1- Yodan Uchi  ... Advanced Youth (Tue & Thu 6pm Class)

Performers:

Drew Kato, Jacqueline Galang, Jillian Galang, Juneya Ishii, Kyle Tokunaga, Max Yeh, Shota Yoshikawa, Yoshito Ogawa

Instructor: 

Masa Miyano, Yuta Kato

Yoshihisa Ishikura, Yutaka Ishizuka, Seido Kobayashi, and Kiyonari Tosha (1970-1971)

Arranged by Yuta Kato

“Yodan Uchi” means to play four sides. Composed by Sukeroku Daiko (formed 1959), one of the first and most influential kumidaiko groups in Japan, the piece has grown to be one of the taiko world's most loved forms.

2- Mitsu-Dori ... Senior Taiko

Performers:

Allen Sakai, Art Tanaka, Cynthia Iwai, Daniel Takai, Larry Hachimoto, Lisa Sakai, MaryAnn Bailey, Mike Noguchi, Steve Moriyama, Stacy Hashimoto, Wallis Yamamoto

Instructor: 

Julia Asano

Composed by Julia Asano (2023)

Mitsu-Dori = MITSUuchi DORIru/Drills 

Students learned mitsuuchi drills this year and will perform an arrangement using the multi drum technique. 

3- Matsuri Arrangement ... TaiConnect

Performers:

Akira Akutsu, Atsuko Toba, Chase Tokunaga, Enishi Akutsu, Ken Kashiwamura, Kotaro Fujita, Kyle Tokunaga, Momoko Toba, Ounosuke Tsukagoshi

Instructor: 

Masa Miyano

Arranged by Masa Miyano (2023)

An arrangement of often quoted Bon Daiko patterns on the Naname Style of drumming! 

4- Straight Outta Taiko Together Medley ... Straight Outta Taiko Together

Performers:

Evan Tamura, Evan Yonekawa, Jenni Aoki, Jessi Aoki, Kayla Yonekawa, Paige Tamura

Instructor: 

ManMan Mui

Arranged by Straight Outta Taiko Together (2023)

A medley of selected taiko compositions that we learned since we started as a group in 2017. The piece includes excerpts from "Aisatsu Song" by ManMan Mui (2015), "Usagi Daiko" by Chizuko Endo (1997), "Yama-Oroshi" from Taiko Center of the Pacific, "Renshu Taiko" by Seiichi Tanaka, "Nani ka'ala I Ka Uluwehi" by Randal Ngum with taiko choreography by Wendy Ito & ManMan Mui (2019), "Omiyage" by Shoji Kameda, et al (2004), "Jack Bazaar" by Kris Bergstorm (2011), and "Paradiddle Drills" by Ryo Shimamoto.

5- Stonga ... BCD 

Performers:

Ashley Bucher, Christine Elegino, Huy Nguyen, Jessica Koon, Lauren Lee, May Kono, Mei-Ling Laures, Peter Schaedler, Sonoma Saito

Leader:  

Peter Schaedler

Composed by Peter Schaedler (2023)

"Stonga" is a common phrase heard in kuchishoga, a language used by taiko players to communicate how to play certain patterns. That said, there's only one "stonga" in this song.

5.5- Kazanagi ... Marina + Yumi + UnitOne

Performers:

Yumi Hwang, Marina Gisele Roo

Blaine O'Brien, Young Kang, Yuta Kato

Music: Keisuke Kato (2020)

Dance: Yumi Hwang (2020)

Kazanagi translates to "Calm Wind" and the melody was composed by guitarist Keisuke Kato as a fue practice piece, inspired by beautiful electronic guitar duets. Percussion parts were purposefully left out so that the taiko player can insert their own artistic interpretation of the piece. UnitOne members are accompanied by dancer Yumi (from Virginia) and Marina (from Argentina) in this long distance collaboration.

6- Ambition ... Prota 

Performers:

Alex Ito, Audrey Tu, Doug Sakamoto, Gaku Sasaki, Gianna Furumoto, Masa Miyano, Mike Hirota

Composed by Gaku Sasaki (2022)

Rooted in the strong desire and urgency to grow stronger as a taiko player, Ambition aims to represent the progression towards achieving such a goal through converging paths with those that inspire and motivate you.

7- Omiyage (The Last Timebender) ... Advanced Youth Group (Sun 12pm)

Performers:

Alena Yick, Alyson Yick, Cion Hida, Hideharu Suzuki, Kenneth McQuiston, Rhys Ota, Yuka Hida

Instructor:

Yuta Kato

Composed by Shoji Kameda (2003)

Omiyage, meaning “gift” was created as a gift to the whole Taiko community by TAIKOPROJECT. The team has added it's own twist using the concept of "timebending".

8- Compound ... UnitOne 

Performers:

Aki Imai, Blaine O'Brien, Fred Visaya Jr., Jen Baik, Masa Miyano, Young Kang, Yuta Kato

Composed by Blaine O'Brien

"Compound" Originally an odaiko duet. The piece features soloists in a compound meter, and an unreasonable challenge for two odaiko players.

