# New here, anyone else here in Arkansas?



## Helen McMillin (May 3, 2019)

I am in Little Rock, well, just outside the city limits. At least no one complains when I play taiko...

Lived in the Los Angeles area for 29 years, came back to Arkansas when I couldn’t stand the crowds, noise and traffic anymore. I really only miss friends, family, and my taiko groups. I love living in the woods here. 

20+ years, mostly scoring film, plus a little other writing. I love the collaboration. Starting to teach a tiny bit. 

Milking my 2102 Mac Pro for everything I can. Long time DP user, see no need to switch, though I admit other DAWs have their strong suits. Finally came to VEP last year and it is a godsend. Love Kontakt, LADD and LASS. Vienna for winds and brass, and Altiverb. (Which I probably use too much of...) Strong suit: orchestral and drums. Weak suit: Pop/rock stuff in VI’s. Always learning.

Came here after someone linked to it at Motunation. I appreciate whenever someone answers a question, and am grateful for those who spend their time helping others.


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## Marco (May 4, 2019)

Hey Helen so good to talk to you.. 

I think I have never met a Taiko player.. it is such a cool instrument... 

keep in touch =) 
-m-


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## fiestared (May 4, 2019)

Helen McMillin said:


> I am in Little Rock, well, just outside the city limits. At least no one complains when I play taiko...
> 
> Lived in the Los Angeles area for 29 years, came back to Arkansas when I couldn’t stand the crowds, noise and traffic anymore. I really only miss friends, family, and my taiko groups. I love living in the woods here.
> 
> ...


Welcome Helen, I'm certain you'll feel happy here. As you, I now live in a quieter area (after years in Paris)and I must say I couldn’t stand the crowds, noise and traffic anymore TOO ... Arkansas makes me dream, memories of "OZ", "twisters", etc... please tell me/us more about this state, how is life there, luckily I've been to lots of areas in the US, but never to Arkansas... Thanks


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## Helen McMillin (May 4, 2019)

Marco said:


> Hey Helen so good to talk to you..
> 
> I think I have never met a Taiko player.. it is such a cool instrument...
> 
> ...


Taiko is gaining in popularity. Where are you located? I could look for a group in your area. Often there are classes...


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## Helen McMillin (May 4, 2019)

fiestared said:


> Welcome Helen, I'm certain you'll feel happy here. As you, I now live in a quieter area (after years in Paris)and I must say I couldn’t stand the crowds, noise and traffic anymore TOO ... Arkansas makes me dream, memories of "OZ", "twisters", etc... please tell me/us more about this state, how is life there, luckily I've been to lots of areas in the US, but never to Arkansas... Thanks


Thanks fiestared, so far I have really enjoyed it here.

Arkansas is lush and green, humid, and teeming with life, most of it not human. We have about 50 acres of forest where we walk our dogs usually at least twice a day. We have deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and wild turkey, in addition to a plethora of bird life, including Pilliated Woodpeckers. We cannot see our nearest neighbors, except in winter when the oaks have lost their leaves. At that point a light or two is visible in the distance at night.

Arkansas is directly north of Louisiana, east of Oklahoma, and south of Missouri. The eastern border is roughly the Mississippi River. The state is mostly wooded, with abundant rivers and lakes. If you were to draw a line from the southwest corner to the northeast corner, then lower it south a few degrees, it would represent the geographic division between rolling hills and low mountains (on the northwest side,) and Mississippi River delta in the southeast. The economy is largely based on farming and shipping, and several large trucking companies are based here. Little Rock is a green city, seemingly sprouting between the trees, on the south side of the Arkansas River. It is mid sized as American metros go, and very pleasant to live in if you have spent much time in larger cities.

Lately, we’re mostly just wet. We drain well, though, so it’s ok. We do get tornadoes, but you learn what to watch for, and we have a plan and a safe spot in the house if we need it.

Where in France are you? What is it like there? I have a dear friend who wants to show us France, she spent several years there when she was young...


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## jonathanparham (May 4, 2019)

welcome


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## Helen McMillin (May 4, 2019)

jonathanparham said:


> welcome


Thanks!

I have been poking around reading the forum rules and such. Is there a FAQ somewhere? I have honestly looked, but not found whatever corner it is tucked into...


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## Marco (May 4, 2019)

Helen McMillin said:


> Taiko is gaining in popularity. Where are you located? I could look for a group in your area. Often there are classes...



