Because it is darn expensive to purchase a taiko, Kyodo Taiko members construct their own drums. (note: most North-American taiko groups do this as well)

Starting with a wine barrel, members sand it down so that it is smooth. They then apply primer and paint, until they achieve the desired color and tone. The skins are made of stretched cow hides. Look ahead for pictures of the stretching process!

Making our own drums really makes us appreciate the instrument that much more. We take great care to ensure that we get the most out of our drums. Each one of us puts our sweat, and sometimes blood (eiww.), into these drums, and we love them dearly.

In this picture, Kyodo members are applying the primer and paint at our first summer retreat of the 2006-2007 school year, at Hitomi's Roland Heights residnece.

[Kyodo Taiko at UCLA was the first collegiate taiko group to form in North America, founded under UCLA's Nikkei Student Union. Striving to live up to the group’s name, Kyodo Taiko functions as a family, sharing the joy and spirit of taiko with more and more of the surrounding community each year.]