I just went to the Matsuri festival and spent some time listening to the Taiko drummers and watching traditional Japanese dance.

I also watched the crowd, always a fascinating exercise.  Pop culture has become a staple, including people dressed in anime and manga tributes alongside straight youth culture with spiked hair and trendy clothes.  I probably saw more caucasians in kimonos than any other group, go figure.

Taiko drumming is fun and there are a lot of groups in Phoenix and Tucson that study it.  It's more than just rhythm, there is an element of choreographed theater in it, with banks of drummers performing synchronized movements as they carry their part of the piece.  The groups I watched usually went with some kind of uniform dress with individual variances in color and pattern.

And the drums themselves are great props, from little spuds up to big monsters that the drummers strike with exaggerated movements.

So what can I use to improve my performances?  Once again, staging, costume and props are a part of the story.  Drums have a limited emotional palette but within that range, they are very powerful.  I've always liked having some exotic percussion when I play, so I will continue exploring that, too.