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Newsletter - October 2010 |
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Next free lecture and hands-on demonstration: October 29 |
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Taiko: What is it? Come find out at our free lecture and participatory demonstration on Friday, October 29 at 7pm. Please RSVP by email to info@etaiko.org. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to play the big drums, this is your chance! |
New classes starting November 4 and 6 |
Classes for beginners are held every Thursday from 7pm to 9pm and Saturday from 2pm to 4pm. We accept new students on the first Thursday and Saturday of each month.
Please check the schedule below and go to the Classes page on our web site for complete and updated information.
New students are required to attend an orientation a half an hour before the first class. The class is $15 plus a one-time $5 registration fee (cash or check only, includes Member Handbook). Please email to let us know you’re coming before attending your first class, and have a look at the
Frequently Asked Questions page on our web site. |
| Thank you David Lingren |
In August Emeryville Taiko said goodbye to David Lingren.
During his five years with us, David was a pillar of support for the group. Not only was he a dedicated student with a wonderfully positive attitude, but he also volunteered hundreds of
hours doing crucial work on nearly every aspect of the organization. To name a few, he served as treasurer on the board of directors, maintained the website, managed all the bookkeeping,
accounting, and financial transactions, attended City of Emeryville meetings on behalf of the group, and took on just about anything that needed to be done. He also participated in many, many performances...with a smile.
We will miss him very much and we wish him well on his future travels in Nepal! |
Upcoming performances |
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Saturday, October 9
Emeryville Taiko will be playing two songs at 1:30pm at Yoshi’s San Francisco for The Flip Side of Yoshi’s: A Day to Celebrate Traditional and Contemporary Japanese Arts. The event costs $20 and will include participatory workshops, a light buffet lunch of Japanese delicacies, and performances of dance, music, and poetry.
Saturday, October 16
We’re performing at noon at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco for the opening of the art exhibition Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism.
Sunday, October 17
We’ll be setting up along the Great Highway in San Francisco and drumming at 8am for runners in the Nike Women’s Marathon.
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Meet the Student: Jeff Shoji |
Emeryville Taiko: How did you discover Emeryville Taiko?
Jeff: I’d been interested in taiko for a long time and I started looking around for a dojo here in the Bay Area. I found Emeryville Taiko, but I was dragging my feet on getting started. It’s funny, because it was Stacy (my girlfriend) who saw a Craigslist ad for the free lecture/demo and invited me to go. I must not have read the ad right, because I was expecting the demonstration to be a performance. I was surprised when Sensei said, "All right, pick up some sticks!" I was really excited and liked it a lot, so I started coming to class.
ET: How long ago was that?
Jeff: That was the end of September, and then I started taking classes in October.
ET: So you’re coming up on your one year anniversary - congratulations! Looking back on the year, what have you gotten out of taiko so far?
Jeff: As musician, it has opened my mind to percussion in a way I’m excited about. Also, I love and enjoy the people I play with. It’s a great community!
ET: Were you a musician already?
Jeff: Yeah, I play electric bass.
ET: Wow! Tell us more about that.
Jeff: I’m in a fledgling band; we’re almost ready to start playing gigs. It’s hard rock/progressive metal/experimental music. We don’t have a name yet, but the placeholder name is A Peaceful Massacre. It may not stick though.
ET: Have you been a musician a long time?
Jeff: Since the late 90s.
ET: How has taiko impacted your music?
Jeff: I’d like to merge my two interests and have a taiko ensemble that plays with a rock band.
ET: What else do you do when you’re not playing taiko?
Jeff: I enjoy walking and biking around the East Bay. I’m pretty active in my union. And generally I enjoy tomfoolery and shenanigans.
ET: What is your union?
Jeff: The SEIU--Service Employees International. I’m the secretary/treasurer of the local chapter and involved in some of the local committees.
ET: What do you do for work?
Jeff: I work for the city of Richmond, doing database work reporting for the workforce development program.
ET: Do you have an ET story you’d like to share?
Jeff: Through E-Taiko, I’ve gotten to play at the opening of a Giants game, Solano Stroll, in a beautiful little room--all kinds of cool gigs.
ET: Anything else you’d like to say?
Jeff: There is no adequate way for me to express how awesome the students and sensei are. I feel like I am part of a really nurturing and fun community. And, there’s great diversity of ages and backgrounds of experience. I like that we can drum together and also have a good time outside the dojo.
ET:Your last name is Shoji. Does that mean you’re Japanese?
Jeff: Half. My dad is Japanese.
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Recent performances |
Solano Stroll
There were 21 of us playing, and even though we were limited to three short performances of two songs each, we made a big sound! As usual, the Stroll was very popular, and at each of our time slots the crowd was jostling for a good view. The kids’ group gave their first public performance ever! We also participated in the morning parade with sling drums, chappa (hand cymbals) and other narimono (accompaniment instruments/noisemakers). Some of us were wearing gigantic sumo wrestler costumes and carrying banners.
Oakland Chinatown StreetFest
We were the closing act of the festival, right after the magician. At one point he inflated a large balloon and proceeded to pull himself completely inside the balloon and pull it down over his head. It was a tough act to follow, but taiko is always a good crowd pleaser. We played three songs, and the MC shouted with us and elicited entertaining comments from the audience. We liked the venue, and the audience enjoyed the show from all sides of the stage and from the balcony above.
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Welcome new students |
We would like to welcome our new students to the Beginning 1 classes:
Brian, Christa, Jono, Skylar, Sushu, John, Allen, Kalen, Eveline, Joti, Karl, Linda, Marissa, Randall, Suna and Yuki
And our new students in the kids’ class:
Adam, Anthony, Samuel and Sophia
Thank you for bringing your energy and inspiration to the group! |
Class schedule |
Beginning 1 classes: Thursdays 7pm to 9pm, Saturdays 2pm to 4pm
New students accepted November 4 at 6:30pm November 6 at 1:30pm
Beginning 2 classes: Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm, Saturdays 11am to 1pm
Intermediate classes: Mondays 7pm to 9pm, Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm
Classes are held at:
Emery Secondary School Shop B
1100 47th Street at San Pablo Avenue
Emeryville, CA 94608
Our classes are in the Shop B space on the northwest corner of the San Pablo/47th Street intersection. There is plenty of parking along 47th Street west of San Pablo. Enter through the big roll-up steel door on 47th.
Click here for a map and directions. |
Support us |
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Emeryville Taiko is a San Francisco Bay Area taiko group providing traditional Japanese drumming classes and performances. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible and your financial support is appreciated. You can donate online at our website. |
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