About Christina (Chris) Spargo
Chris is passionate about the positive health and wellbeing impacts that Japanese Taiko drumming can have on people. With this in the forefront of her mind and the basis of her project, she travelled to the USA and Japan in 2023 to explore this concept.
Additionally, Chris felt strongly that this project lends itself to being “heard” so embarked on her Churchill Fellowship travels after a crash course on how to record quality audio. Chris recorded as much sound and as many conversations as possible with the aim to provide a series of podcasts as her report. She wants everyone to be immersed in the sounds of taiko and the passion that people feel about this unique activity.
Chris’ Fellowship title is: to learn how to teach Taiko (Japanese drumming) to people living with dementia. However, she says it really is about identifying the benefits that taiko has for many sectors of the community with a focus on seniors.
She found some very strong themes running across this specialised area mentioned by teachers, doctors and players alike. The main one being the immense joy that you feel when playing a taiko and sharing that with others. This joy enhances a person’s limbic system in the brain and provides a calmness that we all seek. The ability of this simple action of drumming can increase positivity in someone, build stronger networks in the brain, muscle strength in the body, increase memory skills, decrease loneliness and bring absolute delight to a person, no matter their age, their background or their ability.
She identified that across the board, Taiko has the capacity to increase the quality of one’s life.
Chris invites you to sit back and enjoy her podcast series “Taiko as Therapy”. There are 10 episodes in the series, some short and quick to listen to while driving or ironing, and some a bit longer where you might wish to have a coffee (or green tea), relax on the lounge and travel with her to somewhere else for a bit.
Episode one: What, why and where
Chris Spargo is passionate about the positive health and wellbeing impacts that Japanese Taiko drumming can have on people. With this in the forefront of her mind and the basis of her Churchill Fellowship, she travelled to the USA and Japan in 2023 to explore this concept. This first episode describes the reason for the podcast series “Taiko as Therapy” and introduces the podcast presenter, the topic, the places visited and commences to describe the aims of this series.
Episode two: A magic tool
This episode is set on Sado Island, in a remote part of Japan, and home to Kodo (a famous taiko group and creators of the Exadon program). The Exadon program targets health promotion for seniors and in this episode, you will hear a conversation with Dr Morimoto and Kodo staff about the benefits of playing taiko.
Episode three: Sado Seniors
Still on Sado Island in Japan, this episode covers chats with senior people who attend taiko classes and explains some of the Exadon class structures. You will also learn a little about this amazing place which is home to about 55,000 people and we hear sounds bites from classes.
Episode four: Hawaii with Kenny and Chizuko Endo
This episode is all about Kenny and Chizuko Endo, who started the Taiko Centre of the Pacific on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. In this episode you will hear their story and we also touch on teaching taiko to people who are deaf.
Episode five: Hawaiian Taiko
Staying in Hawaii, this episode covers more of Kenny and Chizuko’s story and classes. You will hear sound bites from a range of different classes held at the Taiko Centre of the Pacific.
Episode six: A Gift of Joy
This episode is based in California and includes interviews with a number of senior class participants across California and in these small snippets you can hear how much impact taiko has had in their lives. This episode explores further this powerful theme of spending a “happy” time that was discussed in previous episodes.
Episode seven: South of the bay
This episode highlights some key learnings with a focus on taiko for people with special needs. It includes interviews with the artistic director of San Jose Taiko and an Occupational Therapist, who use taiko as a modality for general wellness for various population groups.
Episode eight: Roy and PJ in San Jose
This episode transforms you to the living room of a warm and cosy home in the Japan town area of San Jose. In this episode you will hear about the fascinating stories of over 50 years of taiko history in the US from Roy Hirabayashi and then PJ Hirabayashi. This episode takes you through time.
Episode nine: Delightful emotion
Back in Japan for this episode, high up in the mountains in the central north part of the main island of Honshu. This episode covers a taiko classes for seniors in Yonezawa City, a visit to Sendai Tomizawa Hospital (specialised dementia hospital) and an interview with the hospital Director, Dr Fujii about the role of delightful emotions.
Episode ten: The way of taiko
This episode is the final chapter of this Churchill Fellowship report. It is set in Fukui Japan where Chris first started her taiko learnings some 15 years ago. You will hear interviews with taiko students and her taiko master, Kurumaya Sensei, about the way of taiko for all.
