DARKE COUNTY – The Darke County Senior Center is pleased to have Mississinawa Valley students perform Taiko at the Center on Tuesday, May 12th from 11:30 am – 12:15 pm. This is a Darke County Senior event that is free for seniors aged 55 and over.
To attend, please RSVP by signing up at the Senior Center or texting Wally at (508) 789-3884 or Mary (937) 423-2565 by May 5th.
Taiko is a traditional Japanese drumming practice that historically served as a means of communication between villages. With the development of more advanced communication technologies, taiko gradually declined in use. However, following World War II, it experienced a resurgence and was reintroduced in dojos as an artistic discipline. Incorporating aspects of martial arts into its choreography and employing dynamic rhythms, taiko is designed to engage and energize audiences.
The Taiko group at Mississinawa Valley began nineteen years ago, when Eric Peyton from Capital University came as an artist-in-residence. With his guidance, they crafted 15 practice drums using farm drainage tiles and cow hides. The original program was a small ensemble of 5th and 6th-graders who met after school for an hour each week. Today, they have expanded to include elementary, junior high, and high school groups that meet during the school day and earn arts credit. To join, students audition in the 5th grade after a three-week Taiko Drumming unit. Those not selected can try again in sixth grade.
Once admitted, there’s no need to re-audition, but members must uphold specific academic and behavioral standards. As the Taiko group represents Mississinawa Valley across Ohio and Indiana, these students strive for outstanding achievement both in their performance and discipline.
They have performed at venues such as the Ohio Statehouse, the Ohio School Board Association, the Ohio Music Education Association, the Ohio Board of Education, Indianapolis Public Schools, Sycamore School District, the Piqua Arts Festival, Eldora Raceway, the Indianapolis Pacers, King’s Island, and the Great Darke County Fair, among others.
