Digging Deeper with Denver Public Library
The Denver Public Library recommends these library resources to enhance your experience at KODO.
The visceral sound of KODO’s taiko drumming explores the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum forging new directions for a vibrant living artform. The Denver Public Library recommends these library resources to enhance your theater experience.
READ
Karate: The Art of “Empty Hand” Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama
The art, physical endurance and grace of KODO mirrors beautifully the martial art of Shotokan Karate. Dedication and training are paramount to both martial arts and KODO drumming, and in both, the mind and body become a finely tuned instrument. This book is a comprehensive dive into how to master physical performance.
WATCH
Vic Firth Drumsticks, dir. Joel Greene and Melissa Cockrell (2012)
Vic Firth, a drummer for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, became the Stradivari of drumsticks after he designed his own that could produce the vast range of sounds he desired. Watch as a professional child visits the Vic Firth facility to learn how drumsticks are made along with receiving drumming tips. Stream it on Kanopy, free to all Denver residents with your library card.
LISTEN
The Rough Guide to the Best Japanese Music You’ve Never Heard, Various artists (2021)
The Japanese music genre has grown and evolved over the years from being found in just Japan to today where it has spread throughout the world gaining a massive following. This CD is your crash course opportunity to branch out and hear new sounds from a culture far from our own.
DOWNLOAD
Taiko Do – Echo of the Soul, KyoShinDo (2020)
Take a group of Italian percussionists, who just so happen to be karate experts too, and see what kind of musical concoction they can cook up. The rhythmic, kinetic energy of the two disciplines would certainly seem to lend themselves to each other, and for the group KyoShinDo, their ambition has carried them relentlessly forward ever since. Not only are they committed to playing taiko music, but they make the drums themselves – living and practicing in a ‘dojo’ high in the Ligurian Apennines. Listen using our Music Online database.