Tamashii Team Journal

The Christchurch Earthquake and The Ring of Fire

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:52:45 GMT - by Michael Wells

Our hearts go out to the people of Christchurch!  We pray you're all doing fine and coping as well as you can with these terrible events.

Brian's Shamisen Studies

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:44:06 GMT - by Michael Wells

Our equipment manager Brian built all of Tamashii's drums, including our O-Daiko, and he has turned his attention to studying shamisen.  Of course in truly Brian-fashion, he had to make it himself, which got a great response from some of our Japan-based taiko friends.

On the Spiritual Aspects of Taiko Drumming

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:19:09 GMT - by Michael Wells

A lot of people have commented to me on the "spiritual aspects" of taiko drumming.  I confess I've alway found that intriguing as for me, taiko is not a religious exercise -- it's simply an awesome art form that I enjoy immensely.  However there is one aspect of performing taiko I find innately spiritual...

Behind the O-Daiko - Post-Performance Recovery

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:25:58 GMT - by Michael Wells

Like any hard exercise, O-Daiko playing is followed by a good deal of soreness, plenty of hot baths, and lots of stretching.  My last big performance was a 90 minute event 6 days ago and I still feel it, particularly in my lower back, and upper neck & shoulders. 

SkyCity Performance

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:37:13 GMT - by Michael Wells

We had a fantastic performance last night for St. Kentigern's school ball next to Sky Tower in central Auckland.  The organizer did a fantastic job of orchestrating the event, complete with fire dancers and geisha girls at the entrance.  And the most fun of all, they gave us the opportunity to roll out the big drum!

Event - Zeal MASH

Sat, 30 May 2009 10:53:38 GMT - by Michael Wells

We had a fun evening performance at a youth event called MASH, where a lot of different musical groups are brought together to expose teens to a wide range of genres, bands, and styles.

Behind the O-Daiko

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:57:33 GMT - by Michael Wells

The O-Daiko ("big drum") is a magnificent instrument.  Long before I was given the opportunity to perform on the O-Daiko I remember watching a concert with awe and wondering what it was like to play such a drum.

I suspect others have the same curiosity, so some of the interesting points of my experiences are written here.

On Honesty & Expression, and Unlimited Possibility

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:31:32 GMT - by Michael Wells

Taiko Drumming and martial arts share a lot of similarities--but none more interesting than the principles of muscle training and "no mind".  I'm learning more of these zen-ish topics every time I play.