Performer Biographies
Bryan Yamami (Artistic Director) was first introduced to taiko with San Jose Junior Taiko from 1985-1989 and later continued with Kinnara Taiko from 1996 - 2005. With eight years of touring with the hereandnow theatre company performances with Mark Taper Forum P.L.A.Y., East West Players, and the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble, he spearheaded the creative development of the ground-breaking taiko theatrical production, TAIKOPROJECT:(re)generation from 2000 - 2007.
Bryan produced performing arts programs at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center for seven years, and has served as a grants panelist for the Los Angeles and Pasadena Cultural Affairs Departments. In 2002, he was recognized as one of "Top 30 Most Influential Asian Pacific Americans Under 30." In 2005, Bryan was brought onto the prestigious Music Center Education Division Touring Roster as a Workshop Artist and served as Composer for East West Players acclaimed run of "EQUUS." He recently performed with Kinnara Taiko on a two-week charity concert tour in six cities in Southern India with the Arpana Dance Company.
Masato Baba (Musical Director) began playing and studying taiko at the age of six under his parents, jazz musician Russel Baba and taiko drummer Jeanne Mercer, who were among the first members of the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. With Shasta Taiko, Maz has performed and helped teach workshops in Alaska, Oregon, and California and was featured on the album "Spirit Drum - Taiko Stories from America". He was also a member of the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble and was an instructor and director of the Youth Group at Endo's school, The Taiko Center of the Pacific. With Endo, he has toured across the U.S., Germany, and Japan; and took part in recording Endo's last two albums: "Hibiki" and "Jugoya". Currently, Maz resides in Los Angeles and works with the On Ensemble and TAIKOPROJECT.
Jen Baik (Performer) has always been involved with music since childhood, but didn't have her first taiko experience until college. While studying for her undergraduate degree at the University of California-Irvine, she joined Jodaiko, the collegiate taiko group on campus and during her 3rd & 4th year, she served as the group's Internal Director and Creative Director respectively. During her final year at college, she joined Kishin Daiko and is currently a part of their instruction staff helping instruct the children's group, Shodaiko and the beginning adults class. She is currently studying shi shi mai, fue and edo-bayashi under Masakazu Yoshizawa. Jen's first performance with TAIKOPROJECT was at the 2004 Tofu Festival in LA.
Byron Yamada (Performer) started playing taiko in 1999 with UCLA Kyodo Taiko, the first American collegiate taiko group, and served as a director from 2001-2002. During his time at UCLA he also became a founding member of Nishikaze Taiko, a small performing ensemble originally formed to perform daily at Downtown Disney. After graduating with a degree in biochemistry and accounting he joined Kinnara Taiko, based at Senshin Buddhist Temple, as well as Kishin Daiko, based in West Covina. In 2004 Byron joined TAIKOPROJECT as an understudy for the (re)generation tour. In addition to TAIKOPROJECT, Byron also currently performs with Kinnara Taiko and is an assistant instructor for Higashi Honganji's Bombu Taiko and Kitsune Taiko.
Yuri Yoshida (Performer) has been involved in music since she was 4 years old when she began taking piano lessons in Japan. Throughout her youth, she also received training in dance, theater, gymnastics, cheerleading, and playing the violin and the flute. In 1999, she joined Jodaiko of UCI where she later served as the Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational Coordinator. Yuri joined Kinnara Taiko and as an elementary school teacher, she has educated students on taiko history and Japanese arts and culture. She currently performs with Kinnara Taiko and TAIKOPROJECT. She has performed in several notable performances and events including the Three J-Town Taiko Concerts, Paris By Night 75, the National commercial for the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Hawaii Zenshin Daiko's 6th Annual Taiko Festival and the JACCC's Taiko Jam 2005.
Aya Ino (Performer) was born and raised in San Francisco. She is currently a student at UCLA studying International Economics and Japanese. Art and culture have always been of great importance to her since childhood when she started playing the piano at three, the clarinet, acrylic paintings, modern dance, and odori. She has been the Community Relations Chair of Japantown Northern California since 2002, organizing and performing in events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival. She first started playing taiko with San Francisco Taiko Dojo at the age of five through the inspiration of her mother, Keiko Kikuta, one of the first three members of the group. Aya has been a member of UCLA Kyodo Taiko since 2004 and is the newest member of TAIKOPROJECT, joining in December, 2005.
Darren Endo (Apprentice) found his passion for taiko when he began playing with Jodaiko UC Irvine in 1998, where he also served as Executive Director. Darren now enjoys his professional life as an Event Planner at UC Irvine and is also a, instructor, performing member and Past President of Kishin Daiko. He is excited to be a part of the TAIKOPROJECT cast and hopes it will lead him to new horizons.
Adrienne Gunde (Apprentice) grew up with music, playing flute and piano from a young age. She began playing taiko in 2003 at UCLA with Kinyou Yuuhan no Kai, and went on to become one of the founding members of Yukai Daiko. After graduating in 2005, she spent a year in Maebashi, Japan, where she played with the all-women's group Mamure Daiko, and Ichiwa Tsuzumi of Chiba. She also studied taiko in Tokyo at the Nihon Taiko Dojo. She returned to Los Angeles in the fall of 2006 and has been training with TAIKOPROJECT since.
Cherie Lockwood (Apprentice) is currently a graduate student at UCLA in the Teacher Education Program. She has been involved in music and dance since the age of 4, receiving instruction in piano, flute, ballet, jazz, hip hop and traditional japanese dance. She began playing taiko as an undergraduate in 2003 with UCLA's practice group, Isshin Daiko, and has since played with Awa Hachiman Daiko in Chiba, Japan and San Francisco Taiko Dojo.
Joel Mankey (Apprentice) grew up in Thousand Oaks, California. His mother was a music teacher, and his father, a recording engineer, and Joel has played a variety of musical instruments throughout his life. While studying composition at California State University Northridge, Joel revived Jishin Taiko and served as its musical director for 3 years. Joel also plays Steel Drums with Metro Steel and Marimba, Percussion, and Trumpet with the Masanga Marimba Ensemble.
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