Welcome to our first Week of "Ma" 間 in 2021!
GLTC Break: January Ma | January 25 – 31, 2021
What is “January Ma”?
The Great Lakes Taiko Center takes a monthly break from scheduling which we call our Week of “Ma” 間. During this week (usually the 4th week of the month) the Taiko Center intentionally avoids scheduling any classes, meetings or other activities for our members.
WhY Do WE have A Week of Ma?
The idea for taking these intentional breaks comes from our experience since last March when we all had to change the way we work and play during the pandemic situation in Michigan. We hope that the “Ma” we give ourselves (whether at the end of a class hour, at the end of a week, at the end of a month, or at the end of a season) creates the space and time we need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones in a sustainable way, so that we can have the energy and spirit to have fun when we learn and play taiko together.
What can GLTC members Do during the Week of Ma?
> Enjoy the pause in GLTC scheduling! Perhaps check out other taiko happenings throughout the week (to be highlighted on the GLTC Blog & Calendar).
> Explore taiko resources on kaDON.com as well as class materials & recordings in your student account @GLTC-Online.
> Review your membership & class options and contact us if you would like to change your membership level and/or class enrollment for the next month. https://michigantaiko.net/class-listing
What is the meaning of “Ma” 間?
The Japanese concept of “Ma” can be described as a pause, gap, or the space in between. We continue to learn life lessons in our taiko study and practice, for the concept of “Ma” is as important in taiko music as it is in life. Read more in this article from Japan House LA:
“Perhaps most importantly, “ma” goes beyond the visual or spatial. It can be sonic, as in the silence between musical notes that shapes a composition. It can be social, whether conscious or subconscious, like the deliberate pause at the end of a bow before rising, or the instinctive silences in a conversation that allow each party to feel comfortable speaking. It can be temporal, the interval between events, like an intermission in a performance or a much-needed tea-break in the midst of a worker’s busy day.”