1. Patti Jo "PJ" Hirabayashi is one of the pioneers of the North American Taiko movement.
14 Facts About PJ Hirabayashi
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PJ Hirabayashi is the founder of TaikoPeace, President of Kodo Arts Sphere America, and co-founder of Creatives for Compassionate Communities-a grassroots art-ivist group originating in San Jose, California.
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PJ Hirabayashi is the Artistic Director Emeritus and charter member of San Jose Taiko, the third taiko group to form in the United States.
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PJ Hirabayashi's signature composition, "Ei Ja Nai Ka", is a celebration of immigrant life expressed in taiko drumming, dance, and voice that continues to be performed around the world.
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PJ Hirabayashi was born on May 18,1950, in San Rafael, California.
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PJ Hirabayashi is a third-generation Japanese and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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PJ Hirabayashi attended Irvington High School where she would study piano and guitar in addition to dance.
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PJ Hirabayashi then transferred to University of California, Berkeley with a Social Science major where she focused on Asian-American studies.
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PJ Hirabayashi began to get involved in the early formations of San Jose Taiko in 1973 through Roy Hirabayashi whom she met in 1969 during her years at CSU Hayward.
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PJ Hirabayashi had some exposure to taiko through Obon festivals growing up.
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When she returned to San Jose State in 1973 she was able to get involved with taiko because Roy PJ Hirabayashi had just started San Jose Taiko.
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PJ Hirabayashi is a part of the touring group that tours both the US and internationally, presenting taiko to over 100,000 people per year.
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Until July 2011, PJ Hirabayashi was the artistic director of San Jose Taiko where she oversaw rehearsals, developed the training program and curriculum of San Jose Taiko, developed costumes, composed some of the repertoire, and facilitated the artistic development of the group.
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PJ Hirabayashi has participated in notable San Jose Taiko collaborations including George Coates Performance Works, American Conservatory Theater, Asian American Jazz Orchestra, San Jose Repertory Theater, Brenda Wong Aoki, Zakir Hussain, Kagemusha Taiko and Kodo.