TAIKO SONG WORKSHOP: GLTC is happy to announce a holiday gift experience from Raion Taiko member ASH BROWN (in town for the holidays) for GLTC members and invited guests to learn and play his popular piece “BETOBETO-SAN” (named after a friendly walking yokai/spirit). This song is composed for three Taiko parts (chu/nagado, shime, odaiko; drums will be provided on site) and enjoyable for players of all levels (bring your own bachi if you can and water/snacks as needed).
DATE/TIME: Saturday, December 27th 2025 / 3-6pm ET (3-4:30pm Learning session / Break / 5-6pm Playing session)
LOCATION: GLTC Taiko Space (Studio B4) at Center for Performance Arts & Learning (Cen4PAL) on South side of building B2 at 28243 Beck Road, Wixom, MI 48393) or ONLINE (on Zoom)
*REGISTER: We request ALL interested members and guests to register (RSVP button link below) in order to let us know if you plan to attend the workshop in person, online, and/or would like to view the recording later. NOTE: The session recordings will be sent to all registrants whether or not you attend live.
Message from Ash to GLTC Members:
Better late than never, right? By popular demand, I will (finally!) be offering a long-promised opportunity to learn, review, and play Betobeto-san! Inspired by the yokai whose footsteps follow behind you, the song is both approachable and fun for beginning and experienced taiko players alike.
I will be teaching the original arrangement of Betobeto-san in a two-part workshop held at Cen4PAL on Saturday, December 27th. The first session will focus on learning the different parts of the song while the second will focus on playing the entire piece by putting them all together. All are welcome to join for one or both sessions!
3:00pm - 4:30pm Learning session
4:30pm - 5:00pm Snack break!
5:00pm - 6:00pm Playing session
Shared SONG Resources for BETOBETO-SAN:
🌐Learn more about the yokai/spirit Betobeto-san:
📹Watch this video recording for a version of the song Betobeto-san that Ash will be teaching (played by Raion Taiko at our 2022 GLTC Winter Holiday Taiko Party):
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wLqEZEGXkQ0&t=1484s [starting at 24:44min]
📹Betobeto-san was first performed in public by Raion Taiko members at the DC Sakura Taiko Festival in 2019:
https://youtu.be/euul0R8Zdb0?si=VT5mAlYkmv0ou2e8&t=1000s [at 16:40min]
[Additional reference material emailed to GLTC members and invited guests: Song Outline, Music Notation, Song Lyrics]