Born in 1972, Shih HSIEH has often spoken of his desire to modernize and popularize Taiwanese drumming and to win a place for it in global culture. His father managed a Daoist temple, so it's hardly surprising that drumming is in his blood. He's been beating drums since he was three years old. His childhood memories on learning drumming kindled his lifelong passion for music and especially the sound of beating drums. After finishing his graduate studies in the USA, he realized the uniqueness of the drum art in Taiwan, and many of his compositions were strong related to his religious belief. He founded Ten Drum Art Percussion Group in 2000. The "Ten" in the troupe's English name is a direct translation of his given name, "Shih." 

Hsieh, who has composed the vast majority of the 60-plus works in the repertoire of Ten Drum Art Percussion Group, was not only inspired by tradtional and popular drums performances at Taoist religious celebrations in Taiwan such as Eight Generals, Tiao Gu Zhen and the Songjiang Battle Array, but has also drawn on episodes in Taiwan's history. One of the five pieces on Island of Drums, a 2009 Ten Drum album that scored a Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional World Music Album category, depicts in sound the coming to Taiwan of Koxinga, the Ming Dynasty loyalist who in 1662 evicted the Dutch from their colonial base in what's now Tainan (and from the rest of Taiwan).

The creativity and uniqueness of traditional Taiwanese drum music stems from its distinctive transmission form. For generations the music was passed down orally, from master to pupil, through an onomatopoeic system for composing and teaching. This methode fosters creativity and innovation. Around 6,000 students at over 100 elementary and high schools throughout Taiwan have attended percussion classes that are given by Ten Drum Art Percussion Group. Individuals who learn drumming don't just acquire musical skills – they also strengthen their muscles, improve their posture and physical coordination, and release stress. "Most everyone can learn to drum, if they've a passion to learn." said by Hsieh.