Clothed in black and red, the group strode onto the stage and in slow, measured movements began to beat massive drums, making Wilder’s main space ring with thunder on Monday night.

Taiko has played an important role in Japan’s history since the tenth century. Used for everything from motivating troops before battle to communicating with the gods, this ancient art-form became popular in the United States when waves of Japanese immigrants settled here in the late 1800s.

Most prominent in the Pacific Northwest, Taiko has spread across the country, even reaching our own little enclave of rural Ohio.

The Taiko Drumming ExCo’s performance of traditional, modern and self-composed pieces culminated a semester of hard work and cultural exploration, and served as an opportunity to show off their envelopment in the form and meaning of Taiko.

A unique mixture of dance, music and storytelling, Taiko has found many eager learners here at Oberlin.

“It’s a great way to get involved with Oberlin students and non-Oberlin students,” said first-year ExCo member Martina McLennan. “It’s also fun just to get to go bang on drums and dance around once a week.”

The prospect of pounding on a huge drum drew over 100 people to sign up for Taiko at the ExCo fair, but because the group only has five drums in Oberlin, college seniors Jenny Soong and Maryll Phillips had to condense the list.

“We were looking for enthusiastic people who could commit to playing Taiko. Other than that we had no requirements,” said Phillips.

The class consists of students from all class ranks and majors. Some members had never heard of Taiko, while others had family members who played it. Some plan to study abroad in Japan. Some were just curious.

“You don’t have to be an East Asian Studies major to play Taiko. Anybody can play Taiko if they’re willing to learn,” said Phillips.

The weekly class began with a warm up of both the players and their work with the drums. After doing various stretches and sit-ups, the members started with a few minutes of drum rolls followed by drills for building technique.

“It’s a very physical activity,” said Phillips.

The leaders then taught songs to the group in the traditional manner.

“Taiko is learned through oral tradition. So we taught the class what each sound means. We would sit in a circle and sing the songs first. Like, dongo dongo dongo kata kata. When those sounds are put together it makes a song,” said Phillips.

The singing and physical participation pairs for an exciting combination.

“I always leave class feeling really awesome,” said Soong. “I’d be pumped up, and singing the songs in my head.”

The class also had the opportunity to learn some Japanese words, such as the numbers from one to ten as well as a traditional recitation.

“At the beginning of each class we say, ‘Please be kind to me for this practice’ in Japanese and at the end we say, ‘Thank you for a good practice.’ It’s not a prayer, it’s more like a greeting,” said Phillips.

In the middle of the semester, the students in the class were able to apply their own creative ideas to the fundamentals they had learned and to compose their own pieces.

“They came up with the song, the choreography, the stage setup.  It was all them,” said Phillips.

At the performance, one group presented a piece integrating hip-hop beats into traditional Taiko rhythms, and the other’s composition told the story of a predator stalking its prey.

Several members of the ExCo are also members of Icho Daiko, a Cleveland Taiko group formerly based in Oberlin. Many group members, as well as a few Oberlin faculty, commute to Cleveland each Sunday to practice with Icho Daiko.

The drums the ExCo uses were originally made by the Cleveland group out of wine and whisky barrels and soaked cowhides.

“It’s a long process — over 100 hours for one drum,” said Phillips. “The commitment for the group goes way beyond just showing up and drumming. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s really rewarding.”

Phillips remembers being drawn to Taiko when a Portland Taiko group came to perform in Finney Chapel her sophomore year.

“It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” she said.

For Oberlin, Taiko provides a unique opportunity for musical exploration.

“It’s a different type of music than you’ll find at the Con,” said Phillips. “Also, for someone who knows nothing about Japan, it’s a good window into that culture. Besides, during midterms and finals, we all look forward to beating on something. It’s good for stress relief. You can scream and beat things at the same time. What’s better than that?”