Noa (he/him) is a Junior double majoring in Informatics and Political Science from Taiko Kai's Generation 8. As a freshman he joined Taiko Kai because of the welcoming nature of the club. Through his time with Taiko Kai he has found mentors, friends, and a community of people where he feels he can be himself each week! One of Noa's favorite songs that we play is Dancing Dragons, a song composed by his previous taiko group (Kona Daifukuji Taiko) in Kona, Hawaii. Noa says it has been really rewarding seeing more and more members learn a song that is very special to him.

Jason (He/Him) is a Biology General Major and Music Minor in Generation 7. He joined Taiko Kai because he wanted to try taiko after being involved with drumline in high school and since it looked interesting. His favorite part is the sound of all the drums, Odaiko especially. He is also part of the UW Drumline as part of the bassline.

Anna (she/her) is a senior in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Applied Mathematics. She joined Taiko Kai's Generation 8 in Fall 2020 with the intent to try something new during the height of COVID, which quickly turned into one of her favorite hobbies - enough for her to join the taiko group in Berlin (iki-iki TAIKO) during her exchange program this past summer. Her favorite part about taiko is the energy that goes into playing songs and, of course, the big sounds. Besides taiko, she enjoys building rockets, gaming with friends, and playing/listening to all kinds of music.

Lily (She/Her) is a second-year Biology major in Gen 9. She decided to join her cousin, a Taiko Kai alumni, in the club because she thought it would be an interesting way to make friends and because she had previous experience playing taiko during middle school. Lily says her favorite parts of Taiko Kai are the friends she’s met and all the different ways she’s able to make music using the drums. Lily enjoys going to Haleiwa, socializing, and making friends. As for hobbies, she plays the harp and guitar! 

Asa (They/Them) is a Junior and a rare non-STEM student in Taiko Kai, double majoring in Anthropology and History. They hadn't known about taiko before coming to UW but joined as a part of Generation 9 because they wanted to find a way to continue doing music after being in various ensembles for piano and violin. Their favorite part of taiko is the aesthetics and choreography of performances, and their favorite part of being in Taiko Kai is the community and having fun with the people they've met (AKA getting boba after practice and bonding events).  Outside of taiko Asa likes to sew, go to concerts, listen to podcasts, and play games!

Jason (he/him) is a Second-year Business major in Generation 9. He grew up near a professional taiko group and has always been interested in learning how to play.  Before joining Taiko Kai when he came to UW, Jason had experience with western percussion from high school. His current favorite song is Korekara and his favorite part of Taiko Kai is getting to practice and perform together as a group within a friendly community! 

Kaila (She/Her) is a Sophomore majoring in Japanese and Asian Languages and Literatures in Generation 9. She grew up attending Obon festivals back home, where she’d watch her cousin and local Japanese American community play taiko and dance odori. She always wanted to give taiko a shot, so upon hearing about the club in freshman year, here she is! Kaila loves the feeling of excitement and power that emanates through the room when Taiko Kai plays. She feels as though it has given her a tie to her cultural roots as a Japanese American- and says it’s just a lot of fun!

Jennifer (she/her) is a Junior majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Music and a part of TK's 9th Generation. She grew up watching her family friends perform in taiko groups and had always wanted to try it. Cue Taiko Kai! Her favorite parts of being in Taiko Kai are the energy and the people. Outside of Taiko Kai you can find Jennifer playing trumpet for several UW music ensembles including the Husky Marching Band, doodling around campus, or at any half-decent boba place.