Our Teachers    

Head Teacher at Kumo Taiko

 

Jane first started playing taiko in 2005 with Haere Mai Taiko before moving on to co-found Tamashii Taiko. She was the Head Teacher and Creativity Director at Tamashii for seven and half years. During this period Tamashii Taiko produced three concerts, each showcasing Tamashii's evolution and demonstrating innovative developments in playing style, musicianship, and stage performance. In 2013 Jane produced a fusion performance "Taka". Taka combined the powerful sound of taiko drumming and the Maori Haka, balanced with the gracefulness of poi and fan dance. This piece led Tamashii Taiko to win the 2013 Viva Eclectika competition.  

 

Drawing on her music background and a Master of Education in Music, Jane has composed a number of original taiko pieces.  Apart from teaching taiko classes and private lessons, she also gives workshops to schools and other taiko teams throughout New Zealand.  

 

Jane's aim is that Kumo Taiko will bring a fresh perspective to taiko playing, with the vision of exploring different playing styles and rhythms beyond traditional Japanese.

Drum maker

 

Jean-Francois is an Auckland-based artist and taiko player who performs taiko regularly.  As a skilled craftman who specialises in wood, his studio has help produced all the drums and equipment for Kumo Taiko.  He has exhibited his artwork in various galleries in Auckland and has also been a certified Guild Picture Framer since 2006. In 2014 he built the largest Hiradaiko (Japanese "flat" drum) in New Zealand.  Which has been used in various taiko concert by Tamashii Taiko, international professional taiko players, and on X-Factor NZ.