If you are having difficulty viewing this message, you can view the graphics version online at http://www.etaiko.org/news.htm.   Newsletter - July 2010   Next free lecture and hands-on demonstration: July 30 Taiko: What is it? Come find out at our free lecture and participatory demonstration on Friday, July 30 at 7pm. Please RSVP by email to info@etaiko.org. If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like to play the big drums, this is your chance!   New classes starting August 5 and 7 Classes for beginners are held every Thursday from 7pm to 9pm and Saturday from 2pm to 4pm. We accept new students on the first Thursday and Saturday of each month. Please check the schedule below and go to the Classes page on our web site for complete and updated information.   New students are required to attend an orientation a half an hour before the first class. The class is $15 plus a one-time $5 registration fee (cash or check only, includes Member Handbook). Please email to let us know you're coming before attending your first class, and have a look at the new Frequently Asked Questions page on our web site.   Kids' classes coming up in September We are delighted to offer classes for kids 8 to 12 years old! Instructor Echo Costanzo holds classes every Saturday from 9:45am to 10:35am. Students will learn basic rhythms, forms, principles and a song to perform.   There will be no kids' classes for new students in August; our next series starts in September.   New students will be accepted on September 4 and October 2. New students must attend a registration and orientation session at 9:30am before their first class. Each class is $10 plus a one-time $5 registration fee (cash or check only, no debit or credit cards). Multi-class discount cards (5/$45 and 10/$80) are available. Please email info@etaiko.org to reserve a space.   Upcoming performances Thursday, July 29 We will be giving a "Thursday Lunchtime Concert," part of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. The festival presents music, theater, dance, cultural events, and educational and children’s programs, reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the region. We will perform from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.   Sunday, August 1 We'll be playing at the Berkeley Kite Festival in Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina (time TBD). Event highlights include the world's largest octopus kite, Japanese-style Rokkaku kite battles, demonstrations, free kite making, food, and more.   Sunday, August 15 The Diablo Japanese American Summer Festival (Bon Odori) features Japanese food, bonsai and Japanese flower arrangement exhibits, martial arts demonstrations, and Japanese dancers. We're on at 3pm.   Sunday, August 29 We will play at 3:30 at the Oakland Chinatown Streetfest, an annual celebration of the tastes and traditions of Asia.   Sunday, September 12 Emeryville Taiko will be performing at the 36th annual Solano Stroll, which organizers call "the East Bay's largest street festival." This year we will also be taking part in the parade that kicks off the festival.   Meet the Student: Anna Hirsch Anna at our dojo's New Years' celebration with husband William and honorary nephew Darius Emeryville Taiko: What got you into taiko?   Anna: I had a friend in high school that played. When I saw her play I thought it was magical. I moved to the Bay Area in 2008 around the same time that (ET member) Jeff Shoji did. When he said he was gonna check out ET, I decided I needed to come too. I like that it's communal. I'm a people person.   ET: Did you know Jeff before?   Anna: Yeah, he helped us move to California from Louisiana, no less. Jeff and my partner William went to college together. We're old friends.   ET: What do you like most about taiko?   Anna: That's a hard question. I guess I'd have to say that I most like the actual feeling of playing, when you're in it and you're with the whole group, and the song is coming alive; your whole body is engaged in that moment and making something beautiful.   ET: What fills your time outside of the dojo? Any other hobbies?   Anna: Outside my regular job as a proofreader, I'm a writer for the Change.org Race in America blog. I also co-founded a disability rights project called ShapingProgress. I spend a lot of time trying to make the world better.   ET: Thanks for doing all that great work! Where did you grow up?   Anna: I grew up in Missouri, but I've lived in a number of places. I moved here from Baton Rouge, Louisiana (yes, I was there during Katrina, and yes, I'm happy to talk about it -- the region still needs a lot of help). Before that I lived in Chicago. My father is from Chicago. My mother was born and grew up in Norway.   ET: Do you have prior musical experience?   Anna: Piano as a kid. I guess it's a kind of percussion. My hands are too small for it though; I can't span an octave.   ET: Do you have an Emeryville Taiko story you'd like to share?   Anna: My day job is proofreading for an education development services non-profit. I wrote a story last week for one of the tenth grade assessment tests for the state of Nevada, and I wrote it about taiko. It'll be my first piece of published fiction. Not the way I thought that I would have fiction published for the first time, but I'm cheesed that it's a story about taiko. I can share it with folks, if anyone is interested. It was written for tenth-graders, but I tried still to catch a bit of the spirit that I've experienced of ET.   ET: What have you learned through playing taiko that applies to other parts of your life?   Anna: Listening. I know that listening is important. But I'm not often (or haven't been in the past) good at just stopping and listening. Or, for that matter, listening while I'm doing something. Taiko has helped me do that better. I think it's made me a better writer, colleague, and partner in my relationship.   ET: Anything else you'd like to say?   Anna: I'm so glad to be part of this group. Thanks for being awesome, all of you.   A cartoon by Anna Hirsch   June Performances We performed for a roomful of graduates and their families for a graduation ceremony for the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College, held at the Bancroft Hotel in Berkeley. We were approached afterwards by numerous folks saying, "That was amazing!" In our humble opinion, we thought so too.   At the Marin Art Festival we enthusiastically played a piece called Nebuta on sling drums in a processional performance that wove through the festival. We then played an abbreviated version of Sadai on the music stage for a small but joyful audience.   We gave a small, 3-person performance at UCB for about 115 youth in the Upward Bound program. Afterwards, Sensei had the kids come up on the stage in groups of 10 for audience participation; their rendition of Row, Row, Row Your Boat was awesome. For a finale, Sensei invited their professor to play the odaiko, which thrilled one and all. As a bonus, the kids helped us load the drums afterwards! Graduation Ceremony Photo by Ashton Boni Nebuta Processional Photo by Shaun Conroy Welcome new students We would like to welcome our new students to the Beginning 1 classes:   Ashley and Darcey   Thank you for bringing your energy and inspiration to the group!   Class schedule Beginning 1 classes: Thursdays 7pm to 9pm, Saturdays 2pm to 4pm New students accepted August 5 at 6:30pm and August 7 at 1:30pm   Beginning 2 classes: Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm, Saturdays 11am to 1pm Intermediate classes: Mondays 7pm to 9pm, Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm   Classes are held at: Emery Secondary School Shop B 1100 47th Street at San Pablo Avenue Emeryville, CA 94608   Our classes are in the Shop B space on the northwest corner of the San Pablo/47th Street intersection. There is plenty of parking along 47th Street west of San Pablo. Enter through the big roll-up steel door on 47th. Click here for a map and directions.   Support us Emeryville Taiko is a San Francisco Bay Area taiko group providing traditional Japanese drumming classes and performances. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible and your financial support is appreciated. You can donate online at our website.