The high turnover rate was due in part to the physical demands and time commitment required (Taoka was a strict teacher who emphasized fundamentals and encouraged at-home drilling).
The group drilled in a rat-infested, empty storefront in Seattle's Chinatown on used car tires, and later, one broken Chinese Lion Dance drum salvaged from the trash.
As the core group began to emerge they solicited local merchants in the Japanese American community to raise funds to purchase the materials needed to make the first set of taiko drums.
Key new members included Stan Shikuma, Ken Mochizuki, Sheri Nakashima, Michelle Kumata, Tom Eng, Joanne Egashira, Harriet Kashiwada, Kaoru Nakamura, and Michio Teshima.
The group also participated in and performed at one of the first pilgrimages to Tule Lake, California - the site of one of 10 former concentration camps that held Japanese Americans during World War II.
They spent a year building drums, gathering gear and creating a repertoire that included traditionally based pieces and jazz influenced work.
After debuting as a trio at the Nippon Kan Theater the group wanted to expand their sound by incorporating fue (Japanese flute) and more extensive use of percussion to augment the drums.
They taught an extended series of taiko classes from which they recruited new members Joyce Nakamura and Martin Louie and became a quintet performing at area festivals and on local television.
The original line-up featured Harriet Kashiwada, Sheri Nakashima, Meiko Blosser, Aiko Suganuma, Joyce Nakamura, Martin Louie, William Satake Blauvelt and Stan Shikuma.
The group also expanded its musical horizons by incorporating improvisational soloing with jazz saxophonist Steve Yamasaki and Native American and Japanese folk singing with vocalist Takuya Funaki.