Jerks.

I'm going to say something totally shocking. Are you ready for it? Some taiko people are jerks.

No, this isn't a post about someone in particular, or even for me to vent about people I've encountered personally. There's just been many a time when someone shares a sense of disbelief at how rude, insensitive, arrogant, or spiteful a fellow player can be.

In the NA taiko community (and pretty much the global taiko community) we all share a love for a very special art form. Because of that, we tend to feel a sense that we have each other's best interests at heart. Maybe that's even true on some level, but when you step back and look at the reality, that sense sort of falls apart.

People in school, people at work, heck even people in a family can be complete tools - so why would it be any different in taiko? In fact, because of the relatively close-knit taiko community, those kind of people are harder to cope with. Alienating the jerk may cause you to be alienated by their close comrades, whether it's in our own group or in the taiko community. That leads to most of us not confronting the jerk, who continues their jerk-ness.

I'm not saying there's a simple solution to dealing with a taiko jerk, nor am I saying I've never been surprised when someone who plays taiko does really rude things. I just want people to realize that a shared love does not a jerk unmake!