Music Workshops: Meet the Artist
23 Drums, 23 Hearts: Taiko Workshop with Piero Nota in November
The Fast-Paced Rhythm of Taiko
The fast-paced rhythm of 23 drums being hit by quick-moving hands filled the room and roared in the ears of the bystanders. Tense muscles and focused minds beat in unison. Tired bodies, yet smiling faces. How could all this happen?
Back when Covid was still affecting our daily lives, in my craving for playing taiko I found out that, not too far from my hometown in Italy, there was this taiko teacher. Since I was going there during my summer vacation, I decided to get in touch with him and see if there was the possibility to play: that’s how I was introduced to Piero Nota and Quelli del Taiko. After the first workshop he gave in Oss in 2022, I wanted to bring his taiko in Eindhoven, so I started organizing it.
When everything was ready, I was almost surprised by the huge interest. I had to close the subscriptions during the presale because the room had reached its full capacity.
Finally, the day of the workshop arrived. Seeing all participants together was a feast for the eyes: 23 players from the Netherlands, UK, Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and Poland, all gathered by a shared passion for Taiko, were about to start a common journey.
By playing the rhythms Piero was teaching, we gradually built a connection. Social moments in between sessions helped make that connection stronger. Already during the tea-tasting moment at the end of the first day, people who were strangers three hours earlier were now chatting and laughing together while tasting several kinds of matcha.
Almost at the end of the workshop, everyone gave their best while playing Unitaiko, the song taught by Piero (Youtube link is on the right side: enjoy it!). On every face, you could see both the sweat from physical effort and the happiness of the moment.
And that’s the true power of Taiko and music: bringing strangers together through shared effort, building connections that overcome language, culture, and physical distance.
While the roar of the Taiko fades in the distance, the warmth of this encounter will stay in the participants’ hearts for much longer.
And you — have you ever experienced something like this?