Kelvin Underwood facts for kids

Kelvin Underwood (born March 22, 1975) is an American musician. He is known for playing the drum set and taiko. Taiko is the art of Japanese drumming.

When he was 19, Kelvin joined a Japanese taiko group called Ondekoza. Four years later, he came back to the United States. He wanted to become a professional drummer. Today, he is part of a taiko group called On Ensemble, based in Los Angeles. He also works with many other artists. Kelvin lives in Ashland, Oregon with his two children.

Kelvin's Early Life

Kelvin Underwood was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on March 22, 1975. He was the youngest of six children. Some of his older brothers and sisters enjoyed music and art in school. But Kelvin was the only one who decided to become a professional musician. His family always encouraged him to perform, even when he was very young.

His dad was in the United States Army. For three years, when Kelvin was in elementary school, his family lived in Munich, Germany. When he was nine, he danced to the song "Billie Jean" in his school's talent show. Before he became a musician, Kelvin loved to dance. He was inspired by Michael Jackson and the popular dance style called breakdancing.

How Kelvin Started Drumming

Kelvin first got interested in drumming when his older brother gave him a toy drum set. At first, he wasn't very serious about playing music. Later, he "caught the drumming bug" by watching MTV. He would pretend to play drums with drumsticks that a family friend gave him.

When Kelvin was 13, his brother and father noticed how much he loved drumming. They bought him his first real drum set. He still plays that same drum set today! Throughout high school, Kelvin taught himself how to play. He learned drumming by watching videos and listening to music. He never had a private teacher. In high school, he joined an alternative rock band. He also played in his school's jazz band.

Kelvin's Taiko Journey

First Time Playing Taiko

In 1990, the Japanese taiko group Ondekoza started a tour around the United States. They began in New York City and traveled counter-clockwise around the country. While they were in North Carolina, the group performed at Kelvin's high school. This was Kelvin's first time seeing kumidaiko, which is taiko drumming played by a group.

After the concert, Ondekoza set up one of their large drums, called an okedo, in the lobby. They invited people from the audience to try playing it. Kelvin had never played taiko before. But he tried the drum, using rhythms he had seen in the show and from his own drum set experience. The leader of Ondekoza, Tagayasu Den, was impressed. He invited Kelvin to join the group at a festival in downtown Fayetteville.

At the festival, Kelvin was given a drum on the group's parade float. He was told to play whatever he wanted while the rest of the group played a song called yatai-bayashi. This was Kelvin's first taiko performance! Afterward, Den invited him to join the group and perform on stage.

Kelvin was still in high school and dreamed of studying music in college. So, he said no at that time. But he stayed in touch with Ondekoza. He graduated from high school and went to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC. After one year in the music program, he wasn't happy. So, he accepted Den's offer to move to Japan and join Ondekoza.

Joining Ondekoza

Kelvin's parents and family fully supported his decision. He met Ondekoza in New York City at the end of their long tour. He joined the group as a new trainee. This meant he helped load drums, set up for shows, and sell merchandise. But Den wanted Kelvin to perform quickly. He had Kelvin playing at the front of the stage much sooner than most new members.

Kelvin didn't have a formal teacher or training. He learned how to play taiko by performing. He mostly watched and listened to the other players. He also learned some Japanese and used broken English to communicate.

Life with Ondekoza and in Japan was a big change for 19-year-old Kelvin. He was far from home and had to learn Japanese to get by. He had to get used to living in a new country and to Ondekoza's special way of living together as a group. Kelvin said he just wanted to play taiko. But he also learned discipline and grew up a lot during this time.

Becoming a Frontman

Kelvin first joined Ondekoza hoping to learn about taiko for about six months. He didn't plan to stay in Japan for years. But he quickly learned Ondekoza's style and songs. Soon, he became a featured performer. He played in almost every song, including the large odaiko drum and yatai bayashi. He often played solos. He became a kind of frontman for the group. He appeared on posters and spoke for the group when they traveled to English-speaking countries.

