When you think of this centuries-old style of Japanese ensemble drumming, you probably imagine huge drums and a roaring, pounding sound that shakes the room. But as Enso Daiko (formerly Mu Daiko) artistic director Jennifer Weir pointed out in an interview with MPR's Euan Kerr in 2015, the athleticism and movement is just as important as the music:
"What I love about taiko is, the way that you use your body is inherent to the form. It's not merely the sound you make on the drum. That's part of it, the rhythms, the tones, etc., but it's really how you use your body as an instrument with the drum."
See video of Weir and her colleagues in rehearsal via the video below, and read Kerr's full report on the MPR News website.
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