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Sumio Miyashita, Atsumi, Richard A. Cravens Jr., Deshone Williams Apollo
The writers, collectively known as ZeRo Taiko, work collaboratively on their compositions. Melodies are carried by both the melodic instruments (keyboards, violin, vocals) and taiko (Japanese drums). The group’s greatest influence is Cirque du Soleil both in terms of its performance and musically. ZeRo takes taiko, the ancient art of Japanese drumming, and uses it as a springboard into creativity through the marriage of the percussive Ki (spiritual force) with the modern wizardry of synthesized sounds, ethnic instruments and powerful visual performance. Each of the members of the group has his or her unique influences. The impact of traditional Japanese music on Sumio is evident, stemming from the time when he lived and played keyboard in bands in his native country before moving to Los Angeles and later creating ZeRo TaiKo. Atsumi, born and raised in Orland, Florida, co-founded the group with Sumio in 2000; she started playing taiko professionally when she was13 and then also took up flute and oboe, and she has performed in major venues, on television, and on soundtracks. Deshone, the Afro/Cuban percussionist born in Detroit and raised in New York, was influenced largely by gospel and church music with a jazz and Latin influence; born to a family of boxers, he ultimately chose his love for congas over the professional ring, where he was 26/0. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Richard, who has performed taiko worldwide, has a forte in marching/symphonic percussion as evidenced by his “other job” -- an educator for one of Florida’s most prominent marching bands. West Orange High School. As a group, ZeRo TaiKo has an impressive list of credits from performing at festivals and theaters across the United States to headlining the Global Peace Film Festival.
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