Ondekoza traveled a lot between 1994 and 1998, when Kelvin was a member. They visited three continents! They went to many cities along Asia's eastern coast, like Hong Kong, Shanghai, and cities in Taiwan. They also toured a large part of Japan. A trip to Europe took them to Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany. In North America, they mostly traveled along the east coast and in the northeastern United States. They also visited Quebec and Ontario in Canada.

Leaving Ondekoza

Kelvin never got the formal training he wanted when he first joined Ondekoza. After four years with the group, he wanted to improve as a percussionist. He also wanted to keep his drum set skills sharp and grow as an artist. He had become a great taiko player in the Ondekoza style. But he hadn't explored the art form beyond that group.

Ondekoza focused on strength and discipline, not on trying new things. Kelvin wanted to experiment and find his own way. But Den wanted to keep Ondekoza's style exactly the same. So, in 1998, they went their separate ways.

Back in the US

College and Moving West

After leaving Ondekoza, Kelvin went back to school. He achieved his dream of attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. At Berklee, he found the formal education and chance to explore that he missed in Japan. He focused on the drum set in college. He didn't play any taiko during his time at Berklee from 1999 to 2003. At that point, he thought he was "done with taiko." He wasn't interested in North American taiko because he felt it was too focused on a Japanese-American identity that he didn't connect with.

While living in Boston, Kelvin met his future wife, Rosie Dunaway. After college, he didn't want to stay in Boston or move back to North Carolina. So, his wife suggested they move to the San Francisco Bay Area. They settled in Berkeley, California. There, Kelvin found work playing in different jazz, alternative rock, and jam bands. Even though he enjoyed the music, Kelvin felt it wasn't working out for him as a musician. He found that other musicians he played with didn't have the intense focus he saw in Ondekoza members. He missed the "basic taiko spirit" that he believes taiko players share.

Joining On Ensemble

In early 2004, Kelvin saw a performance by a taiko group called On Ensemble. They were based in Los Angeles. He was very impressed by how new and original their music was. He noticed their amazing focus on movement, as they used parts of traditional Japanese dance in their shows. He also liked how they focused on melody. They used instruments not common in other taiko groups, like the koto, Tuvan throat singing, and other percussion instruments.

It made Kelvin realize something important. Even though he felt disconnected from the cultural roots of North American taiko, he could still play taiko. He could explore his own musical interests and grow as a musician. He could also help take taiko to new places.

At first, Kelvin didn't plan to join On Ensemble. But later, he met group members Shoji Kameda and Kris Bergstrom. He was surprised to learn they knew about him from his time in Ondekoza! They were interested in working with him. For the next year, while still living in the Bay Area, he traveled to LA often. He would collaborate and perform with the group.

In the beginning, he only played drum set. But after Michelle Fujii left On Ensemble, Kelvin told the group he wanted to play more taiko. He slowly became part of more songs, playing more instruments. As new songs were created around his skills, he became a main member of the group.

Life in Ashland

For a while, Kelvin and his former wife thought about moving to Los Angeles to be closer to On Ensemble. But after their son, Blaise, was born, they decided to move to Rosie's hometown in Ashland, Oregon.

In Ashland, Kelvin got involved with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He performed as a drummer there in 2009, 2010, and 2012. He also worked with many other artists. These included Ashland's Dancing People Company, rock musician Frankie Hernandez, the Mackay Project Jazz Quartet, and the Southern Oregon University Percussion Ensemble.

It's hard to stay involved with On Ensemble from so far away. But Kelvin travels a lot between Ashland and Los Angeles for practice. He also joins the group for tours across the US. Besides these collaborations, Kelvin is working on his own music project called "Meidoko." He uses taiko and other instruments and influences he has found over the years.

Kelvin's Music and Videos

Discography

• “Songs For A Thug In Winter” by Space Challenger (2021)
• “Fool’s Gold” (Single) by Space Challenger (2021)

Videos

• Fujiyama, Ondekoza, 1997.
• NEIRO, On Ensemble, 2006.
• Live at the Cerritos Center, On Ensemble, 2007.