WITH its roots in ancient Japan, learning Taiko drumming is like nothing many of us would have ever experienced in our school music lessons.

There is no sheet music, the instruments are huge, players must bow when they start and finish and some of the drum pieces are so energetic they could qualify as a work-out.

Gwent Music Support Service (GMSS) introduced the musical genre to just three Newport schools in a pilot last year, but it has proved so popular the service has rolled it out to 16.

It has now expanded to team-building exercises and last month a group of 26 engineers from Parson Brinckerhoff played Taiko with GMSS at Hilston Park, near Skenfrith, Monmouthshire.

Assistant head of service Dave Powell explained that as GMSS faces increasing efficiency savings, the service is looking for ways to reach out to other groups.

“In terms of health and well-being Taiko is fabulous,”

he said. “Anybody can start, they don’t need any musical ability and it is taught phonetically.

“Everyone is on a level playing field, and people have to work together to create a performance in a very short length of time.”

Although in team-building sessions groups can start playing immediately, in schools children are not allowed to touch real Taiko drums for four weeks.

During that time the pupils practice with smaller sticks and learn the discipline of how to approach a drum and bow before playing.

He added: “There are children in the classroom who will find it difficult to focus on an academic subject, who are in the zone with this.”

Dean Ryan, managing director of If Development, which organised the teambuilding day, sad the reaction from the firm was very positive.

“It was the first time we incorporated it into any of our programmes,” he said.

“The feedback from the guys was that they would like to see it happen again”

For more information on team-building sessions call 01633 414800 or visit www.gwentmusic.net