User:Agfarber/Portland Taiko

Portland Taiko is a taiko group based in Portland, Oregon. The group was created in early 1994 by Ann Ishimaru- a former member of Stanford Taiko- Zack Semke, Kyle Kajihiro, Valerie Otani, Kenji Spielman, and June Arima Schumann.

Portland Taiko's work
Portland Taiko is a dual-composed company of a community group made of Portland Taiko members who play taiko as their avocation. Portland Taiko has a unique structure in that it is comprised of a community group, which is composed of everyone, and a smaller professional group which tours and is made up of the professional, full-time staff. The community group involved in about 20% of Portland Taiko’s artistic activities, and members of the professional ensemble also are actively involved in the community group. The community group is an umbrella for everyone: volunteer performers as well as professional staff. The community group, however, only is involved in local performances, while the professional group is involved in all of Portland Taiko’s home and local shows, assembly school programs, touring, daytime performances, and the logistic arrangements for the events and performances- the community members are not involved in PT’s educational outreach shows. The entire company is led by the artistic director, who leads all of the rehearsals for the performing company. The current artistic director of Portland Taiko is Michelle Fujii, also a former member of Stanford Taiko.

Mission Statement
Portland Taiko's mission statement is: "Through artistic excellence and innovation in taiko, we affirm Asian American pride, inspire audiences, build community, and educate about our culture and heritage."

Classes
Portland Taiko offers classes for community members of all ages. Classes are geared toward entering the community group or for fun for any community member. Adults can take classes which lead to the possible invitation by the artistic director to join the performance training class, offered four times a year. From the performance training class, students can then become trainees and finally become members of the community group.

Portland Taiko also offers youth classes which culminate in the youth performance group, Tanuki Taiko. Tanuki Taiko performance pieces are written by students and the taiko is handed off to students in the class.

Performances
Portland Taiko's first performance was for an event for John Kitzhaber, Oregon's former governor. The group continued to perform for activism events and at local schools for assemblies and educational outreach. Portland Taiko has annual concerts, in which they perform their core repertory of songs and any pieces the group has created through their community outreach or collaborations with other taiko groups and solo performers.

Portland Taiko performance ensemble tours across the United States and British Colombia, performing for organizations or with other taiko groups.

History
Ann Ishimaru and Zack Semke were the initial Artistic Directors of Portland Taiko. Ann Ishimaru and Zack Semke were both charter members of Stanford Taiko, the third collegiate taiko group in North America.