Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

I am pleased to announce the introduction of the first (and only) postgraduate degree course in an accredited tertiary institution for shakuhachi performers in the in English language. The course is for a Masters Degree. It is constructed around what is called a postgraduate research degree. The successful candidate must complete a number of required classes and write a final thesis in order to graduate. The primary focus of the course however, is on shakuhachi performance.

The official degree name is Masters of Music (Performance).

The course is being offered at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (venue for the World Shakuhachi Festival in 2008), which is part of the University of Sydney. It is a two-year full time course, but can be completed part time over a longer period of time.

The initial student of this course, Kevin Man, started this course in the first semester of this year (February 2006). He will be doing it part time over four years.

For more information, please see the Sydney Conservatorium of Music's website:

http://www.music.usyd.edu.au/FS/postgra … _res.shtml

Quoting from that webpage:

"On successful completion of the Master of Music (Performance), each candidate will be able to organise and present performances which demonstrate independence of thought, critical powers, interpretative capacities and high potential as a musician and scholar. Candidates will be able to articulate the contribution which their performance makes towards extending the boundaries of the discipline of performance through such means as expanded stylistic or interpretative horizons, investigation of historical performance practice, development of new performance modes, relationships and techniques, or through enhanced critical, historical or analytical perspectives."

For many of you musicians, that little bit of academic-speak might convince you that the idea of going to uni in order to do music is NOT for you!

By doing this course however, not only will you have a piece of paper that will help to 'legitimise' your shakuhachi credentials in the eyes of much of the western music establishment, but it will, we hope, actually make you a much better and more knowledgeable shakuhachi performer. It might also just possibly help make you more able to play your shakuhachi for a living, if only a meager one.

As the programme has only begun this year, there is as yet little information on the SCM's website specific to the shakuhachi programme. More information will be available in time.

Please note that this is not a course for beginners; a high level of proficiency on the shakuhachi is one of the prerequisites of being accepted on the programme.

Best regards, Riley Lee