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The Way of Taiko
 
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The Way of Taiko [Paperback]

Heidi Varian (Author), Seiichi Tanaka (Foreword)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


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Book Description

November 1, 2005

Taiko drumming is an ancient sacred practice in Japan, originally used to drive away pests from rice fields and then to call to the gods in thanks at harvest time. Today taiko in Japan, and especially in North America, has evolved into a form of mental, physical, and martial arts training that combines rhythm, harmony, and movement. This book is for anyone who would like to try taiko or who is fascinated by the instruments, dances, and compositions of a typically powerful taiko performance. Contains an introduction to taiko history as well as resources for students.

Heidi Varian is a longtime student of taiko and a taiko event producer.

Seiichi Tanaka is founder and director of the renowned San Francisco Taiko Dojo.


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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Heidi Varian has studied with the SF Taiko Dojo for 17 years, She also produces taiko performances, including the famous taiko scene in the flm Rising Sun. She has performed at Lollapalooza and Burning Man and with Mickey Hart gave a command performance for Nelson Mandela. She also teaches taiko in prisons and runs taiko arts programs in schools. Founder and Director, San Francisco Taiko Dojo, the most prominent taiko group outside Japan.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (November 1, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 188065699X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1880656990
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #521,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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4 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The way of Taiko, December 23, 2005
By 
Attila The Husband "Myoken" (California United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Way of Taiko (Paperback)
This is a small 7x7inch high quality gloss paper bound survey of Taiko. It presents a nice forward by Sensei Seiichi Tanaka, a brief history and sections on the culture and "way" of taiko.

There are many high quality color photos that convey what cannot be conveyed in writing. Taiko is EXCITING!!

I liked the sections on the connections with the spirit and nature, as an artistic community I think we need to emphasized these elements more in practice and performance.

The Taiko Glossary filled in some data gaps for me - however, I would think that any practicer with more than 2 or 3 years experience would or should know these terms.

I think there should have been more on the "songs" how they are taught and the culture or practice of what groups get to perform what songs. - there is no copyright per se but there is an informal (read no lawyers - yet) means of giving permission to perform certain songs to groups.

All in all this is a good book for beginers and novices or anyone interested in an introduction to taiko. There is so much more that I hope to see in the follow on book to this one.

It's curious that while Sensei Tiffany Tamaribuchi is acknowledged that her group the Sacramento Taiko Dan is not mentioned either in the book it self or the list of "Senior Taiko Ensembles" - hopefully this omission will be corrected in later editions.
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3.0 out of 5 stars beautiful, poorly bound book, April 22, 2011
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Way of Taiko (Paperback)
the book itself has beautiful pictures and is a great resource for the taiko enthusiast no matter the experience level. I will say though, that the binding on every copy I've seen is terrible. I'd advise punching holes and putting it in a binder if you wish to keep it together.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Content great, Stone Bridge Press binding terrible, July 7, 2007
By 
Art (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Way of Taiko (Paperback)
I only had this paperback book for a couple of days when pages began falling out as I read it. The information, pictures and writing were great, but even with very careful handling, the binding was not adequate to hold the pages intact. This was disconcerting, of course, and my attempts to contact the publisher - Stone Bridge Press - to complain of the problem failed. They never responded.

I returned the book to Amazon, who refunded the cost of the book minus shipping. This is one of the very few returns I have ever had to make to Amazon.

I would never buy another book from Stone Bridge Press without seeing it and handling it before hand.
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