Isaku Kageyama

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Isaku Kageyama
影山伊作
Born (1981-12-12) December 12, 1981 (age 40)
San Francisco
OriginJapanese
GenresInstrumental
Occupation(s)Taiko player
InstrumentsTaiko
Percussion
Years active2006–present
LabelsCollage Music Arts
Associated actsDenver Taiko
Websiteisakukageyama.com

Isaku Kageyama (born December 12, 1981 in San Francisco, United States) is an American musician, composer, producer, and educator, specialized in taiko drums. He is a member of Tokyo-based taiko ensemble called Amanojaku and he currently attends Berklee College of Music.[1] He is famous for his fusion of traditional Japanese music with jazz, rock and club music, whereby he has collaborated with many jazz artists such as Eric Gravatt, Terumasa Hino, Toshinori Kondo, and Kazutoki Umezu, as well as a wide range of ethnic musicians.[2][3]

Early life and education[]

Isaku was born on December 12, 1981 in San Francisco, California. He attended St. Joseph International School in Yokohama, and graduated from International Christian University in 2004 with a BA in international relations.[4] He currently attends Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Taiko career[]

He began playing taiko in 1987 under the tutelage of Kenny Endo in Tokyo. In 1989, Isaku joined Amanojaku, where he continued to study taiko skills with for the next 20 years.[5] From 2006–2011, he toured with Amanojaku as one of the principal drummers.[6] In 2011, Isaku entered Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he currently studies percussion and contemporary writing and production. He also collaborated with , a member of rival group Oedo Sukeroku Taiko.[7]

His style is specific and modern as he plays taiko drums together with electric guitar and electric bass players to form a kind of hard rock or punk music sound.[8]

Taiko educator[]

Kageyama teaches taiko at Wellesley College, University of Connecticut, and heads a taiko club at Berklee College of Music.[9] He is the author of "20 Tips to Better Taiko" and has produced an educational CD Jikata.[10]

Awards and honors[]

Isaku won highest honors at the in 2000, and the in 2003.[11]

See also[]

  • Taiko
  • Music of Japan – Taiko
  • Kuchi shoga, a system used to "pronounce" taiko sounds.
  • Taiko: Drum Master (a.k.a. Taiko no tatsujin) is a series of drumming video games

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Drumming up team spirit with Amanojaku". CJ. The Tokyo Reporter. July 24, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  2. ^ "Kageyama to drum up aid". Tomoko Otake. The Japan Times. April 1, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  3. ^ "Isaku Kageyama". East Coast Taiko Conference 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  4. ^ "Isaku Kageyama – Profile". isakukageyama.com. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  5. ^ "Isaku takes a stand". Yuri Kageyama. Newsle. October 24, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2012./
  6. ^ "Isaku Kageyama – North American Taiko Conference". Taiko Conference. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  7. ^ "Taiko drummer tradition alive". House of Japan. May 18, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  8. ^ "Taiko is what shaped me but also helped me to find who I am". My Eyes Tokyo. July 21, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  9. ^ "Isaku Kageyama represents Japan at the Berklee College of Music with Ayumi Ueda and Suyama Jackson". yurikageyama.com. May 1, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  10. ^ "Taiko Play-Along Practice "Jikata"". Amazon. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  11. ^ "Isaku Kageyama honors". ECTC 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
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