I worked as the Conference Manager for the Taiko Community Alliance (TCA) from 2022-2025. The TCA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports taiko arts and hosts the North American Taiko Conference.

The North American Taiko Conference (NATC) was first held in 1997 and has had been significant in developing the art form and community of players in North America. It is the largest recurrent taiko gathering on the continent.

There were an absence of in-person conferences during the pandemic, but we returned to in-person events with the North American Taiko Conference Regional (NATC-R) in Hilo in the summer of 2023. The following summer, we held the 2024 North American Taiko Conference Regional in Seattle. In 2025, we brought back the full scale NATC with the North American Taiko Conference in Phoenix.

I’m honored to have had the opportunity to produce these three event and to have met so many amazing taiko players. The experience showed me the incredibly diverse, kind, and generous spirit of our taiko community. Thank you for the wonderful memories!