OMNY which stands for "One Miracle in New York," started in late 2006 as a part of Shumei's art and beauty initiatives to engage Shumei's youth in NY. Initially the vision of having a Taiko group in New York seemed unrealistic amongst many reasons: the cost of drums, finding an affordable practice space and without a permanent Taiko teacher to lead the group. But thanks to the unwavering passion and generosity of the Shumei members, a Miracle happened and the OMNY Taiko group was born!
OMNY Taiko Group is open to all ages who has an interest in the art of Japanese Taiko drumming. To join us for a workshop session, please check the "Workshops & Performances" and contact us at omnytaiko@gmail.com
Since our inception we have performed in the Catskill Festival in Catskill, NY, Prayer Vigil in D.C., Energy Festival in PA and finally, in NYC for Shumei's anniversary celebrations. We view taiko drumming as a spiritual art. The sound of the taiko drum is pure and as fundamental as the heart beat and therefore has the power to cleanse ourselves and our surroundings. Our style of drumming is traditional based and our main emphasis are on the taiko drums and the taiko player's spirit.
The miracle of initially having a taiko group grew to miracles witnessed with our own spiritual growth and the inspirations it gives to our audiences. As OMNY sounds like the prefix "Omni" which means "All", our motto is:
"When we play taiko, we All become One to unite the heartbeat of All."
To learn more about Shumei, see www.shumei.org