Gregg Amundson is in his fifth year as a member of Mu Daiko and his sixth year with a pair of bachi in his hands. He would like to thank his family and friends for putting up with all the banging out of rhythms on furniture and counter tops. And to Mu Daiko for giving him something real to play on.

Michiko Todokoro Buchanan, who is from Osaka, Japan, took an introductory workshop from Rick Shiomi in December 2006. Since then, Taiko has been a part of her life. Although her favorite childhood activity was participating in Bon Odori (a Japanese summer festival where Taiko and dance are involved), she had never touched a Taiko drum until she took classes from Mu Daiko. Taiko fascinates her because even a simple rhythm can create a story. She thanks Mu Daiko for providing her with a great opportunity to study Taiko. She is also thankful to her husband, Paul, for his support.

Jeff Ellsworth began playing taiko in 1999 after attending one of Theater Mu's first student taiko recitals. After participating in many a taiko class he joined Mu Daiko as an intern in 2003. Jeff's interest in taiko have gone beyond performing, which he enjoys immensely. He is known to spend a large amount of time researching other taiko groups and is known to travel great distances to attend their performances. He wishes to thank his family, fellow students, teachers and MN Taiko for their support. He also would like to thank all the guest artists and taiko luminaries he has encountered for their inspiration.

Heather Jeche began studying taiko in 2005, and has been performing with Mu Daiko since 2006. She continues to be amazed by the physical power and internal energy of taiko, and loves how it has changed her life. She's very grateful to be part of such a fantastic group, and appreciates the inspiration, energy and laughter she shares with fellow Mu Daiko members and her students. A huge thank you to her family and friends for their constant love, support and encouragement as she continues her taiko journey. She couldn't do it without them!

Joe Mignano has studied taiko for four years and joined Mu Daiko in January of 2009. Introduced to taiko by Iris Shiraishi as a music composition student and a founding member of St. Olaf Taiko at St. Olaf College, he continues to study the artform and is sharing his own original music with Mu. He thanks Iris, Jen, Rick, and Mu Daiko for this opportunity, and is inexhaustibly inspired by their openness and commitment to reinvention and creating new music and art.

Chiaki O’Brien began studying Taiko in 2008.
Whenever she thinks about Taiko, she thinks life is interesting. She grew up in Japan but she never played Taiko in Japan. Now, she studies Taiko and is fortunate to share her culture when she goes performing. She enjoys not only studying Taiko but also having fun with her Taiko friends in the classes. She appreciates her husband’s and her friends’ support. Other than Taiko, she is a SAORI weaver/instructor which is also a style originally from Japan. She strongly feels that both Taiko and SAORI mutually influence each other in a positive way. She has a woven piece called “Energy”. This is a piece that was inspired by her first student Taiko recital in the summer of 2009.

Craig has been studying taiko for six years, and just performed in his fourth fall concert with Mu Daiko. He feels lucky to be a part of such a talented, supportive group of musicians and artists. Craig would like to thank Mu for the chance to share his passion for the artform as an instructor, now in his third year. He also thanks his family and friends for their encouragement and support on his journey.

As a playwright and director, Rick Shiomi has been one of the leading figures of the Asian American theater movement since the early 1980's.
Relocating to Minnesota in the 1990's, he was one of the founders of Theater Mu and is presently the Artistic Director of the company under its current name,Mu Performing Arts. Mr. Shiomi's plays include the award winning Yellow Fever, Rosie's Cafe, Uncle Tadao, Play Ball, Mask Dance, The Tale of the Dancing Crane and Song of the Pipa. He also co-authored the book for The Walleye Kid: The Musical. Yellow Fever has been produced off-Broadway, in Japanese in Tokyo and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mr. Shiomi has had his plays produced by the major Asian American theater companies: Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco, Pan Asian Repertory in New York and East West Players in Los Angeles. Yellow Fever has also been published in the U.S. and Canada and Mask Dance appears in Bold Words: A Century of Asian American Writing, published by Rutgers University in 2001. He has also written screenplays for film and television including the Canadian award winning dramatic series ENG.Mr. Shiomi's directing credits include Mask Dance, Theater Mu's first full-length production, The Walleye Kid, The Tale of the Dancing Crane, Song of the Pipa and Maui and the Soul of the Sun. He has also directed at the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco and at Interact Theater in Philadelphia.

Iris Shiraishi joined Mu Daiko in 1997 and the Mu the staff in 2002. As Taiko Programs Director, she facilitates the public taiko classes along with the rehearsals and performances for the Mu Community Taiko Group and Mu Daiko. Iris maintains an active performing, composing and residency/studio teaching schedule and is a member of Mu's Core Artistic Group. She has degrees in Music Composition, Music Therapy and Arts Administration from the Universities of Hawaii, Iowa and Minnesota. Iris has been a grant recipient of Asian American Renaissance, Jerome Foundation, American Composers Forum (subito), MetLife/Meet the Composer, A Very Small Arts Fund programs and is a 2009 finalist for the Bush Artist Fellowship Program.

Susan Tanabe is delighted to be performing with Mu Daiko.
Her taiko studies began in 2006 after graduating from the University of
Minnesota with a degree in percussion performance. Other than playing
taiko, she freelances with local bands in Minneapolis, the Rochester
Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, and various choirs in the region. She
thanks Mu Daiko members for their guidance and encouragement, her
fellow taiko students for their fervent energy, and her family and
friends for their love and support.

Jennifer Weir first saw taiko in 1997. Rick Shiomi performed a Matsuri solo at Theater Mu event and her life was forever changed. Since then she has been steadily performing, teaching and composing taiko. Jennifer is also a Mu Artistic Core Member and directed premiere productions of Ching Chong Chinaman, Dipped in Love, Bahala Na and Happy Valley. She also served as A/D for Flower Drum Song. She is a MN State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation and American Composers Forum grant recipient. She owes a great debt to Rick and Iris for starting and keeping her on this taiko journey.