WOBURN, Mass.—“If you have a heartbeat, you have rhythm,” says Odaiko New England’s artistic director Mark H. Rooney.
His statement clearly explains people’s basic attraction to drums throughout history. And it’s one of the reasons why Japanese-style drum group Odaiko New England has been so popular throughout the region, attracting audiences and students for the past 15 years.
“Taiko is really accessible to anyone. This idea of using your entire body and energetically connecting to an instrument that way is a very immediate kind of reaction,” says Mark. “The idea of drumming itself is very rudimentary.”
Odaiko New England—referred to by the acronym ONE—is the largest taiko group in southern New England and was founded in 1994. The nonprofit organization based out of Woburn, Mass., not only has an ensemble group consisting of five core professionals but also embraces a large number of community members who volunteer to play at festivals, give workshops, and help with various tasks. There are also classes for recreational players and those wanting to learn more about taiko style.
Mark became interested in taiko drumming when he first saw it. The drums personally speak to his roots, he explains, as his mother is Japanese. Although he is a musician formally trained in Western music, taiko was his first experience with percussion. Since then, he’s studied and performed extensively with renowned musicians as well as traditional and nontraditional taiko groups throughout Japan, Europe, and the United States.
Mark joined Odaiko New England in 1998 and has been a full-time staff member since 2004. Last year he became artistic director, taking over the position from founding member Elaine Fong, who is on the board of directors. Mark is also the principal instructor.
