Contact Gail Montgomery

Current member and Treasurer of community group, Sun Mountain Taiko of Colorado Springs, Gail began her taiko journey in 2015 after retiring from corporate life.

Although she is a relative taiko newbie, she has over 25 years’ experience in the nonprofit arena, primarily in finance and project management with a holistic child development organization, and board service for several animal welfare groups. She holds an MBA and CNP (Certified Nonprofit Professional) title. Being on the board combines her love of taiko and spreadsheets.

When she’s not playing taiko, she spends her time volunteering for the Kansha Farm History project, making stuff for Taiko Colorado and The Plaid Dog Workshop, practicing piano, making mochi, letting her dogs in, letting her dogs out, letting her dogs in, letting her dogs…. 

Contact Kate Meigneux

Design and Project Management, StudioK8.com

As Kinnara Taiko celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2019, Kate celebrated the 20th year of her taiko journey with the oldest Buddhist Taiko Group in North America. In her younger days Kate was classically trained on violin, cello, and piano, performing in youth choir, orchestra, and dance in England and Australia. She went on to study Architecture and Design and received an MA from the Royal College of Art in London. Kate moved her practice to Los Angeles in the late 80’s, and started a family in the mid 90’s. Shortly after, she joined Senshin Buddhist Temple and felt the irresistible heartbeat of taiko drumming. As soon as she picked up the bachi in her mid-40’s, Kate knew she had found a new voice and a new community. With Kinnara, Kate has performed in several significant concerts in California, Oregon, Hawaii, and India; in particular, a momentous series of concerts brought California’s 3 founding taiko groups together in the 3 Japantown Concerts in Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco. Kinnara also has a special relationship with the Arpana Dance Company and the two have collaborated on many occasions over the years, combining the arts of taiko drumming with Bharatanatyam dance. A magical highlight on Kate’s musical journey was traveling with Kinnara and Arpana on a tour through Southern India bringing taiko drumming to places in which it had never been heard. Kate is now collaborating with members of Kinnara, San Jose Taiko, and SF Taiko Dojo on the TCA funded Taiko Voices Project.

Contact Danial Roy

Danial has been playing taiko since 2013. Prior to that he played middle eastern, Issan region Thai, Chinese lion and drum and for a very brief time Gamelan. Just before the Covid shutdowns happened he decided to leave his first troop and started exploring the world of taiko. His current group, Hidden Ninja Taiko, is slowly growing and has started official performances. He also enjoys expanding his knowledge by connecting with some of the amazing taiko artists out there through various workshops and conferences.

When not playing taiko he enjoys making things. He spends a lot of time out in the shop making taiko, furniture, stands, Viking chests and other fun projects. He also spends his time expanding taiko to non-traditional groups. 2026 has some big plans so stay tuned. 

Contact Karen Koyano

Executive Director, Makoto Taiko

Karen began her taiko journey in 2012 when she took her first taiko class with Makoto Taiko in Pasadena, CA. In addition to taking taiko classes, she expanded her involvement with Makoto Taiko by helping it file for 501(c)3 nonprofit status, serving as a charter board member and Treasurer for 4 years, President for 2 years, and currently Executive Director. Karen is thrilled to see Makoto Taiko’s membership increase over the past decade from 25 in 2012 to 140 members today comprised of kids, adults, and older adults of diverse backgrounds and taiko abilities. She is one of 10 members in the Makoto Taiko Performing Group and co-teaches the Taiko for Older Adults program. Karen retired from Southern California Edison where she held senior management positions in the areas of engineering, financial analysis, and contracts. Karen is particularly focused on helping to develop the organizational foundation which empowers taiko groups and the taiko community to share its joy of taiko with all peoples. 

Contact Lyndsey Hoffman

Lyndsey started playing Taiko 14 years ago in Phoenix, Arizona after seeing it live for the first time at Arizona Matsuri. Since joining Fushicho Daiko Dojo, she has performed with All Arizona Taiko Team, Aozora, Phoenix Taiko Kai throughout her career. She is currently a performing member of the professional Taiko group, Fushicho Daiko. She has also spent the past seven years working on the Arizona Matsuri Steering Committee. In her professional life she works in public education, and spends any other spare time collecting crafting hobbies. 

