Basic Information

Organizational Affiliation		Chicago Park District/ Old Town School of Folk Music
Leadership Structure		consensus
Primary Purpose of Group		Multi Tiered structure. Classes, Ameteur and Professional

Background Information

Group's Mission and Motivation

Kaiju Daiko endeavors to share a dynamic form of drumming and to break down racial stereotypes.

List of Founding Members

John Yost,
Kim DeVore,
Bob Devore

List of Current Members

John Yost,Bob Devore,Kim DeVore,Vic Varjan, Scott Watanabe, Mahsa Modarres, Kim Eap, Tony Lee

Membership Composition
(i.e. ethnicity, generation, average years of experience, musical backgrounds, and motivation for playing)

White (Irish, Polish, German, French, Enlish),Black, Chinese, Japanese, Cambodian, Persian, Armenian Most players have 5 to 25 years of drumming experience and 2-14 years of Taiko. Motivation is the love of Taiko and Music.

Performances, Recordings, Publications

Performances
List a selection of your regular performance venues (for example, Denver Sakura Matsuri, Seabrook obon, business conventions, Manzanar Pilgrimage, Maui Marathon, etc.)

Past clients and performances include: American Airlines, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs,Millenium Park, Sears Corporation, Harold Washington College, Loyola University, Beverly Art Center, Chicago Park District, Field Museum of Natural History, Evanston Ethnic Arts, The Adler Planetarium, Symphony Center,Bristol Renaissance Faire, etc.

Instructors, Teachers & Mentors
List the instructors, teachers and mentors who have worked with the ensemble.

Members of Kaiju Daiko have studied Japanese Taiko drumming in Japan and the United States via workshops and classes with members of Kodo including Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Eichi Saito, Leonard Eto, Miyauchi Sensei, Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, Master Ukichi Takano, Moko Igarashi, and Aka Oni Daiko.