Stanford Taiko testimonials

“Since joining the group as a freshman, I have come to view Stanford Taiko as the defining feature of my Stanford experience. Through Stanford Taiko, I have grown musically, but more importantly, I have grown as a human being. ST is fundamentally based upon respect – respect not only for the drums and the practice space, but also for the individual members who practice with dedication and diligence, and for the community, whose long-lasting support makes our group’s existence possible. ”

Mark Nishimura ’16 and MS ’17, finishing co-term in electrical engineering

“Stanford Taiko is a consensus-based group. By definition, we make decisions in the best interest of the whole. With this philosophy as our backbone, Stanford Taiko is, and always has been, an extremely close-knit group with incredibly supportive alumni.”

Sayuri Sekimitsu ’18, BS candidate in biomedical computation

“One of my favorite moments of the weekend was the informal jam session, in which the alumni were given a couple hours to just play together on Bing stage. I had just been talking to two of the alumni, who were laughing about how they hadn’t touched a drum in 15-odd years and how nervous they were for that evening when they would be playing for an audience again. I watched them pick up the bachi (drumsticks) and approach the drum with some uncertainty, but as soon as someone started a backbeat it was as if a switch was flipped inside both of them. They immediately snapped into form and played the body flawlessly as more alumni and some of our current members went to join them, everyone building on each other’s enthusiasm and energy until the whole stage was radiating with noise and joy. That moment to me was just unbelievably pure and beautiful, as I watched people who have never met before unified by their love of playing taiko.”

Hannah Williams ’19, candidate in mechanical engineering

“Collegiate taiko, as I have experienced it, has been a completely unexpected journey to have been able to participate in. Unless you have had previous experiences with taiko, joining Stanford Taiko is sort of like jumping down a rabbit hole into a whole new culture of wonderful people, and a beautiful art form to devote yourself to.”

Alexander Shufeng Wang ’18, candidate in computer science