HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — This week marks the Lunar New Year, also referred to as the Chinese New Year, and there is a special group of musicians visiting schools and retirement communities across Tampa Bay to entertain and educate.
The pounding of the Taiko, also known as the drum, filled the Tampa Theatre with rhythm and wonder as hundreds of school children slapped and clapped to the beat.
“Well, nobody has gone a day without hearing percussion; before we were born, we have the heartbeat of our mother that we hear,” said Ron Collins.
Collins is the founder of Tampa Taiko. However, it didn’t start on a stage but rather in the stands of a soccer game.
“The Tampa Bay Mutiny and they had this huge stadium without many fans and we filled that stadium up with a lot of noise, a lot of horns, and noises and a lot of big, big drums,” said Collins.
The Mutiny eventually folded, so Collins took his drums on the road.
“We tell them about the history and some of the traditions, but basically, it’s an excuse to have a big blowout party,” said Collins. “For hundreds of years, they’ve used the Taiko drum to celebrate the change of the seasons.”
This isn’t just a show, it’s a form of martial arts, and Collins is the sensei.
“Especially on the field of battle, they would send messages with the drum; they would intimidate the enemy,” said Collins.
Julian is one of Collins' longest-running students, not only helping to write the music but also building the drums using old wine barrels.
“It's really cool to go from fan to on stage, and looking out and seeing the same person that I was, and now I can inspire somebody else,” said Julian. "They’ll say, ‘there was that guy with the funny hair and he was really, really good and then he let me hit the gong afterward.’”
Among the schools in attendance was Roland Park Magnet School. Their teachers say it’s a great opportunity to expand on what these students are already learning in the classroom.
“In my classroom, we focus a lot on world music, music from other cultures, respecting other cultures, seeing their traditions,” said music teacher Kevin Liotta-Devivo.
For more information on Tampa Taiko, call 727-531-7999.
