▁at ▁B ould er ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁Asian ▁American ▁Equ al ▁O pport unity ▁Program ▁( E OP ). ▁ ▁Den ver ▁Ta iko ▁Mi y oshi ▁is ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁Den ver ▁Ta iko , ▁the ▁fourth ▁ta iko ▁group ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Den ver ▁Ta iko ▁started ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁dozen ▁members ▁and ▁only ▁two ▁hom em ade ▁drums ▁don ated ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁American ▁Association , ▁so ▁Mi y oshi ▁and ▁the ▁others ▁learned ▁how ▁to ▁make ▁their ▁own ▁drums ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁San ▁Jose ▁Ta iko ▁and ▁K inn ara ▁Ta iko . ▁Mi y oshi ▁left ▁Den ver ▁Ta iko ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁California . ▁ ▁Dr um ▁M aking ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁Mi y oshi ▁received ▁his ▁first ▁commission ▁from ▁Den ver ▁Ta iko ▁for ▁an ▁ok edo , ▁the ▁first ▁ok edo ▁to ▁be ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Mi y oshi ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁North ▁American ▁Ta iko ▁mak er ▁to ▁l amin ate ▁st aves ▁with ▁finger ▁joint s ▁and ▁car ve ▁out ▁the ▁interior ▁of ▁the ▁nag odo ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁the ▁sound . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Mi y oshi ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁ta iko ▁full - time . ▁He ▁currently ▁is ▁the ▁owner ▁and ▁principal ▁craft s man ▁at ▁Mi y oshi ▁Da iko