Kickstarter

Great Performances Depend On Great Drums

Since 1989, we at the Sacramento Taiko Dan have dedicated ourselves to bringing amazing taiko performances to the Sacramento area.  We take great pride in our shows, combining awe-inspiring drumming with carefully crafted movement to bring our fans an experience they will remember for years to come.  The Sacramento Taiko Dan performance drums are an integral part of this experience, providing the foundation from which Sacramento Taiko Dan shows are built from.  This fall, we are trying to raise money to repair these drums.  Properly maintaining these drums will help us continue the work we do and enable many more years of great performances.

The Sacramento Taiko Dan Performance Drums Are In Need Of Essential Repairs

Our goal with this fundraiser is to raise money for much needed repairs to our performance drums. Gradual wear from many years of use has begun to deteriorate the drum heads. Some of the skins have formed holes, and a few of our drums have been temporarily decommissioned until their skins can be properly replaced.

These drums are provided to us through the generous support of Asano Taiko in Japan. Based in Ishikawa Prefecture, Asano Taiko has been hand crafting beautiful, high quality drums since 1609, passing on their skill and knowledge from generation to generation. To honor Asano Taiko's support, properly maintaining these drums is our due responsibility.

If we meet our Kickstarter project goal this fall, you will help us pay to have staff from Asano Taiko replace the heads of these drums.  Sacramento Taiko Dan will host an Asano technician here in Sacramento while the repairs are made, (this option is less expensive than shipping our drums to their shop Japan).  Your contributions will also help us pay for the raw materials needed for the repairs, such as the tacks and skins prepared by the Asano Taiko shop.

Who We Are And What We Do

For the past 23 years, Sacramento Taiko Dan has been an important non-profit arts and cultural resource for the Sacramento metropolitan community.  Our mission is to study, preserve and promote traditional and contemporary styles of taiko drumming.  We seek to provide the people in the Sacramento area with opportunities for greater cultural awareness and understanding of this traditional Japanese art form through performances, classes, and public education programs.

Performances are the mainstay of Sacramento Taiko Dan.  We average sixty to eighty performances each year at cultural events throughout the Sacramento and Bay areas, including the Sacramento Pacific Rim Festival, the California State Fair, local Obon festivals and bazaars, art expositions, and many others.  We produce two major showcase concerts each year in Sacramento, and take part in the Annual International Taiko Festival each fall with the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. Our performance drums are an essential part of every one of these shows, (this is why these repairs are so important to us). 

Sacramento Taiko Dan also teaches classes year round for people interested in learning and playing taiko.  We provide youth and adult classes for all skill levels, from beginning to advanced.  Students learn traditional songs and rhythms, as well as basic music and performance skills, and develop self-discipline and confidence through learning to perform on stage.  

We also reach a few thousand local K-12 students each year through our Taiko In Schools outreach program.   With our Taiko In Schools program we bring highly interactive assembly programs to Sacramento area schools, where children learn about traditional Japanese culture and folk music.  This program is free to participating schools through our coordination with the California Arts Council’s Exemplary Arts program.

Your Help Today Is Important to Us

Like many other arts programs around the country, Sacramento Taiko Dan has been adversely affected by the recent events of the economic downturn.  In the past, Sacramento Taiko Dan has received critical grant support from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the California Arts Council.   In the last few years however, these organizations have been hit hard by the recession, and as a result our grant funding has diminished significantly.  This year we received only 18 percent of the funding we were awarded just three years ago. 

Despite this setback, Sacramento Taiko Dan is committed to continuing its work in the local arts and cultural communities.  We invite you to join us as we continue forward in our mission.  By contributing to this Kickstarter Project today, not only will you help Sacramento Taiko Dan pay for essential repairs to its performance drums, you will be backing an invaluable arts and cultural program in the Sacramento area.  We have many exciting rewards available for all levels of support, so please make your contribution today!

Domo Arigato!

Rewards Gallery

Below are selected images from our reward tiers. Please see all our rewards in the sidebar, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!