asl

Groove Holmes

(Click here to go to the PRC Main page.)

Opening question: If you wrote a taiko song about your life right now, what would you call it?

Yurika: Patience / 
Franco: Shave and a Haircut
 / Pat: Zoom Zoom Zoom!
 / Marlene: Crazy Neighbors / 
Lane: Slowly and Anxiously / 
Cathy: The Beat Goes On
…
 / Keith: Move, Sit, Move
 / Rebecca: Sick of My Own Company
 / Ellen: Anxious Until Whenever the Hell it’s Over
 / Theresa: Walking Outside


Sorry to skip last week’s blogpost!

This morning after warm-ups Franco led us through an activity learning and practicing how to count to 10 using ASL (American Sign Language). As I forgot to take a video, here is one I found on youtube. We also did it counting along in Japanese as well as using exaggerated movement and facial expression to show emphasis. You can also try it on your non-dominant hand as we like to do all activities on both sides of our body.


Set It and Forget It

For today’s movement activity we started out with some mirror movement with bachi, keeping in mind the ideas of gathering and releasing energy, and being relaxed instead of overly controlled. After warming up on that we added a new element. One hand played a consistent beat on the taiko, while the other arm was doing mirror movement. In order to do this, you need to “set it and forget it” on the taiko side so you can give most of your attention over to the movement side. We practiced this on both the right and left hand sides.

Groove Along

Last week, we practiced our rock beat pattern to the AC/DC track, Back in Black. We liked that Ellen had found her own groove when playing along and wanted to give you the opportunity to do that for this week’s song, Groove Holmes by the Beastie Boys. As a base, you can always play the rock beat pattern (you can see this below in the last blog entry) or find your own beat. Everyone’s might be slightly different but we’ll all be unified with the main pulse.

If you have any songs you like the beat to, feel free to let us know! Ellen said she likes Cathy’s Clown by the Everly Brothers. We also heard Cold Sweat from Keith, but not sure if it’s this one by James Brown?

Other things:

Have a good week!


ANNOUNCEMENTS and REMINDERS:

  • Payment for classes should be made here: https://www.paypal.me/sanjosetaiko OR by check made out to San Jose Taiko, 565 N. 5th Street, San Jose CA 95112 (please mark the check PRC). The fee is $10 drop-in or $36/month. Please mark on your payment what dates the payment is for. This will help greatly in reconciling payments.

  • Bachi can be purchased to be mailed for $10 a pair.

  • Our friends in southern California are also running a taiko class for Parkinson’s called “Rhythmic Flow Taiko” on Sundays. Please check their website for more info.

  • At any time, feel free to email yurika@taiko.org for questions!