Taiko drummer brings Japanese culture to Baltimore County libraries: This became my life

Libraries are typically quiet spaces, but this month, inside Baltimore County Library Branches, the loud roar of drums fills the air.

The sounds are being created by Taiko instructor and performer Mark H. Rooney, who uses music to bring people together and share his Japanese heritage.

What is Taiko drumming?

Taiko drumming has been a part of Japanese culture for centuries. The word “Taiko” is the Japanese word for “drum.”

“It’s a form of Japanese drumming,” said Rooney. “It’s been around in Japan for thousands of years, actually, estimated somewhere between 1600 and 2500 years.”

For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Rooney is performing at Baltimore County Public Library Branches. WJZ caught up with him at the Essex Branch, where he performed both traditional and contemporary songs and rhythms.

“Probably outside of a pipe organ, it might be the loudest instrument in the world,” Rooney laughed.

The culture behind Taiko drumming

The folk instrument is used for many purposes in Japanese culture.

“It’s used for religious purposes in both the Buddhist and Shinto traditions,” said Rooney. “It’s used in Japanese theatre mostly for sound effects and ambiance. The Taiko is used as way of giving signals, things like that, but also mostly to celebrate.”

Watching Rooney put his passion into his performance emphasized why it’s often described as full-body drumming. 

“The movement is just as much a part of expression as the rhythms that we play, but you are also watching like a physical feat because the amount of stamina that we train in,” he said.

Rooney identifies as half-Japanese. His mother is a Japanese immigrant, and he wanted to explore those cultural roots.

“It was a very slippery slope from one [Taiko] workshop and next thing you know, this became my life,” he laughed.

He enjoys meeting people through teaching and performing, and even made many of his closest friendships and met his wife while playing together. Rooney said those opportunities to connect with people are what keep him going.

Bringing Japanese culture to Baltimore County

Connecting communities is exactly why the library hosts events like this.

“We at the library value what we like to call mirrors and windows. Everybody deserves the right to have a mirror in the community, something that reflects who they are and maybe their culture, their heritage, but we also need to have windows available to us,” said Conni Strittmatter with Baltimore County Public Library Youth and Family Engagement. “So, if this is a cultural heritage that is not part of your identity, being able to see into somebody else’s experience is really important as well.”

Strittmatter hopes people walk away with a sense of wonder and excitement.

“I hope it inspires them to look into what they just learned even more, maybe check out a book about this topic, about this subject and maybe feel like they’ve learned a little bit more about their neighbor, somebody who identifies with this culture or if they do identify with this culture themselves, that they walk away feeling like they belong here and that this is a space for them,” said Strittmatter.

There are two more chances to see Rooney perform this month at the library on Thursday, May 28. He will be at the Catonsville Branch from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., then at the Cockeysville Branch from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.