choose certain martial art styles and possibly stay away from others to give off a certain appearance too? I ask this second question because I remember how you mentioned that some taiko groups dress up in Japanese attire to give off a Japanese look, so I wonder if there's a preference for martial arts that look more "Japanese."
ReplyDeleteI think, like everyone else, that the inclusive nature of taiko is really interesting, and on the surface, a bit surprising, but, as you presentation showed, taiko is a relatively new form of drumming and in its conception began with influences outside of Japanese culture. Naturally, I think, that would mean that taiko would be a very accepting music, taking whatever outside influences that suits it and becoming incredibly diverse in sound, depending on who was playing it and where they were from. One of the concerns that I asked you about after your presentation was about the propagation of Orientalism that seems to be inherent in the presentation of taiko. I was wondering if you knew of anyone who was working to separate taiko from the image of Orientalism and educate audiences on its origins. Do you have any interest in doing something like that?
ReplyDeleteI would like to try to separate some of the Orientalism attached to taiko, but I must say that the attire that we wear can contribute largely to the performance aesthetics of taiko. I don't know anyone who wants to separate this image though, as I believe that some of the attire is attached to very traditional practices where taiko has some had some part of influence. For example, taiko is heavily used in Gagaku music (Japanese court music)
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OA8HFUNfIk
as well as in festivals (obon and matsuri). It is because of some of these types of events and situations that the attire is worn. I see North American taiko as an evolving art form though and would be interested in seeing new ways of performance attire and the presentation of taiko. Perhaps in my presentation I was a bit too negative on this outlook, but I must say that audiences should acknowledge that taiko was never always this way (ensemble drumming) and originated out of jazz practices.
I find it so strange that taiko came to be as we know it because someone connected the idea with big band jazz. I don't know if you can answer this but why did the creator or taiko make this connection. Also was maintaining traditional Japanese culture a part of it? or was it just some idea that people adapted, and is all encompassing because it was created with no real cultural intent and it just sort of formed its own culture?
ReplyDeletei never knew much about taiko before so this presentation was really enlightening haha. and although i know i already mentioned it in class ... i still find it SUPER interesting that taiko isn't really japanese. it is just so mindblowing to me ... which brings me to the question of why? why do i find it so odd that taiko is actually an american phenomena? i suppose it's because of the way in which it is presented. it seems to me to not show itself as it really is. for me, the TAIKOproject performance where the drummers wore normal everyday american clothes was the most "authentic" in that it was not pretending to be anything that it wasn't. taiko is a fusion of styles ... it is the re-appropriation basically of a traditional japanese instrument to play american music. and i think that the visual element has a lot to do with that perception of what it is ...
ReplyDeleteWell... perhaps I went a bit too far to say that Taiko isn't Japanese. It is still a very large part of some aspects of Japanese culture, even in the group drumming setting. However, there is a pretty big difference in the way that kumidaiko is approached from both a Japanese and a Global (the Americas and Europe) standpoint. I think it is slightly becoming more of a Japanese American thing due to the rise of taiko groups outside of Japanese-American culture events. Groups originally were started out of Buddhist churches and events related to other attempts at reclaiming lost cultural practices after the events of WWII. But now that there are many community taiko groups and many that start in the universities, there is definitely a whole lot of room for development into its own unique entity. I think that Taiko is still Japanese in its roots and some practices, but it is a hybrid of both Japanese and American traditions.
DeleteIn my examples, I didn't show a whole lot of the more traditional songs or rhythms that one could encounter, partially because I wanted to focus on North American taiko because that is currently all I really know. There are songs that portray the religion and culture of Japan (Shinto and Buddhism to an extent) and the rhythms, and sometimes the movements relate to this. A good example of this is the Hiryu Project:
http://www.hiryu-project.com/hiryu.html
Perhaps because many view taiko as an attachment to Japanese culture, myself included, we tend to think of the Asian-ness of the traditional instruments. It is because of this that we can see the Orientalism attached to taiko. It's not a bad thing, but it is something I would like to look into further.
If I had gone to some cultural event or concert and seen a Taiko performance, I guarantee that my first thought would have been about how ancient and traditional the practice is. It still amazes me that Taiko is in its infancy as a musical artform.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, do you feel as though the japanese-american form of Taiko has changed so much from the Japanese form that they're to completely different cultures? Or are they just subcultures with slight variations? Where do you draw the line and how do you make that decision? I think the fact that these questions even arise is a testament to the fact that we as humans are always seeking to categorize everything we come across, whether it be species of organisms or genres of music.
I didn't know Taiko was such a young tradition...that was very good to know! I only wish I'd been a taiko performance at UCSD, seeing as I know so many people involved with it. The communal & inclusive aspects of Taiko are things I didn't know about until your presentation & I think those are things that other musical genres & practices can learn from. I think there is far too much exclusivity in so many musical forms & to learn that Taiko is not of this ilk is very encouraging.
ReplyDeleteHey Jordan, I watched you and Elaire perform in seminar last year and I thought you guys were prettty cool. I actually very much enjoyed your presentation and your emphasis on what we know as taiko not being traditional Japanese even though that is what many believe (perhaps even falsely lead (not necessarily bad)) with the foreign clothed people with big big drums. It reminded me of food and how people will recommend say, a Thai restaurant and tell me that it's "very authentic." Most of the people who say this wouldn't know. For all they know they've been lead to believe this by the decor or even simply the language spoken by the employees. I know some people who will not step foot in a Japanese restaurant that isn't owned and staffed by Japanese. At the same time, I've been to several Japanese restaurants owned by Japanese that aren't traditional as they try to cater to American tastes. I found your description of your experiences with taiko to be similar as what we know is more a Japanese-inspired American custom than traditional Japanese.
ReplyDelete