Taiko Out

For the last three weeks, I've been attending a Japanese taiko drum class for beginners. I took a couple classes in the past with an Asian-American theatre group 10 years ago and with a buddhist church a few years later, and it is all coming back to me slowly. What a high to beat out my stress on this drum to a beat that sings to my childhood at Japanese summer obon festivals when that deep resounding beat reaches to the core of your being, and it holds out a hand to my culture deep down even to this 4th-generation-Japanese-American far removed. They are teaching us songs and are giving us the opportunity to perform in front of a crowd in just a few weeks. Taiko!