1. Roy Hirabayashi was born on 1951 and is a Japanese American composer, performer, teacher and activist known for his work as a leader in North American Taiko.
19 Facts About Roy Hirabayashi
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Roy Hirabayashi is co-founder of San Jose Taiko, the group's former Artistic and Executive Director, and was active in developing San Jose's Japantown and arts community.
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Roy Hirabayashi's parents were born in the United States ; however, they were sent to Japan as young children where they adopted Japanese culture and traditions.
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Roy Hirabayashi grew up in east Oakland, California, and was active in the Oakland Buddhist Temple where he and his family worshiped.
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Roy Hirabayashi became interested in the social sciences and worked in the Asian American studies program at San Jose State University.
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In 1973, Reverend Abiko recruited Dean Miyakusu and Roy Hirabayashi to begin a taiko program through their Buddhist temple.
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Roy Hirabayashi invited his peers and under his leadership, the program took off.
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In July and August 1973, after Roy Hirabayashi began a fundraiser for the group, Roy Hirabayashi and Dean Miyakusu went to Los Angeles to meet Reverend Kodani of Kinnara Taiko and learn more about running a taiko group.
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The drum-building techniques Roy Hirabayashi learned from Kinnara, and then honed with his taiko group, provided San Jose Taiko a financially plausible way to build their drum ensemble and grow as a group.
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Roy Hirabayashi is particularly known for using taiko to establish Japanese Americans as strong individuals.
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Kodo asked Roy Hirabayashi to join their first North American tour in the fall of 1982 as the tour and stage manager.
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Roy Hirabayashi began working with Kodo in August 1982 and then returned to Japan with the group after the US tour was complete.
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Roy Hirabayashi established San Jose Taiko as a 501 nonprofit before he left with Kodo to Japan.
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Roy Hirabayashi took a back seat and learned how to mold his group's identity and gain exposure from a professional.
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Roy Hirabayashi shifted over to become the managing director of SJT, focusing on fundraising and fiscal development and eventually became the Executive Director of the organization.
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Roy Hirabayashi has dedicated years to developing SJT and is working on the sustainability of the group.
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Roy Hirabayashi trained staff members and extending the current model of SJT to ensure its long term success.
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Roy Hirabayashi is active in fostering and developing other artistic leaders.
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Roy Hirabayashi helped found 1st ACT's Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute which strives to train artistic leaders in the Silicon Valley area on how to engage their community and strengthen their business management skills.