Crow

I'm not a professional taiko drum player. Far from it. I've played for a grand total of maybe 7 years if I'm being generous. But since the first time I picked up a bachi (drumstick), I wanted to play taiko with my new music family.

 

Generally speaking, unless you're in the Silk Road ensemble, there's not a whole lot of opportunity to play taiko with non-Japanese instruments. So it got me thinking. And writing. And soon enough, Crow was written.

 

Crow has been from the very beginning, about the people. Specifically, the family that I found when I moved to the Pacific Northwest. What a gift it has been, to be able to find a family of my choosing. A joyous gathering of friends formed my taiko drumming family. A collection of brilliant and kind human beings formed my new music kin. I wanted to bring them together for one piece.

 

When picking titles and text for the piece, crows kept entering my mind. Having moved to Seattle from the midwest, I had never seen so many crows in my life. They're everywhere - highly intelligent, observing, calling to each other. The title was determined before a single note was written.