| dc.description.abstract | Taiko is a Japanese ensemble drumming practice that has rapidly developed, gaining popularity throughout the world. Oedo Sukeroku Taiko is a group, based in Tokyo, that was a pioneer of this practice, and it is considered the first professional Taiko group. Its characteristic style includes a stance inspired by Japanese traditional arts, the production of rhythmic patterns accompanied by choreographic movements and the use of the slant stand. This dissertation aims to explore how the Japanese principles of tradition and innovation were embodied in the transmission practices of Oedo Sukeroku Taiko. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in Japan, where fieldnotes, interviews, photographs, video and audio recordings were gathered during visits to Taiko classes and performances. The further analysis of the material was framed by the concepts of communities of practice and situated learning; previous research about Taiko, and information about the Japanese socio-cultural context. In the group, teaching and learning happen within an apprenticeship system, where the proficiency of the practice is obtained after years of direct training following one master. Their transmission practices, based on imitation and repetition, are intertwined with the principles of the group, which bestow importance to tradition and innovation through the embodiment of their techniques in order to achieve individual expression and creativity. The students and possible future professional performers need to learn the physical, mental, affective, and spiritual aspects of the practice to deliver synchronized performances that create an impact on the audience, through the aural, visual and kinesthetic elements characteristic of the practice. | en_US |
