Online Taiko Community

I was not present at the North American Taiko Conference Leadership Forum, but I heard from those who attended that one recurring theme in the small group discussions was an online forum for taiko players.

Eventually I caught Alan Okada (Soh Daiko) when he wasn't already chatting with someone, and let him know I was interested in being involved with the exploration of creating an online taiko community. He brought up some very basic, very important questions that should be considered before jumping into anything.

The idea of an online forum has been tried in the past, but gradually trickled out. There are a few forums out there--I know the collegiate groups have one, and there is a UK taiko forum as well. But, a forum can only exist if participants are active. How do we create an atmosphere that is inviting so it can live, thrive, and be useful?

On the other hand, someone mentioned to me that perhaps the great thing about NATC is the space that exists between its recurrence. Every 2 years hundreds of taiko players get together and have an immediate connection through the drums we all love. Would having an online community diminish the effect of this connection?

Certainly there are many opinions on this topic, and many more questions to ask. So, I wanted to start by asking your opinion.

Alan wondered if my blog was active with comments... To be honest, it's not very active here at all. If you feel this is important, please prove me wrong and leave your opinion in the comments below!

1. Are you interested in participating in an online taiko forum? If so, please tell me why and what you would hope to get from it or give to it.

2. Do you feel that having an online forum could have negative effects on the taiko community? Please explain.