HOUR OF POWER
December 8-11 / 14-18 | Evenings

Running for the fortnight after the annual concert (from December 8-11 / 14-18), Taikoz is presenting a series of evening sessions that focus on various instruments and styles, as well as rhythm and improvisation. Some sessions are designed for the Beginner and others, the more Experienced player (see Notes below for definition of Beginner and Experienced).

Scroll down below for detailed descriptions of each session.

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HOUR OF POWER TIMETABLE
(Note that times differ from night to night)

WEEK 1
December 8 (Tu) 7:15-8:15pm: Katsugi Okedo (Beginners) | Teacher: Claudia Wherry
December 9 (We) 6:15-7:15pm: Rhythm Development (Beginners) | Teacher: Kerryn Joyce
December 9 (We) 7:30-8:30pm: Improvisation (Beginners) | Teacher: Claudia Wherry
December 10 (Th) 7:15-8:15pm: Uchikomi-geiko (All welcome) | Teacher: Ian Cleworth
December 11 (Fr) 6:30-7:30pm: Hachijo (Beginners) | Teacher: Kerryn Joyce

WEEK 2

December 14 (Mo) 7:15-8:15pm: Improvisation (Experienced) | Teacher: Ian Cleworth
December 15 (Tu) 6:15-7:15pm: Katsugi Okedo (Beginners) | Teacher: Ryuji Hamada
December 15 (Tu) 7:30-8:30pm: Hachijo (Experienced) | Teacher: Ryuji Hamada
December 16 (We) 6:15-7:15pm: Odaiko (Beginners) | Teacher: Sophia Ang
December 16 (We) 7:30-8:30pm: Yataibayashi (Beginners) | Teacher: Sophia Ang
December 17 (Th) 7:15-8:15pm: Odaiko (Experienced) | Teacher: Ryuji Hamada
December 18 (Fr) 6:30-7:30pm: Rhythm Development (Experienced) | Teacher: Ian Cleworth

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NOTES:

• Beginner sessions are aimed at the player who has either never experienced the topic on offer, or has only touched on it once or twice beforehand; if you are unsure of where you might fit, speak to your class teacher

• Experienced sessions are aimed at the more advanced player who has working knowledge to a strong grasp of the topic on offer; if you are unsure of where you might fit, speak to your class teacher

• No warm-ups included in the class; please warm-up beforehand

• Wear loose-fitting clothing and bring a towel and water bottle

• Bring your own nagado and odaiko bachi; please notify a Taikoz member if you need to purchase bachi

• Yataibayashi nagado-bachi can be supplied for the relevant session

• As most Hour Of Power sessions involve sustained playing, please consider your fitness before booking in (if in doubt, consult your GP)

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Katsugi Okedo (Beginners) | December 8 (Tu) 7:15-8:15pm | Claudia Wherry

Because of its lightweight construction, the Katsugi Okedo is a versatile taiko – we can play fast, intricate patterns while moving easily across the stage. Claudia will take you through the basic stance, grip, body positions and movement of the ‘shoulder drum’, plus introduce you to some typical Katsugi Okedo rhythms. Because of the number of instruments available to us, this class is limited to seven, so book early! There is another Beginner class on Tuesday December 15.

Rhythm Development (Beginners) | December 9 (We) 6:15-7:15pm | Kerryn Joyce

Together with Kerryn, you will explore rhythm, timing and beat through movement and sound. Making music with body percussion and then applying it to the taiko will be the focus of this session.

Improvisation (Beginners) | December 9 (We) 7:30-8:30pm | Claudia Wherry

How to make music up on the spot? Improvising is a mystery to many people, but it is an essential part of music making on the taiko. There are various ways of developing this side of our playing and in this session, Claudia will share her knowledge and experience.

Uchikomi-geiko (All welcome) | December 10 (Th) 7:15-8:15pm | Ian Cleworth

Uchikomi – “to beat with intent” and keiko – “practice”, or on a deeper level, “to inherit teachings from previous times”. More than just warming up, uchikomi is an important part of taiko – it’s about beating with your whole body, heart and mind! In this session Ian will lead you through a series of unfolding rhythms… see you at the end!

Hachijo (Beginners) | December 11 (Fr) 6:30-7:30pm | Kerryn Joyce

Hachijo-daiko is the unique drumming style of Hachijo Island that uses a single mid-size chudaiko upon which players beat on both sides. According to the venerable player from Hachijo Island Hiroo Asanuma, “Hachijo Taiko is seen as an important tool for the indigenous people to express their language, history, and individual identity and emotions.” Hachijo-daiko is at once powerful and graceful to play, watch and hear. An accomplished player, Kerryn has had individual instruction from one of the masters of the style – Kodo’s Chieko Kojima. Kerryn will introduce you to the basics of the style – stance, bachi-grip, and the distinctive leg/hip/arm movements. Short practice phrases will also be taught.

Improvisation (Experienced) | December 14 (Mo) 7:15-8:15pm | Ian Cleworth

In taiko, we’re sometimes called upon to improvise anything from a short phrase of a few beats to a 5-minute, free-flowing solo. There are various ways of developing this side of our playing, and in this session Ian will share tips and techniques to help you ‘make stuff up’.

Katsugi Okedo (Beginners) | December 15 (Tu) 6:15-7:15pm | Ryuji Hamada

This is the second of two Beginner sessions on Katsugi Okedo. Ryuji will take you through the basic stance, grip, body positions and movement of the ‘shoulder drum’, plus introduce you to some typical Katsugi Okedo rhythms. Because of the number of instruments available to us, this class is limited to seven, so book early! There is another Beginner class on Tuesday December 8.

Hachijo (Experienced) | December 15 (Tu) 7:30-8:30pm | Ryuji Hamada

Hachijo-daiko is the unique drumming style of Hachijo Island that uses a single mid-size chudaiko upon which players beat on both sides. According to the venerable player from Hachijo Island Hiroo Asanuma, “Hachijo Taiko is seen as an important tool for the indigenous people to express their language, history, and individual identity and emotions.” Many of you will have seen Ryuji’s joyous Hachijo solos on the stage, and in this session, he will help you develop your playing through practicing stylistic phrases.

Odaiko (Beginners) | December 16 (We) 6:15-7:15pm | Sophia Ang

Odaiko – “grand drum”. As befits the name of the instrument, coming to grips with the ‘grandest’ of all the taiko takes some practice and uses every part of our body – from the toes to the very tip of the bachi. Even just holding your arms above your head is challenging, let alone unleashing a barrage of cool rhythms! Sophia will take your through the technical basics and introduce you a series of stylistic phrases.

Yataibayashi (Beginners) | December 16 (We) 7:30-8:30pm | Sophia Ang

This style and its music hails from the town of Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and physically demanding taiko forms. Being the first piece learned by Taikoz in 1997, Yataibayashi is a ‘touchstone’ of our repertoire and all members are required to regularly study its intricacies. In this session, Sophia will introduce you to the basics of the style and the mijikai-te, or short theme.

Odaiko (Experienced) | December 17 (Th) 7:15-8:15pm | Ryuji Hamada

In this session Ryuji will work you hard through playing typical Odaiko phrases and improvising. There will be an emphasis on technique and form. Please bring your own Odaiko bachi.

Rhythm Development (Experienced) | December 18 (Fr) 6:30-7:30pm | Ian Cleworth

In this session Ian will introduce the concept of metric modulation, which is essentially changing tempo by regrouping the subdivisions of a beat. The session involves extended periods of playing taiko and improvisation (which is not compulsory, but encouraged).