Soh Daiko members perform Hachidan. (Left-to-Right: Jane Conrad, Jodi Scharf, Victoria Nishikawa, Anna Croteau)
On Sunday, November 10th, Soh Daiko was thrilled to take part in the 10th Annual Columbia University Taiko Festival. We were deeply inspired by the incredible talent and energy of all the taiko players who came together for this special event! Soh Daiko performed Tsunagu by KODO and was joined on stage by former member Mac Evans for our signature piece Hachidan. Additionally, members Jodi Scharf and Miyuki Takahashi participated in a multi-group performance of Omiyage, alongside other members of the East Coast taiko community, completing an unforgettable program.
Soh Daiko members Jodi Scharf and Miyuki Takahashi.
The event featured an impressive lineup of renowned taiko players and groups. Notable mentions include our dear friend Shoji Kameda, composer of Omiyage and founder of kaDON, an online taiko school. We were also joined by Casual Fifth (led by former Soh Daiko member Mac Evans) and Swarthmore Taiko (led by the East Coast’s only tenured taiko professor, Joe Small), both traveling from Philadelphia. Other collegiate groups included Brown-RISD’s Gendo Taiko, Stony Brook University’s Taiko Tides, and Binghamton University’s Unkai Daiko. Local NYC groups represented by New York Taiko Aiko Kai, OMNY Taiko, and, of course, our hosts, Columbia University Taiko, all added to the vibrant atmosphere. We were also excited to see two high school groups, Ridgewood High School Wadaiko and Pingry Taiko, take the stage—such a promising sign of taiko’s growing presence in schools! As a piece of NYC taiko history, we’d like to share that a founding member of CU Taiko, Akira Baruah, was also a member of Soh Daiko from 2014 to 2016.
For the New York taiko community, it’s a rare and special occasion to have so many groups come together in one place. For the past 10 years, the CU Taiko Festival has served as a vital connection point for both the New York City and greater East Coast taiko communities. Soh Daiko was overjoyed to reunite with old friends and meet so many new taiko players. A huge thank you to everyone at CU Taiko for making this incredible event possible year after year. Congratulations on 10 amazing years, and here’s to many more to come!
Group photo of the performers at CU Taiko Festival 2024. Thank you, CU Taiko and all who participated!
This past Saturday, November 9th, Soh Daiko hosted a public taiko workshop! Workshop participants were taught the basics of a taiko hit, introduced to the Soh Daiko patterns for Matsuri, and educated on the history of Soh Daiko and taiko in the United States. We capped off the workshop with a taiko jam, where participants played together with Soh Daiko members and let loose with their new taiko skills!
Thank you to the participants who came to our workshop; we were impressed by your efforts! As taiko players ourselves, we know how challenging it can be, both physically and mentally, and we are thankful to everyone for staying engaged and focused over four strenuous hours. This year, participants came from all experience levels, from those who had years of experience to those who were completely new to taiko. We also were happy to see participation from a variety of age groups, a true representation of community.
During the workshop, we loved seeing everyone open up and flourish the more we drummed. And, thanks to the participants’ hard work, we were able to advance more than anticipated! We hope that everyone returned home feeling empowered and inspired by a fresh joy for taiko. On Soh Daiko’s end, we were inspired throughout the workshop by the participants and were reminded of what motivates us to continue playing.
Taiko is more than just a musical artform, it is also about giving to and receiving from the greater community. A wonderful part of taiko is spreading the simple joy of drumming together. We always love sharing the history of taiko and our love for the art with community members, and so we are thankful to the workshop participants for being interested and spending time with us. We hope to see you at future taiko events!
Soh Daiko is proud to support the Taiko Community Alliance (TCA)! The TCA is a non-profit organization that serves the North American taiko community, with a mission to “empower the people and advance the art of taiko.” In pursuit of this mission, the TCA offers fiscal sponsorships, hosts educational webinars, coordinates the highly valuable Taiko Census, organizes the annual North American Taiko Conference, and more. By becoming a TCA member, we can help ensure the longevity of the TCA mission.
This year, 100% of Soh Daiko members are also TCA members, so we’re proud to say that Soh Daiko is part of the TCA 100 Club! Soh Daiko has supported the TCA since its inaugural meeting, and 2024 marks the 11th year of our support.
The 2024 TCA Membership Drive starts on October 10th! Visit taikocommunityalliance.org/give to learn more, become a TCA member, or donate.
All the current Soh Daiko members show their support for the TCA!
We are happy to announce we have welcomed five new members to Soh Daiko: Cassidy Hatch, Derek Hong, Devin Wong, Roni Yamane, and Victoria Nishikawa! They joined our trainee program last fall and have practiced with us throughout the year — you may have seen them playing in some of our recent shows!
Cassidy began her taiko journey with San Jose Taiko’s Junior Taiko Program, where she played for 10 years. Outside of Soh Daiko, she’s working on her undergraduate degree at New York University. When she’s not studying or playing taiko, Cassidy enjoys reading, digital art, and baking.
Derek started playing taiko at Brown University/RISD’s Gendo Taiko, where he played for 4 years and discovered a passion for taiko and love for the taiko community. Outside of taiko, Derek studied law and enjoys Wikipedia deep-dives and taking pictures of food that has tragically fallen to the ground.
Devin began their taiko journey banging along to Kodo DVDs as a toddler on bucket-drums, then went on to play for 11 years in the San Jose Junior Taiko program. Outside of taiko, Devin is a musician working in theater who enjoys tabletop games, listening to new music, and writing their own music.
Roni is new to taiko and learned the basics with Soh Daiko just last fall! Outside of Soh Daiko, Roni works as a genetic counselor at a hospital in NYC, and she enjoys running, reading, and catering to the demands of her two cats: Mac and Cheese.
Victoria began playing taiko with Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan at UC Davis, where she played for 4 years. Outside of Soh Daiko, Victoria is a graduate student at Columbia School of Social Work who enjoys reading, scrapbooking, hiking, and watching sunsets.
Cassidy, Roni, Devin, Derek, and Victoria
We are excited to see the five of them grow as performing members in the years to come. Please join us in offering them your congratulations and full support!
