Growing up as one of the only Asian American kids, taiko gave me the opportunity to explore my heritage as well as interact with kids outside of my school. Through taiko, I gained self-confidence and learned perseverance. I started playing taiko when I was 13 years old. My mom signed me up for Portland Taiko’s kids camp and since then I’ve never stopped playing! After kids camp I joined Portland Taiko’s youth taiko group, Tanuki Taiko. I played with Tanuki Taiko through high school. After high school, I attended University of Oregon in Eugene. In college, I played with Eugene’s community taiko group, Eugene Taiko. Later two of my friends and I started University of Oregon’s collegiate taiko group, Ahiru Daiko. When I look back at my life thus far, many of my happy memories involve taiko. I love the bond that I feel with other taiko players and the power I feel when I hit a taiko. I could not imagine my life without taiko.