Contact Dr. Wanta Kurtcu

University Professor, San Francisco State University, Teacher Education

Music for Minors Docent

Dr. Wanda Kurtcu began her taiko journey at age fifty after being inspired by a televised performance by KODO which sparked a deep passion that quickly grew from admiration into active participation. She joined Wadaiko Newark in California, where she found a lasting sense of community and commitment, remaining involved for over twenty-two years. Her engagement expanded beyond performance when she became a founding member of the Taiko Community Alliance (TCA) after attending its formative conference at Stanford University in 2013. Although she temporarily reduced her involvement to pursue advanced academic degrees, she continued supporting TCA as a volunteer and board member. Now serving as the Northern California Regional Ambassador, she focuses on fostering global connections, including outreach to European groups like Atene Taiko in Greece. Reflecting on her journey, she views taiko as a transformative force that has shaped her identity as a musician, educator, and leader, and she remains dedicated to growing and connecting the taiko community worldwide.

Contact HanBin Baik

Performing Member, Soh Daiko

HanBin began his taiko journey with Taiko Tides at Stony Brook University in 2019. His experience at ECTC 2020, hosted by UConn's Kodama Taiko, was transformative, introducing him to the vibrant and interconnected taiko community. HanBin remained connected with the community through virtual gatherings, Taiko Community Alliance, and the friendships he formed at ECTC.

After moving to New York City, he continued his taiko journey with New York Taiko Aiko Kai and is now a performing member of Soh Daiko. He is deeply inspired by the East Coast Taiko Community, where high school, collegiate, and community groups have formed unique relationships and supported Taiko for past decades and are still forming new, meaningful relationships.

HanBin works as a Software Developer with a passion for human agency, seeing technology as a tool for empowerment rather than just a service. Beyond his work, he has a deep love for movies, music, theater, musicals, drag, exhibitions, web novels, webtoons, anime, manga, games, TV shows, and spicy food- anything that moves his heart or his stomach. He is also fascinated by math, science, biology, entomology, sci-fi, and speculative biology.

Contact Joel Balestra

Joel has been a performing member of St. Louis Osuwa Taiko since 2012 after playing in the community group for a year. Along with taiko, he plays shamisen, dabbles with shinobue, and is the group's PR Chair where he's worked on content creation and several successful fundraising campaigns. Prior to playing taiko, his ADHD drove him to a variety of musical instruments where he eventually settled on playing drums in garage rock bands and dancing and drumming for Chinese lion dance troupes.

In 2015 his eyes were opened to the larger taiko community at the Las Vegas NATC. Since then he's wanted to build connections between taiko players and grow taiko in St. Louis and the Midwest. He started volunteering with the TCA in 2024 and became a Midwest Regional Ambassador in 2025 to help connect the "taiko islands" across the Midwest with one another and the larger taiko community. When he's not working as a software developer or playing taiko, Joel can be found spending time with family, woodworking, making/fabricating stuff, composing music, playing video games, and pretending he's a perpetual motion machine.

To ensure TCA remains vibrant and current, we pull talent from our different committees to accomplish our community connection projects. Board members are expected to volunteer on at least two committees which address areas such as: Executive, Finance, Governance.

Click here to view the Board Member Manual

Our Board includes taiko artists, taiko enthusiasts, and sometimes even non-taiko people who come from all over the continent and share our mission.

If you like fun and thoughtful virtual discussions, drum wrangling at conference, or any and all things taiko, we hope you will consider being our next TCA Board Member!

Become a TCA Board Member and help TCA empower a dynamic cultural artform! Click here to learn more

TCA is proud to have emeritus board members from across the taiko community.

To view the full list of TCA Board Alumni click here.

For more information about becoming a board member, contact us at info@taikocommunityalliance.org.