Time To Taiko

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Before I talk about anything else- Can you believe that Ricky Williams has ALREADY failed a drug test?!?!?!?!?!? Dude, the ink hasn't even dried yet on his reinstatement! Honestly I'm not surprised. This is just too freaking hilarious.

I'm back from Hollister. The funeral was, well... a funeral.

I can tell you that the strawberries are in season. They are sweet, juicy, and HUGE! I love me some strawberries. Always have, always will.

Good thing I like driving. I just drove to Hollister on Wednesday (116 mi), drove back to Fresno yesterday (116 mi), and tomorrow I will drive to San Jose (151 mi) and back (151 mi). 116+116+151+151= 534 miles. That's a lot of miles! If it weren't for the fact that Sunday is mother's day, I'd have to drive up to Sacramento (and back) and check out Jim's new bachelor pad just to round out the weekend.

Well tomorrow is taiko day. I'm SO EXCITED!!!!!!! It's hard to explain why I like taiko so much. If I have given you the impression that I have been some kind of life-long drummer, I'm sorry, that just isn't the case. My first instrument was the flute at age 9. Growing up, my older sister (by 7 years) was in the colorguard of Hoover High (Go Pates!). So I have always been familiar with the marching band, and I had always been attracted to the Hoover drumline. One name: Terry Longshore. Google it. When it was my turn for high school, I left my smarty-pants magnet school that was 7-12 (Edison-Computech) for literally greener pastures. Hoover had a better band, and I wasn't passing on my chance to wear knickers and a tri-corner hat.

And at this time I must do a shout-out to my fellow alumni band-geeks: Hi Amy! Hi Jenny! Hi Steve! (cheeseburger, onion rings, and large orange drink. Hooah!)

So for 9th and 10th grade I played the flute. In the 11th grade I learned to play the oboe. In my senior year in high school, our band director, Mr. Erker, asked me to join the drumline. I did not hesitate to say yes. So my senior year, I was on the Hoover High drumline and had all the attitude that came with the position. (Sidebar: CVC racer dude Jonathon Eropkin was also in this same drumline. He's a year younger than me and also left the same smarty-pants magnet school to go to Hoover. I even worked at the same company as his mom for a while. Small world.)

When it was time to go to college, I did join the Fresno State marching band, but I returned to the flute. I thought about participating in something called winter percussion, but ultimately I left music to persue my dancing "career".

I have a point to all of this and yes, I am getting to it. It was here, in the dance program, that I was introduced to taiko. My modern dance classes didn't have any live music accompaniment so my professor would use taiko music. From there I was hooked. I also had the opportunity to dance to music composed by Iannis Xenakis. Just trust me, beautiful and mesmerizing percussion music.

So, that is my long-winded story on why I like taiko and percussion in general. Maybe on a slow blogging day I'll scan some old band pictures and post them. Maybe.

I must get to bed now. The workshop starts at 10 tomorrow morning, which means I have to get up TFE tomorrow for the drive up. I figure, leave around 6:30, stop in Los Banos for breakfast around 7:30, leave Los Banos before 8, get through Pacheco Pass by 8:30, and get to Okida Hall by 9:30 with time to spare for re-inflating my gluteus maximus muscles from all this driving.

After the workshop, if I am still able to stand, I plan to spend the afternoon in San Jose and do a little shopping at The Container Store (this is my porn, I kid you not), and Crate and Barrel. Woo-Hoo!

I'm taking my camera again, and this time I plan on taking some pictures to share with you. :)

~Vet
"I am ready. The sky is not the limit."

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