As the city breeze shifts and the start of autumn becomes imminent, Soh Daiko is kicking off our 48th season! We completed our annual retreat, held our first rehearsals, and played our first gig earlier this month!
On Friday, September 18th, we had the privilege of performing at Ascend New Jersey’s annual Inspiring Across Generations conference. Ascend is a global organization dedicated to developing and empowering the next generation of business leaders, and is New Jersey’s largest Asian professional networking group. Thank you to Ascend NJ for having us kick off your conference!
The weekend before that, we held our annual retreat, where we spend a couple days reflecting upon last season and strategizing about our plans for the upcoming year.
This retreat, we had 5 additional faces join us, as we are excited to announce that we have 2 returning members and 3 new members joining the group this season!! They come from a variety of different backgrounds and taiko experiences, and we hope you can catch them playing in a Soh Daiko performance near you soon!
Returning members include Akira Baruah who initially joined Soh Daiko in 2014 and Cassidy Hatch who joined the group in 2024. We’re thrilled to have both of them back!
Akira began playing taiko with his family and childhood friends in NYC. Over the years, he’s had the privilege of playing with numerous groups on the East and West Coasts. After spending several years in California, Akira has returned to his hometown and is excited to rejoin Soh Daiko. Beyond playing taiko, Akira enjoys adventuring in the mountains, playing games, and solving puzzles.
Cassidy became a member of Soh Daiko in 2024, and rejoins the group after graduating from New York University! She began her taiko journey with San Jose Taiko’s Junior Taiko Program, where she played for 10 years. Outside of Soh Daiko, Cassidy enjoys reading, digital art, and baking.
Our three newest members joined our trainee program last fall, and continued their Soh Daiko journeys to be probationary members, and now, full members! Please join us in welcoming Ethan Jiang, Dylan Lee, and William Li!
Ethan began his taiko journey with Gendō Taiko, where he played for 4 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing piano, learning salsa dancing, and devouring sushi party platters.
Dylan began his taiko journey with Yamatai at Cornell, where he played for 4 years. His hobbies include playing the guitar, golf, and skiing.
William began his taiko journey with Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan at UC Davis where he played for 2 years. He enjoys flexing his musical talents by performing video game music covers with friends.
We are look forward to seeing the three of them grow as performing members in the years to come. Please join us in offering Ethan, Dylan, and William a very warm welcome!
