James Barrow the principal at Taiko West co-founded the first ever adult beginners course in the UK in 1995 to 1996 at Gyosei school of Taiko in Reading Berkshire.

He founded Taiko Wales in 2000 while living in Powys.

He is currently leading what is almost certainly the most extensive Taiko drumming educational Project in Europe - the Taiko West Schools & Communities Project with approximately 85 children and 120 adults enrolled on 20 separate classes at 8 different venues and in regions from the Welsh borders to the East Midlands.