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| Topics and ideas of the state and future of the North American Taiko Community as they were discussed through open forums, group discussions, and brainstorming exercises. The following are transcribed notes that were taken during the Community Dialogue held at the JACCC prior to the Taiko Conference on June 28, 2001. |
TOPICS/IDEAS:
What is taiko community?
Contemporary vs. Traditional Taiko
What is taiko?
Issues for group
Reasons to start/keep playing
Tradition vs. Innovation
What is taiko to you?
What is taiko?
Appropriation and Copyright
Group 4: Copyright --legal vs. taiko community
opinion (credit permission)
Traditional aspects of taiko comes from
Japan (groups vary in amount of "traditional" influence)
Taiko in Community
What is taiko
community?
- Taiko players and supporters and audience and drum
makers
- Multi-layered
- Multi-cultural
- Culture by groups
- Concentric -- Levels of concentration (from most to least concentrated):
Japan, J.A./J.C., Asian American, Rest of the world.
Contemporary
vs. Traditional Taiko
- Evolution
- Culture is always changing
- Music and culture change together
- Contemporary is associated with Kumi daiko
- Who has the right to innovate taiko?
What is taiko?
- Drumming from Japan
- A way of life : creating, teaching, performing
- Identity
- Something to pass on to future generations
- A form of communication, documentation - explain who I am by
style of playing, respect of drum
- Category of a type of drumming : entertainment for the public
- Media which links human beings
- Something universal
- Exciting music
- Physical form of meditation
- Attitude, Respect, Commitment, Self-expression
- Community spirit
- A piece of Asian American Heritage/Asian American Activism
- Body of music/ Basic Patterns
- Pattern of life and self-expression
- Connect with each other
Issues for group
- Questions -- answers may not exist
1. answers polarizing
2. answers changing
- American, Asian American Japanese
- Credit? -- verbal or money
Reasons to start/keep
playing
- JA Buddhist community life
- Love of taiko
- Uplift spirit of audiences/self
- Technical/cultural/ethnomusicology
- Discoveries about self discovered by group
- Formed group (Mass.)
- Buddhist Connection (Chicago)
- Connection with audience
- Now play because "I can't stop"
- Energy created in player and audience
- Means of communication (Kodo)
with village
with gods of nature
sound stimulated heart of people
Sado school
Tradition vs.
Innovation
- Kado school now teaches tradition
- Ancient and modern
- Innovation - lineage may be murky; may not know source
What is taiko
to you?
- Find community
- Group feeling/spirit
- Well being
- LIFE! Profession
- Focus - meaning
- Share energy
- Role models/culture
- Identity -- Japanese ancestry
- Spirituality
- Physicality/Community/Art
- Inner rhythm
- Personal/ Community Growth
What is taiko?
- Music, connection to JA community, but also
something deeper way of life
- Arts and Culture -- more group dynamics
- Spiritual, form of meditation
- Healing, community building
- As musical genre, a different question
- Spirit isn't necessarily expressed through kata
- Nothing else like playing together
- Discipline, practice, commitment, dedication
- The passion-euphoria and frustrating
- Family, harmony, working together -- heart
- Intention is the defining point
- History, culture, transmission of values
- Living tradition not locked in time
- Folk art form -- evolving/community music integral, cannot be
separated
- Accessibility
-What are the values we want to pass on?
- Kumidaiko as reference point
- Politically/self-aware from wrapped up in J.A./A.A. history
- American emphasis on non-hierarchy - is this "traditional?"
: this question is political
- Group process, understanding context (western music - not so
much context)
- Difference in value systems: Buddhist values - endurance, consideration
for fellow members, humility.
- Why do we use "Western Music" as "normative referent?"
- Must work at it! No instant revelations.
- Lifetime process
- Shinto tradition of spirit
Appropriation
and Copyright
- Build public domain material : agree what is public
domain? copyright the rest
- Compose or "retire" pieces for public domain
- Respect is crucial, especially since there is no clear policy
- Give recognition
1. to writer
2. to arranger
3. to style, period, etc.
- Royalties make it difficult for many groups financially
- Style -- no copyright but recognition should be given --verbal
or written
- By learning about other cultures, we gain deeper respect for
our own
- Temple daiko and "performance" kumidaiko and the fusion
of rhythm patterns
- Connection to Japan
- Recognizing and encouraging research
Group 4: Copyright
--legal vs. taiko community opinion (credit permission)
- Is the piece's author contacted
- What is the author's opinion
- What is/is not Taiko?
Hobby vs. Professionalism
College vs. Community groups
- Interpretation/Inspiration vs. Plagiarism
- Folk music vs. Group interpretation
- Why are you playing taiko?
- Etiquette in Taiko Prefecture.
- What happens when no instructors are local?
- How to support learners/teachers
- Japanese vs. U.S. identity
Traditional aspects
of taiko comes from Japan (groups vary in amount of "traditional"
influence)
- Ensemble taiko is an innovation in itself (Japan
or N.A.)
- Taiko as we think of it, requires respect -- for its history,
the artform, other players
1. those who do not have that respect need education
2. those of whom do, need to promote taiko responsibly by educating
our audiences.
It's not possible to police the art form.
- Public domain songs
- Who/what is sensei? Does number of years playing together affect
this?
- Should there be a "national" association/code of ethics?
- Credentials of teaching
- Is traditional better than innovative?
- Why do we ask this question?
1. Concern about taiko as art form vs. instrument/ education
- Non-Nikkei also has responsibility to learn the culture/J.A.
history
- Each group decides own etiquette -- what is correct
- Who to perform for?
- Nikkei is an attitude, not an ethnic background
- As questions of yourself and your group -- what are your intentions?
Taiko in Community
- Inclusiveness in N. America
- North American community marked by sharing family feeling
- North American taiko development may lead to less sharing
- Term "taiko" is as well known as "teriyaki"
- Nikkei have extra responsibility to understand why taiko is
important to community