North American Taiko Conference 2011 c/o San Jose Taiko

The North American Taiko Conference (NATC) is a biennial event, alternating locations between Los Angeles and other western-US cities.  The conference has become an essential element of the taiko community, with workshops and discussion sessions for players of all levels.  NATC also features public performances featuring a wide variety of taiko groups.  The conference is attended by virtually all of the taiko community's leaders, along with hundreds of players from around the world.

Started in 1997, the conference was first held in Los Angeles, hosted by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, with the mission of supporting the growth of taiko in North America.  Specifically, NATC seeks to:

* Build a community of taiko groups in North America
* Share traditions and repertoire
* Support the artistic development of the art-form
* Document North American taiko history

NATC Fiscal Sponsor: JACCC
The North American Taiko Conference is fiscally sponsored by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) of Los Angeles. The JACCC has played a critical role in the conference since its inception, providing organizational, logistical, and financial support to NATC regardless of conference location. JACCC has created and continues to house a NATC Advisory Board composed of taiko players and advocates from across the nation to guide the NATC and related activities.
NATC Advisory Board Executive Commitee

* Roy Hirabayashi, San Jose Taiko
* Johnny Mori, Kinnara Taiko
* Alan Okada, Soh Daiko
* Stan Shikuma, Seattle Kokon Taiko

NATC 2011 Regional Hosts: Norcal Taiko Network
NATC 2011 is being hosted by the NorCal Taiko Network, a gathering of over 30 taiko groups and individual practitioners from the Northern California region. The following groups have pledged resources to make NATC 2011 a reality.

Diablo Taiko, Eden Aoba Taiko, Emeryville Taiko, Fresno Gumyo Taiko, Grass Valley Taiko, Ichimi Daiko, Jun Daiko, Maze Daiko, Mountain View Buddhist Temple Taiko, Onami Taiko, Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Adult Taiko, Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Dharma Taiko, Sacramento Taiko Dan, Sandoshin Taiko, San Francisco Taiko Dojo, San Jose Taiko, Shasta Taiko, Shinsei Daiko, Sonoma County Taiko, Stanford Taiko, Stockton Bukkyo Taiko, Taiko Ren, Wadaiko Newark, Watsonville Taiko

About Taiko
'Taiko' is the Japanese word for drum.  In an English context, taiko is used to refer to the art-form of ensemble Japanese drumming, more technically called kumidaiko.  Although the drums have existed for thousands of years and are part of a wide variety of Japanese cultural, religious, and musical traditions, ensemble taiko music, with the drums as the focus of the performance, emerged in the early 1950′s.  Osuwa Daiko, formed by jazz drummer Daihachi Oguchi, is generally considered to be the first kumidaiko group, and the art-form spread quickly throughout Japan.  In the United States, San Francisco Taiko Dojo was formed in 1968, followed soon after by Kinnara Taiko in Los Angeles, and then San Jose Taiko.  There are now hundreds of community, university, youth, and professional groups around the world.