Hi unfortunately I don’t think in Europe Taikos are becoming so big! I am in Valencia (Spain) till July than I will probably need to relocate as I will graduate in July!! How long since you started with taikos? :D


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## fiestared (May 5, 2019)

Helen McMillin said:


> Thanks fiestared, so far I have really enjoyed it here.
> 
> Arkansas is lush and green, humid, and teeming with life, most of it not human. We have about 50 acres of forest where we walk our dogs usually at least twice a day. We have deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and wild turkey, in addition to a plethora of bird life, including Pilliated Woodpeckers. We cannot see our nearest neighbors, except in winter when the oaks have lost their leaves. At that point a light or two is visible in the distance at night.
> 
> ...


Ah Helen, what an answer  Thank you so much. "_We have about 50 acres of forest where we walk our dogs usually at least twice a day_" your dogs are very lucky, obviously you give them lots of love, "_We have deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and wild turkey" _wow, for an animal lover like me, it's a dream come true, "_We cannot see our nearest neighbors, except in winter when the oaks have lost their leaves. At that point a light or two is visible in the distance at night" _with a description like this I am at the beginning of a novel, you're talented, now I'm waiting for the rest of the story... "_We do get tornadoes, but you learn what to watch for, and we have a plan and a safe spot in the house if we need it" _sorry to ask, but what kind of safe spot_ ? 
"Little Rock is a green city, seemingly sprouting between the trees, on the south side of the Arkansas River. It is mid sized as American metros go, and very pleasant to live in if you have spent much time in larger cities" _apparently a perfect city for me ! "_Where in France are you? What is it like there? I have a dear friend who wants to show us France, she spent several years there when she was young" _Originally I am from the Paris area, now I live in the centre of France, a region called Touraine, this is The Chateaux de la Loire area, (I can give you more details by PM, even about a trip in France where I can help you with pleasure if you desire) Again thank you very much for your answer, this is so kind of you to have taken the time to nourish my dream...


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## LamaRose (May 5, 2019)

Greetings, Helen. My last visit to Little Rock was back in the 70's... probably changed a little bit since then, lol. Now living in the desert southwest, I often dream of ample firewood and bubbling brooks... definitely miss the lush greens east of here.


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## Helen McMillin (May 7, 2019)

Marco said:


> Hi unfortunately I don’t think in Europe Taikos are becoming so big! I am in Valencia (Spain) till July than I will probably need to relocate as I will graduate in July!! How long since you started with taikos? :D


I started taiko about... 14 or 15 years ago. I am not a master, just someone who has a lot of fun and enjoys making music in an ensemble. Also, the methodology of teaching taiko was a huge expansion of my ideas of music - everything is aural, there is no accepted universal written music for taiko, so all the music is memorized. It was a great lesson in psychology. Our group did a show once, and some composer friends came and were amazed that the entire show was performed from memory. One of them asked how we got all those performers to memorize everything. I had to stop and think about it, and finally I said, "Well, no one told them it was hard to do..."


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## Helen McMillin (May 7, 2019)

And Marco, look here for taiko in Europe:

http://wadaikotoshokan.com/?page_id=20
It's a map of taiko groups all over the world. Europe looks like a hot spot! I knew of groups in England and Germany, but I didn't know there were so many. I do know that kagemusha taiko sponsors an annual European Taiko Conference (held in February this year). It looks like there are seven taiko groups listed in Spain, most of which are in Madrid, but there is one in Zaragosa, which might or might not be a bit closer to you. You could at least look them up and go to a performance somewhere! You will find that taiko people are very, very welcoming, wherever you go.


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## Marco (May 8, 2019)

Helen McMillin said:


> And Marco, look here for taiko in Europe:
> 
> http://wadaikotoshokan.com/?page_id=20
> It's a map of taiko groups all over the world. Europe looks like a hot spot! I knew of groups in England and Germany, but I didn't know there were so many. I do know that kagemusha taiko sponsors an annual European Taiko Conference (held in February this year). It looks like there are seven taiko groups listed in Spain, most of which are in Madrid, but there is one in Zaragosa, which might or might not be a bit closer to you. You could at least look them up and go to a performance somewhere! You will find that taiko people are very, very welcoming, wherever you go.



Well actually Zaragosa is not close but I will leave Valencia soon and I want to take a tour of Spain before to leave this place so I will add Taikos to the list of things to see, do, watch live =D

thank you so much

-m-


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