北東太鼓道場
HOKUTO TAIKO DOJO
NEWS & UPDATES
JUNE 2018 DOJO CALENDAR!
Friday, June 9, 2018
Londonderry, NH - With summer right around the corner, things are beginning to heat up at Hokuto Taiko Dojo! With new classes and offerings, it was time to put it all on a trusty calendar so that way everyone knows what's happening and what to expect! Please see the calendar below, and if you would like to print out a version, please use the .PDF icon to open a printable version. As dates/times change, we will update the calendar and try to communicate the changes to all students. Please be sure to check back periodically to make sure you have the must up-to-date information.
-By Jason Seymore
<-- Download the calendar here!
WE HAVE A NEW LOCATION!
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Concord, NH - That's right! We have a new home located at the traditional Okinawan karate school, House of the Samurai in Londonderry, NH. You may be wondering why we have moved and the events that transpired that led us to join forces at this location. Feel free to continue reading to learn more!
Playing the taiko is challenging in multiple aspects, but sometimes the biggest challenges happen away from the drum. This is the case when we acquired our first location at the Concord Community Arts Center. What was thought as the perfect addition to the refurbished elementary school turned home for the arts actually was not so perfect. Unfortunately, after one private lesson and one particularly upset neighbor, the management team and Hokuto Taiko Dojo's Executive Director decided it was best to part ways to maintain a peaceful environment at the center.
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This also stopped classes from starting in January 2018 like originally planned. Upon losing this location, our executive team began the prowl for a new home in the Concord area. After weeks turned into months, the searching turned up empty handed and the reality of being homeless began to set in.
So, where does the House of the Samurai come into this story? Well, in October 2017, Hokuto Taiko Dojo was invited to perform at a karate open invitational hosted by Jose and Rebecca Dimacalli of the House of the Samurai. Shortly thereafter, a new mutual relationship bloomed and after expressing our situation, the husband and wife team running the school offered to allow us a place to call home so that we can start offering classes to the public. After many obstacles and little luck, it turns out that the perfect home was right around the corner (or down the road) to us. Thank you so much to House of the Samurai for your generosity and help! We are looking forward to filling you dojo with the thundering of Japanese taiko!
-By Jason Seymore
HOKUTO TAIKO DOJO ROCKS THE 2018 EAST COAST TAIKO CONFERENCE
Saturday, February 11, 2018
Stony Brook, NY - Every year, students from several east coast universities, along with numerous taiko groups and practitioners from all over the world gather in the northeast for the East Coast Taiko Conference. This years conference was hosted by Taiko Tides at Stony Brook University and was attended by hundreds of taiko baka! This year also marked the first year that Hokuto Taiko Dojo debuted and performed an orginal composition in front of esteemed taiko musicians and leaders, as well as, the east coast taiko population. As a newly found school, this was a tall order to fill.
In addition to the opportunity to perform, the school's instructor, Jason and the school's apprentice, Matt were able to participate in a number
of workshops designed to immerse participants in new skills and techniques with the hopes of improving as practitioners.
While busy preparing for the concert and participating in workshops, Jason and Matt also spent time networking with local collegiate groups and other surrounding groups in the hopes of improving relationships with neighboring taiko groups in the New England area.
This year's introduction to the taiko community could not have been successful without the help of members from two neighboring taiko groups. Members Juni Kobayashi and Alex Mihalich from Odaiko New England along with members Abby Kingman and Miho Connolly from Mountain River Taiko came together to learn our flagship piece, Shimadai and performed with us on stage at ECTC 2018. It was a phenomenal experience and one that we will cherish for a lifetime. If you would like to see our performance from this year's East Coast Taiko Conference, watch it below!
-By Jason Seymore
Hokuto Taiko Dojo Performances