9- Atlas Form ... Taiko Effect 

Performers:

Alex Ding, Alex Ito, Bevin Chan, Daniel Obatake, Thistle Boosinger, Vanessa Yee, Wolfgang Finn, Yuki Horikawa

Composed by  Wolfgang Finn (2023)

The name Atlas Form is a combination of the Greek Titan Atlas, who bears the sky upon his shoulders, and Plato’s Theory of Forms, in which everything in the physical world is an imperfect reflection of its conceptual Ideal Form. The piece’s main theme grows more flawed as time progresses, becoming less perfect but more colorful.

9.5- Midare Uchi  

Performers:

Fred Visaya Jr., Tomomi Hongo

Arranged by Fred Visaya and Tomomi Hongo

10- Miyake Taiko ... LA Miyake Renshukai  

Performers:

Abi Sangco, Adrian Carrera, Alex Ding, Andre San Mateo, Atsushi Domyo, Aya Nakano, Donovan Reid, Eri Kanamaru, Miyuki Todokoro, Sarah Gilbert, Sean Kobashigawa, Stephanie Wirtanen, Wendy Ito, Yumi Yamaoka, Yuri Kanamaru

LA Miyake Renshukai is pleased to present an arrangement of Miyake based on Miyake as performed by Miyakejima Geinou Doushikai. Originally conceived as a means to appease a residing kami in a portable shrine (mikoshi) carried around Miyakejima as pasrt of a festival it has since been adapted for a stage performance by Akio Tsumura. He and his sons founded Miyakejima Geinou Doushikai and through it perform and teach their style of Miyake around the world. LA Miyake Renshukai is fortunate to receive instruction from this organization. We strive to maintain the original vision of Akio Tsumura to provide an invigorating taiko experience. 

11- Rei ... ArigaTaiko 

Performers:

Carol Fukuchi, Diane Fujimori, Noriko Lee, Patsy Matsushita, Sharon Hayashi

Composed by Isaku Kageyama (2015)

The word "Rei" means “thanks” or “gratitude.” Rei is an Odaiko piece commissioned by Asano Taiko US that composer Isaku Kageyama dedicated to his teacher Yoichi Watanabe of Amanojaku.

12- Los Dokokara ... Los Dokos  

Performers:

Caylix La, C-Fong, Hiro Hirashiki, Kaitlyn Higa, Miyuki Todokoro, Robie La, Stacey Nakasone, Steve La, Tomoko Takahashi, Yumi Yamaoka

Instructor:
Yuta Kato

Composed by: Yuta Kato (2007)

Originally commissioned and performed by Zenshin Daiko, "Dokokara" draws its name from taiko syllabary, where “doko” means two strikes in the center of the drum and “kara” is two on the rim. In Japanese, the phrase “doko kara?” also means "where from?". The piece’s arrangement plays on the concept of the rippling effects of energy on its surroundings. Where does energy come from? And where does it go?

12.5- SugAmen ... Transition Team (Thu 6pm Class)  

Performers:

Mei Laures, Silvia Võ

Instructor:

Yuta Kato

Composed by Kristofer Bergstrom and Yuta Kato (2014)

copyleft Creative Commons BY-SA

In the Kabuki shamisen world, fast alternation of notes between two players is called "sugagaki". SugAmen applies this concept to taiko and interprets the famous "Amen Break" from drum and bass.

13- Red Leaves ... UnitOne  

Performers:

Aki Imai, Blaine O'Brien, Fred Visaya Jr., Jen Baik, Masa Miyano, Young Kang, Yuta Kato

Composed by Daniel Olsen (2023)

Inspired by the intense training at San Francisco Taiko Dojo that "always felt like preparing for battle", this piece takes place in a bamboo forest—where a group of soldiers struggle for survival as they encounter their enemy and leaves are increasingly colored red in the process.

14- Jack Bazaar ... UnitTwo  

Performers:

Abi Sangco, Alex Ito, Daniel Olsen, Debbie Lin, Ernest Ruckman, Kara Drapala, Koji Kitagawa, Sarah Gilbert

Instructor: 

Kris Bergstrom

Composed by Kris Bergstrom (2011)

Jack Bazaar features dynamic choreography and challenging slant-drum mutli-tone rhythms. Specifically requested by the National Theater of Japan for performance in the 2013 Nihon no Taiko concert, Jack Bazaar is one of the taiko world's most exciting compositions.

15- Summer Reprise ... LATI Gumi  

Performers:

Christine Elegino, Eri Williams, Junko Maekawa, Katie Durnbaugh, Maggie Chiang, Michi Hirose, Mitsue Kajikawa, Patsy Matsushita, Pearl Sun, Sean Kobashigawa, Stacey Nakasone, Tomoko Takahashi, Wendy Ito, Zion Une

Instructor:
Masa Miyano

Composed and arranged by Aki Imai and Young Kang (2020)

Members of UnitOne, the performing ensemble based at Asano Taiko U.S., composed new taiko compositions based on the four seasons in preparation for a concert in 2020. Taking inspiration from these compositions and the natural cycle of how seasons repeat year after year, Summer Reprise was composed.