Janet Koike Janet began her taiko training with San Francisco Taiko Dojo. After touring Indonesia with Keith Terry's "Body Tjak," she returned to the US to complete her training with San Jose Taiko. As part of SJT's Artistic Staff, Janet contributed songs to their repertoire, and created a school program presented in over 75 schools. She continues to compose songs, which are part of Emeryville Taiko, Moab Taiko and Odaiko New England's repertoire. As a solo taiko artist, Janet has performed in Hong Kong at the "New Dimensions Festival" with Mark Izu, and Brenda Aoki Wong, with Anthony Brown's Asian Jazz Orchestra, Theatre Yugen, and the band D'Cuckoo creating taiko trigger instruments for Cleveland's bicentennial. She conducted workshop residencies for the Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival, and Born to Drum camps. In 1999 Janet founded Rhythmix an ensemble that blended intricate drumming from West Africa, Cuba, Brazil, Japan and the Middle East, into a World Music sound. In 2003 Rhythmix ensemble performed at Kodo's Earth Celebration and received a CAC grant to record with Joan Jean Renaud of Kronos Quartet. Longing to work again with a taiko ensemble, Janet formed Maze Daiko in 2006. Maze Daiko combines traditional taiko rhythms and kata with non-traditional instrumentation, and cross-cultural grooves. The members of Maze Daiko including Cristine Sato (San Jose Taiko,UCLA Kyodo Taiko), Elaine Fong (Odaiko New England) have years of experience in other taiko groups. The different backgrounds mix (Maze) together with unusual instrumentation, marimba, santur, djembe to create original interpretations for taiko. In 2008 Maze worked with First Voice to create "the Legend of Morning Glory" combining kabuki story, jazz, taiko. As director of the non-profit organization Rhythmix Cultural Works (RCW), Janet organized tours to Cuba to study folkloric music and dance, and pioneered a trip to Sado Island to study at the Kodo apprentice center. In June 2007 she opened the doors to RCW's community arts space in Alameda with performance space, gallery and classroom. Over the last 2 years over 14,000 people have come together at RCW through culture and the arts.