I began with Portland Taiko as a student in 2016. Although I’ve been playing various forms of percussion since the age of 11, I never had the opportunity to get behind a taiko drum until that first class. I knew immediately it was something that would become a regular part of my life. I joined Portland Taiko as a trainee in 2019. I love that taiko is capable of expressing such a wide range of emotions, from earth-shaking power to quiet introspection. I especially enjoy playing with others—even with such diverse backgrounds, we can all share a common language through music. My full-time profession is electronics engineer, and I also work as an amateur artist producing costume masks and prop replicas.