Who we are
Tsukasa Taiko at JASC, one of the leading taiko (Japanese drum) ensembles in the Chicago area, was established as a resident arts program of the JASC in 2004.
Tsukasa Taiko at JASC's mission is to preserve and pass on the traditional concepts of taiko as a cultural legacy and to utilize these concepts in expanding and evolving the taiko form. Dedicated to strengthening the Chicago Japanese American/Asian American communities and being a leader in the taiko drumming culture of the Midwest, Tsukasa Taiko at JASC maintains an international profile by performing around the world throughout the year while remaining an active, positive presence in the metropolitan Chicago area.
In addition to presenting high-quality performance progams, Tsukasa Taiko at JASC also offers classes, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations designed to teach people how to play taiko, as well as to advance the understanding of how the cultural arts are a reflection of a community's heritage and legacy. Tsukasa Taiko at JASC has appeared at the Asian American Jazz Festival: Poland/Malta International Theatre Festival, the Smithsonian, San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park.
Quarterly taiko class sessions and special workshops are offered throughout the year for students at all levels of experience. It is recommended that children be at least 5 years of age to begin classes.
The Toyoaki Shamisen Project, under the direction of prominent musician Tatsu Aoki, is a branch program of Tsukasa Taiko at JASC, and offers instruction in the distinctive Zashiki tradition of shamisen (3-stringed lute) performance. Individual and group lessons in this unique, Tokyo-based style of performance are available.
Tsukasa Taiko at JASC Brochure
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Personnel
Tsukasa Taiko at JASC is made up of the leading taiko artists in the Midwest. Our artists are nationally and internationally recognized performers and recording artists.
Amy Homma - Taiko, Shamisen Instructor
Tatsu Aoki - Artistic Director, Toyoaki Shamisen Director
Jeff Chan - Administrative Director
Noriko Sugiyama - International Residency Performer
Masumi Yoneyaya - Shinoue
Amy Homma
AMY HOMMA, leader of Tsukasa Taiko at JASC.
A second generation Japanese American, she is a leader in her generation of
Chicago Japanese American artists dedicated to working in the traditional
Japanese cultural arts. In 1990, she joined the Wakayagi Daiko group to
explore her Japanese musical heritage and later joined the Tsukasa Taiko,
who was founded by Hidenori Yoshihashi.
She became a full time performer and instructor in 2005 to help and maintain
the legacy of traditional taiko music for the future generations and to
support the Japanese American community.
She is also studying Toyoaki Ozashiki shamisen under the instruction of
Tatsu Aoki and recently performing in Japan in 2009. She also studies
Japanese Classical dance with Fujima Ryu of Chicago to expand her knowledge
of Japanese music and arts. In 2008, she became the leader of JASC Tsukasa
Taiko as an head taiko instructor/performer and core shamisen
instructor/performer.
She performs with the Tatsu Aoki's Miyumi Project and Yoko Noge's Japanesque
Blues, with performances at the MCA, Millennium Park, Chicago Cultural
Center and Steppenwolf Theater. She debuted in Poland as part of the Malta
International Theatre Festival in 2007.
Photo: REPORTAGE.PL
Tatsu Aoki
Born in Japan into an artisan family, Tatsu Aoki began studies in the traditional Japanese performing arts at age 3. Upon arriving in the US in 1977, Aoki has become a leading advocate for Chicago's Asian American community and one of Chicago's most in-demand musicians on both contrabass, taiko (Japanese drums) and shamisen (Japanese lute). As founder and Executive Director of AIRMW, Aoki has initiated and managed several programs to advance the understanding of Asian American culture and community through the arts, including the Annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival and the Tsukasa Taiko at JASC Legacy arts residency project. His work as an artist and educator in the cultural arts and as a leader in the Asian American community address as well as define the issues facing the community, including the need for quality artistic programs that reflect the Asian American experience.
Aoki is an acknowledged authority in a wide range of fields, lecturing on the role of the arts in building community, working with the State of Illinois as an authority on issues of cultural competency, and performing traditional Asian music, jazz and new/experimental music. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with BA and MFA degrees, he is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Art Institute and has taught courses in Asian American Arts Practices at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.
Jeff Chan
Before arriving in Chicago and joining AIRMW in 2002, Jeff Chan worked with several San Francisco Bay Area-based organizations that employ the arts as a means to building stronger communities. He has worked with Asian Improv Records, Urban Arts, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and has been responsible for duties including marketing and sales, music instruction and arts administration. As both a community organizer and critically acclaimed musician/composer, Chan is dedicated to representing the Asian American experience by producing artistic work and events of the highest artistic caliber that are conscious of the Asian American cultural perspective. Chan holds a BS degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an MS degree from Stanford University.
TOYOAKI SHAMISEN
TOYOAKI SHAMISEN
a division of Tsukasa Taiko at JASC
Discover the Japanese traditional lute, SHAMISEN !
Legendary "Ozashiki" shamisen music from Toyoaki family.
Please visit: www.toyoaki.org
