MARK H ROONEY

Mark has been a performing member of Odaiko New England since 1998 and on staff full-time since 2004. At the start of 2008, he became the new Artistic Director, succeeding founder Elaine N. Fong.

Thanks to a large number of supportive friends and colleagues, Mark's diverse taiko background has been an extraordinary experience, which he now brings to Odaiko New England. He has had the extreme privilege and joy of working with (on and off stage) some of today's most renowned taiko performers, including KODO, Marco Lienhard (Taikoza), Tiffany Tamaribuchi (Sacramento Taiko Dan) and ONE's very own Elaine Fong.

As a performing artist, Mark's credits span multiple continents and multiple genres. While living in Wakayama, Japan from 2000-2003, Mark performed with a number of local taiko groups, including Shippu Uchi Daiko and Kiishuu Ryujin Daiko. He has also performed widely in Europe and the United States as a touring member of Marco Lienhard's Taikoza. As a composer, Mark has produced original taiko pieces for several groups, including ONE signature pieces "Kashmir" and "Senryu". Mark has also collaborated with other artists and musicians such as Marshall Hughes (Opera Unmet) and jazz trumpeter Tiger Okoshi (Yamaha Artist and Berklee College of Music Professor). Mark's experience as a performer also extends to elements of production and stagecraft, which has been reflected in ONE's self-produced concerts "Crossroads" and "Transformations."

Although Mark is a dynamic and talented performer, his true passion lies with teaching taiko. Since joining ONE's staff in 2004, Mark has become the principal instructor for ONE's classes and workshops and has greatly expanded the group's teaching capacity. Mark now leads an after school program at Concord-Carlysle High School and has designed and led residencies at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, the Allston Boys and Girls Club and the Roxbury Community College Summer Arts Intensive program for youth. He is also a guest instructor at Wesleyan University where he teaches a popular "hands-on" course in taiko.

Mark's own training comes from a wide range of dynamic teachers including Eiichi Saito (KODO) and Ryo Shimamoto (Shippu Uchi Daiko), the both of whom he humbly models his own teaching style after.

"Taiko has connected me to such a large number of truly extraordinary people; I am ever grateful for that."