Ripples.

PJ likes to talk about the ripple effect; how the actions of one person ripple outwards and affect the lives of others, who in turn affect others, and so on. I've been thinking lately about how ripples effect the taiko community.

Can you think of someone you met in your taiko experiences that really affected you? Was it something they said or the way they said it? Was it what you saw them doing? Was it something you didn't see but were told about? Was it a positive or negative thing? Did it have a positive or negative impact on you?

I can remember hearing quotes and stories attributed to people that made me really interested to seek them out, in terms of teaching and approach to art. It was a welcoming ripple that got my attention. I also remember hearing quotes and stories attributed to people that made me want to avoid them. It was a harsh ripple, one that often left me in disbelief that people would say or do such things.

It's hard sometimes to step back and see leaders in the community as just people. We place them in high regard and their words have weight. We want our teachers to say profound things because that means we feel like we've made a good choice to study under them.

The longer that one is in an art form, the more information and perspective they can provide. Unfortunately, age and experience don't necessarily lend themselves to good communication skills. It's much like being a job with a supervisor that lacks social skills, except that for most of us, we can choose to approach/avoid whom we want in the taiko community.

Granted, there are some possible positives from negative ripples. I've seen people get angry and give their advice in ways that turned people off...but from that you can learn how not to be.

It's not just what you say but how you say it. It's not just your intentions but the tone of your words. So what ripples do you create?