UK Tour!

Tomorrow we leave for the UK! We'll be in Exeter for the 6th UK Taiko Festival. Look here!

We'll be hosted by Kagemusha taiko, home-staying with their members while we do workshops and school shows and two weekend concerts. We may have a little bit of time to sight-see, but I'm just stoked to be out there and see all that's going on!

I'm always curious to see what taiko's like outside of North America and Japan, and I can't wait to see what's happening in the UK. Jonathan Kirby, founder of Kagemusha taiko, has done so much to get taiko up and running out there with a focus on youth and after-school programs. Jonathan got a taste of taiko when he was out here and made it his life ever since. That takes guts, but succeeding takes heart and skill on top of that!

I'm curious to talk to taiko players out there, to see what questions they have, what concerns they have, and what concerns they DON'T have, as well! There's plenty of taiko politics in North America, but how much of it is due to Japanese and J-A culture? Maybe politics are the same across the pond, but I'll be curious to see where the differences are. That stuff is fascinating to me, even if it gets me in trouble for poking around in. :)

Annnnyways, we leave Tuesday morning EARLY and come back the following Tuesday. This past weekend was the San Jose Obon festival, which is HUGE and a blast and a lot of work (worth it!). From one whirlwind into another...

I'm not sure what my internet connection will be, but I will be taking a lot of pictures and hopefully sharing a lot of joy while I'm out there!

Cheerio!