Odaiko Sonora’s Taiko Passion
Odaiko Sonora in concert. Left to right: Nicole Levesque, Rome Hamner, Karen Falkenstrom.
photo: PJ McArdle
In an unassuming, square industrial building on Downtown’s southern edge is a place of creation.
It is the Rhythm Industry Performance Factory and during a bright spring morning, Odaiko Sonora’s community taiko group is at practice. Sweating to the beats. Taiko, or “big drum” in Japanese, is ensemble drumming and it is a physically demanding art form. Beating the drums to achieve the resonance that speaks to the heart of us as human beings takes concentration and cooperative effort.
Taking turns coaching the group is Nicole Levesque and co-founders Karen Falkenstrom and Rome Hamner. With good humor, excellent leadership and teaching skills, the three women engage and guide the drummers to achieve their best. Everyone is sweaty, tired, looking happy at the end of the practice. They move into a group circle as I slip out the door.
Odaiko Sonora’s story begins approximately 14 years ago when Rome Hamner began studying taiko with Stan Morgan; Falkenstrom picked up the bachi (taiko drumming sticks) in 2001. In 2002, their sensei Morgan fell ill and disbanded his group MoGan Daiko. The drummers, still fairly nascent in their taiko knowledge, hefted up the chutzpa and started Odaiko Sonora.
Karen writes via email that, “Even in the U.S., taiko is still an art form with a strong emphasis on lineage and master teachers. It was highly unusual for anyone to found a group with as little experience as we had—actually it was crazy—but we really didn’t have a choice.
“I think both of us felt we had discovered something that embodied everything we wanted to be doing in the world: taiko is physical, empowering, expressive, fun. We both had been inspired to study taiko by seeing it performed live; there is something about the passion and power of taiko performance that speaks to the very core of many people. Once we had the experience of playing the drums—feeling that passion and power from playing, not just watching—it wasn’t something either of us felt we could live happily without.”
Karen Falkenstrom performing with Odaiko Sonora at Arizona Matsuri in Phoenix, Febraury 2014.
photo: Tracy Baynes
They didn’t have drums, they lacked resources, didn’t have a teacher and only knew a handful of songs. It didn’t matter because, “more powerful than the doubts was a deeply passionate love of taiko,” Falkenstrom writes. “We just did what we had to to make it happen.”
She states it simply, but the hard work and dedication that fueled their drive is evinced by the organization’s evolution. The 501c3 grew quickly because of “our respective skills in nonprofit arts and public administration, and partly because Tucson has a strong arts community,” Falkenstrom explains. “But much of the credit for our rapid growth is the appeal of the art form itself. Taiko has amazing crossover potential; it’s music, it’s a martial art, it’s a team sport, theater, and spiritual path. Almost everyone likes it. And it’s easy to learn the basics and very fun to do. The two of us are the leadership/administrative team that run all of Odaiko Sonora—the performances, classes, educational programs, equipment, and Rhythm Industry.”
This school year saw the nonprofit completing its first year as Opening Minds through the Arts teaching artists, reaching approximately 2,000 children. In November, Odaiko Sonora will be providing the music for the All Souls Procession grand finale, for which they are committed to “doing something really special.
“So far, the vision involves guest artists from Sacramento, L.A. and Toronto, Canada. We also hope to purchase a 4 foot gekko, or frame drum, from the world’s oldest family of taiko makers: Asano—think the Stradivarius of taiko.”
The big vision, fitting for the All Souls Procession finale, also means big bucks. The finale will feature about $70,000 in drums while the drum the group is looking to buy is comparatively reasonable, at $6,000. In order to fund it, a Kickstarter campaign is being launched this month—which also coincides with Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Besides keeping busy with elementary education, performances, and maintaining and coordinating Rhythm Industry Performance Factory, a building the organization purchased in 2006, Odaiko Sonora also offers classes.
Rome Hamner performing with Odaiko Sonora at Arizona Matsuri in Phoenix, Febraury 2014.
photo: Tracy Baynes
“Our six-week all ages recreation class is a great intro to this art form,” Rome says via email. “It introduces beginners to basic taiko form, beats, and simple drills and songs. Taiko is not like many other instruments. Most people don’t go to see Wynton Marsalis play, for instance, and think, ‘Wow, I’d really like to try playing trumpet!’ But people do say that about taiko.
“Some people come because they love Japanese culture, some because they just love drums, and some because they like the idea of a musical martial art. Almost all people who come to play saw us perform somewhere, and they want to try it because it looks like so much fun.”
The all ages class begins on May 17. Odaiko Sonoro performs at 2nd Saturdays, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. Visit TucsonTaiko.org for more details.
Category: Arts, Community, DOWNTOWN / UNIVERSITY / 4TH AVE, Entertainment, Events
