I teach taiko and can give group classes and workshops as well as individual lessons. If you’d like to learn taiko, or are already playing taiko but would like to further your skills, then please get in touch. I’m based in Lochinver (in the North West Highlands) but regularly travel around the British Isles and am always happy to add an extra location to my taiko travels.
I initially began teaching as a member of Mugenkyo many years ago, assisting with a variety of adult and childrens’ workshops and school shows. In 2104, after studying with Masaaki Kurumaya-sensei in Japan, I took up teaching again. I have since been a regular teacher of Aber Taiko in Swansea and have begun giving workshops to other taiko groups in the UK. I occasionally teach further afield, including in north-west Germany, hosted by Silke Hanzen, and in France with Yumi Célia.
I find teaching is a win-win situation: I love sharing my taiko experiences and discoveries with others and during the process I’m always shown something new and surprising in return. If the people I teach learn as much from me as I learn from them, then we’re onto a good thing 🙂
Please email me with any enquiries or questions: alison@taiko.scot
Reviews of my taiko teaching
One-to-one teaching
Alison is a wonderful taiko teacher! I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend 5 days getting intensive taiko instruction. Alison tailored the sessions to my pace and interests. She was focussed in ensuring I got the most out of the session and maintaining fidelity to the Fukui style. Within a short time my confidence had significantly improved, and I was able to play alongside her in a way I hadn’t ever thought I could manage. Alison’s patience, ability to explain the adjustments needed to my technique and her encouragement made the hard work of learning very enjoyable! I look forward to working with Alison again soon and highly recommend her teaching to others of all skill levels!
Jasmin, London
Introductory taiko sessions
Alison is an inspiring & encouraging teacher in the art of Taiko, giving both cultural insights & technical instruction. As someone who has no musical background, the session felt very accessible, safe and respectful which really supported me in letting go and being in the moment rather than worrying about getting it wrong. Alison definitely gets that people learn differently and works hard to accommodate and adjust to different needs & feelings. She effortlessly brought a group of strangers together in a short space of time in a very positive way. I am so looking forward to more fun & energising sessions.
Marie, Lairg
Group teaching
Alison has been teaching us the basics of playing taiko and the Fukui or Hokuriku style quite consistently since we started.
The first time we saw her play it was love at first sight – her form and flow was something we wanted to learn and embody.
Her lessons are very structured and we achieve a lot in the space of 2 hours: practice mitsu-uchi or cross hands and get personal input.
There will always be a time to solo, and while this is usually quite daunting, she makes us feel at ease and confident, explaining how to build a solo, giving us opportunity to try different things while feeling playful. We get pointers on our playing as a group and how to move on and off the drum. We learnt how to twirl our bachi and how to play musically and not just loud. And many times, the lessons become very creative and we work on our repertoire, tweaking things here and there, and making them better. Alison is a very relaxed and generous teacher, and we are lucky to have crossed paths. We highly recommend inviting her to teach your group.
Yasmin, Aber Taiko, Swansea
More taiko teachers
There are increasing numbers of taiko teachers across the Scotland and the UK. If you’re looking for regular classes in your area, you can find information here on other taiko teachers in Scotland.