YOUNG PARK - Artistic Director

Young was born in South Korea and immigrated to Boston Massachusetts when she was 7-years old. She began studying music (viola) at the age of ten, attending New England Conservatory, Prep Division and Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts. She attended Eastman School of Music and then transferred to Oberlin College, where she also studied modern dance. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Music from Oberlin College, she pursued further music and dance studies at University of Michigan, where she received her master’s degree.  In 1992, she co-founded SAFMOD (Cleveland, OH), a multi-disciplinary performing arts group that focused on the creation of original dance, music and visual art. As Artistic Director of SAFMOD from 1993-2004, she created numerous original dance choreography, influenced by movement styles like Butoh, Contact Improv, capoeira and stilting. She joined RAW Taiko in 2007, became Artistic Director in 2017. She is also the Festival Director of Toronto Taiko Festival.

MILA NATASHA MENDEZ - Managing Director

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Mila Natasha Mendez (they/them) is a Black Chinese queer parent, cultural worker, doctoral candidate and educator who is invested in transformative relationships, spaces and ideas that centre radical collectivity and refuse the values of capitalism. They find joy and grounding in the capaciousness of Black feminisms to show us what care can do. Mila has been working to cultivate a careful and caring approach to the labour that is envisioning and administrating at the intersection of art and/for anti-oppressive transformations in Tkaronto. They are grateful for the opportunity to do this work in RAW, through a directorial mentorship with Young Park.

@mila_natasha

WY JOUNG KOU - Operations Manager

Wy Joung Kou is an interdisciplinary artist and performer interested in co-creation, multi-sensory artwork, and disability justice. Wy-J stumbled into taiko 6 years ago and immediately felt they were home. Drumming with RAW has allowed them to cultivate a deeper sense of belonging; a steady comfort in the drum; a confidence in being; a commitment to doing challenging things; an accountability to the people, instruments, and practices they are fortunate to return to again and again. Off the drum, Wy-J can be found enjoying life as a wife, auntie, sibling, quirky neighbour, and personal chef to the two cats and one dog who run their life.

www.wyjoungkou.com / @okkouu.

ADRIENNE MAK

Adrienne Mak is a practitioner & lover of Traditional East Asian Medicine, musician & dreamer. Their healing work centres around providing personal care that builds collective care & collective power. As a person with longstanding connections to multiple musical practices, Adrienne continues to use music to pursue moments of connection with themself, other humans, and with spirits and the natural universe. Music and medicine play a huge part in their everyday life, and through personal practices of both, Adrienne strives to build connection and community, in an effort to resist, reimagine and dismantle.

@earthseaacupuncture / earthseaacupuncture.ca

STEPHENIE HUI

Stephenie Hui (she/her) is a Chinese-Canadian mother, wife, sister, daughter, and good friend. She divides her time with her family and friends, working in the Toronto tech industry, and RAW. Stephenie loves discovering new hiking trails, immersing herself in nature, playing ultimate frisbee, and trying out new recipes & board games. RAW provides Stephenie the space to represent her best self. She hopes RAW will inspire and help others to do the same.

RAE BARILEA

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Rae is a community mental health worker and group facilitator currently completing her studies in social work. Throughout her drumming apprenticeship, Rae's main goal has been to learn and perform from a place of vulnerability, curiosity and unconditional high regard. She's extremely happy to have found a home in the RAW studio and team and is committed to breaking down barriers that separate individuals and communities from their own homes of land, culture and each other. Apart from her fellow RAW apprentices and members, Rae's artistic inspirations also include her chosen family, who she looks up to as mentors and co-conspirators in social action and collective care.

COURTNEY AYUKAWA

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Courtney Ayukawa is a Yonsei (4th generation Japanese Canadian) who works in the public sector. Born and raised in New Jersey as the eldest of three daughters by a Malaysian-Chinese mother and Canadian-Japanese father, RAW has been an opportunity for her to further connect with her mixed Asian heritage. Home has many meanings for her, and all definitions include family and friends. She's ever grateful for the RAW community which pushes her to be principled, authentic, strong, and caring. In her spare time, Courtney likes to eat food in Scarborough, walk with her dog Boomer, and cook for loved ones.

D BADUA​

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D Badua is a trans, nonbinary, first-generation Filipinx human and creative gallivanting in and around Tkaronto. Outside of their 9-5 job, they are a singer, musician, music producer, audio engineer, dancer, and choreographer. D was introduced to RAW at a time where they were actively seeking communities that aligned with their interests, politics, and values. Since joining in 2021, drumming has become a grounding practice for them, giving them the space and opportunity to channel their emotions through a combination of their artistic curiosities in a space where they can loudly exist and comfortably grow.

AQ HUI - APPRENTICE

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AQ Hui (they/them) is a 1.5 generation Chinese, transmasc, nonbinary, knowledge translator working towards queer and trans liberation. In the spring of 2024, they discovered how taiko harmonizes their musicality and athleticism, and they haven’t been able to put down their bachi ever since. In search of embodiment, belonging, and collective care, they found the steady beat of the drum and the disciplined thrum of RAW. They are thrilled and grateful for this opportunity both to discover their own artistic persona and to contribute their efforts in drumming towards collective resistance.

JULIE TIAN - APPRENTICE​

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Julie Tian (she/her) is a self-taught artist based in Tkaronto who works primarily with oils, graphite, and embroidery. She also works a 9 to 5 and organizes with Friends of Chinatown. Having only activities that are detrimental to her spine and posture, Julie is so grateful to RAW for re-inviting music and movement into her life, especially in a way that stands in solidarity with justice and resistance movements. She was blown away by her first RAW concert in 2019, and is over the moon to now be part of the RAW community.

CHIA POSUMA - APPRENTICE​

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Chia is a VFX compositor originally from Indonesia with a love for both visual storytelling and music. She discovered RAW taiko in 2022 and immediately connected with their energy, cause and community. Since then, she’s enjoyed practicing with the group and supporting the powerful causes they drum for. Having been involved in music and sports since she was a kid, Chia especially loves how taiko allows her to express music through movement as much as through sound.