Sydney Shiroyama, OTR/L began playing taiko at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple when she was 7 years old.  While studying psychology at UCLA, she joined the intercollegiate group Kyodo Taiko. After college, she moved to Japan for two years to teach English and played with a local community group on Awaji Island. Inspired by special needs taiko groups she observed in Japan, Sydney researched the therapeutic potential of taiko drumming while obtaining her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University. She designed and led taiko workshops for children and adults with disabilities, and for adolescents and adults seeking mental health services.

Sydney worked with performing members of San Jose Taiko to develop a recreation class for individuals with Parkinson's Disease, and collaborated with Eri Uchida to develop TaikoIN', an approach to designing and implementing inclusive taiko experiences. She now works with various taiko groups and artists internationally as a consulting occupational therapist, and uses taiko in her therapy practice at a pediatric sensory integration clinic in California.

sydney@taiko-in.com | View Full CV