Chōchō Daiko was the idea that came to me in 2020 about having a house of healing, a taiko house. The drums were to be the heartbeat of the place, but in addition to taiko, we would also have recovery meetings, meditation sessions, yoga classes, dance, maybe tutoring or resume building (I’ve always enjoyed tutoring), maybe chairs to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea, maybe some weekend retreats for connection, joy, and healing.

I started by running meetings and building community within the local Dharma community. From there taiko classes started in April, 2023, and I slowly built the Taiko Shine program. This was first known as Recovery Taiko, since my first class was hosted by the Friday night Dharma meeting in St. Paul.

In December 2024, there were six Taiko Shine students for our recital, and in May 2025 we have eleven students in two separate classes with two or three signed up to start this month. In other words, the program is growing and people are catching the taiko fever, feeling how powerful it is.

To prove how powerful taiko is, I also initiated the Powers of Taiko Questionnaire Project. People from around the world answered questions about how taiko has transformed their lives. It is a great testament to the art form.

Finally, the other aspect to this that came to me in 2024 was that I want to also reach out to the autistic and neuro-diverse communities because I was diagnosed as autistic at the age of fifty-six. This was life-changing. I have started a video project, and want to continue integrating this awareness into Chōchō Daiko’s overall planning and programming.

Chōchō Daiko

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