Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

As a former international aid & development professional I have some experience in bringing shakuhachi to challening environments, be it to rain forests in South America,  slums in Mumbai, and trekking across some fairly hot and humid parts of Africa and so on...

While common sense would always tell me to leave the shakuhachi home, it was too heart breaking to think I wouldn't be able to practice for the weeks I would be away.  So I always took the gamble.

With only one exception, as I packed the flute in a plastic bag and a sturdy PVC case nothing ever happened to any of my flutes.   I think in general shakuhachi are more sturdy than we suspect.

The exception: for a few months I lived in a ridiculously humid part of India.  While I was there I had no problems.  But after I came home one precious flute cracked in 2 different places at once.  My teacher suspects that my flute had become used to the higher humidity of india, and that the transition back to the dryer NY climate caused the break.

Seth wrote:

... With only one exception, as I packed the flute in a plastic bag and a sturdy PVC case nothing ever happened to any of my flutes.   I think in general shakuhachi are more sturdy than we suspect.  ...

Thanks Seth.  Yes, I think my packing method will be similar to yours: flute + plastic bag + closed cell foam + plastic drafting tube.  It will be mounted on the motorcycle in a way that should survive basic lay-downs and tip-overs.

-Darren.

Im doing a five month backpacking stint through thirteen countries at the moment with a 1.8 Deaver and 2.7 Miura. I dont carry either of them in plastic bags, just in leather bags, and I've had no problems so far. Apart from the incovenience of having to send a flute away if it cracks, cracking doesnt bother me. 

I wish birds enjoyed my playing... last night I unknowingly woke up a Vietnamese villager, who started screaming and throwing rocks at me. Luckily the rocks were larger than house bricks so I could see them in the dark well enough to dodge them. I didnt think my playing was that bad.

Hey caffeind,

What an experience! I didn't know someone could take being awaken by a flute sound so bad! But you never know, maybe he has some kind of problem. But throwing rocks! That's a bit out of proportion in anycase.

Anyway, thank you for sharing your experience, it's a nice anecdote.

Hey John

Yes it can be taken apart. I then push the two halves in the leather bag into a cardboard postage tube like you, but in my case this only really serves to protect the edges of the centre joint from being dinged, because the utaguchi end and root end of the flute cant be squeezed into the tube. I pack clothes around them to cushion them and theyre not at any real great risk.

I dont know if binding helps to stop cracking in the first place, but I asked Mr Miura to put three bindings on the top half of the flute specifically because I would be travelling. The other flute also has inlaid bindings. I do carry around a tube of super glue and some fishing line in case the crack is small enough to fix myself.

A dream of mine for some time has been to see the Bayon at Angkor in Cambodia at night, so two weeks ago at sunset I went there and was the only person at the site. I practiced shakuhachi in the central chamber for about an hour in total darkness in front of the Buddha. I dont usually bother with these things, but there was certainly something different about being there and playing. After that I did some night photography of the ruins and when I left the Angkor Thom compound it was nearly 8pm; closing time is 6pm. My rickshaw driver had told the police I was still in there, and when they found me they werent too happy, but not angry enough to warrant the throwing of rocks. Playing in that temple was a great experience.

nomaD43 wrote:

When I lived in Massachusetts, I used to go out every morning before dawn and hike to the top of a 150 foot rock/hill above a lake in a wildlife preserve. One morning I was playing Kyorei and I guess I must have been deeply engrossed in playing, when I was finished, I opened my eyes and there was a small red fox sitting less than 10 feet from me listening (he ran away as soon as he realized he was listening to a human). Another time I had attracted a large hawk who sat in a tree less than 15 feet away (same hill). Both of these experiences were very special.

The shakuhachi sounds enough like a predator call (which mimics the distress cry of small furry mammals) to attract predators (fox and hawk).


nSkky

Hi All, Just wanted to share.

nomaD43 wrote:

When I lived in Massachusetts, I used to go out every morning before dawn and hike to the top of a 150 foot rock/hill above a lake in a wildlife preserve. One morning I was playing Kyorei and I guess I must have been deeply engrossed in playing, when I was finished, I opened my eyes and there was a small red fox sitting less than 10 feet from me listening (he ran away as soon as he realized he was listening to a human).

I recently helped someone pick out a natural bore bamboo shakuhachi for what he wanted to do. Here's his reply days after he received the flute.

"It fits my hands like it was custom
made, and the tones are very pleasing to my ear. It
blows very alive in the hands. Thanks for making it,
and particularly for your help in figuring out, and
finding, what I wanted.
If you recall, you recomended it for someone
wanting to play in nature. First time playing it
outside, a pair of sandhill cranes showed up!"

caffeined wrote:

A dream of mine for some time has been to see the Bayon at Angkor in Cambodia at night, so two weeks ago at sunset I went there and was the only person at the site. I practiced shakuhachi in the central chamber for about an hour in total darkness in front of the Buddha. I dont usually bother with these things, but there was certainly something different about being there and playing.

I was very very forutnate to have participated in a performance collaboration with the Circus of Phnom Penh in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2001. I assisted Ellen Stewart in staging the production including cocreating the music and choreography in complete collaboration with the circus performers and Royal Cambodian dancers. I ended up playing the shakuhachi with some wonderful traditional Cambodian musicians. During the rehearsal process, I was constantly awed by the seemingly innate awareness and depth the Cambodians had for art. I mean, it was both as important and as trivial as what they we're going to have for breakfast or lunch.

After the show, I headed out to Siem Reap, where most the temples lay. It was also a dream of mine to visit Ankor Wat. Once there, I was able to see where it all came from. Covering every centimeter of the walls of the temples were deeply carved tiny dancers, circus performers and musicians, all surrounding the King and Queen. Every part of the temple was covered in tiny people playing music, dancing  or praying. It was truely an eye opener. I was able to climb to the top of Ankor Wat where I blew a few long tones into the intimate courtyard.

As the sun began it's decent on the ride back, my motocycle driver asked if I wanted to see the sunset over the ruins. I said "Heck yeah!" He pulled over at Bakheng Hill where I paid the exorbitant fee of $1 to ride up the hill on the back of an elephant. Once on top amidst the throngs of tourist I felt a little shy about playing the flute, but I did managed to find a somewhat secluded spot over the railing where I blew a few tones. But on the ride back down the steep sinuous path, I played more. The swaying and occasional bump by my hardworking friend made for some nice accidental furis.

I've I could ever recommend a place to go for a spiritual vacation, Siep Reap would be the place.

Darren, bind your shakuhachi in monofilament for the trip. If you pull it tight enough, glue is unnecessary. Monofilment hugs the bamboo. This way, you can remove them later. Be safe.

Namaste, Perry

I'm back!  Hit some really nasty weather that boxed me in, so I returned a little sooner than expected.  Refreshed, relaxed, and now back to "real life".  Snow issues aside... solo motorcycle camping is the way to go. 

Back to the flute talk...  I was pressed for time before I left, so I didn't even bind the flute for prevention.  In the end, my chubby little 2.1 jinashi weathered the dirt, the thumping, a few tumbles, several sub-freezing nights on the ground, and days in 30+ deg C sun, baking in its black PVC tube.  No worse for wear, and possibly better.  It smelled like campfire for a day until I aired it out... 

Flutes can be tough.  Or sometimes just lucky...

-Darren.

Does anybody know of a law that says airlines have to let you carry your instruments on board with you? Someone mentioned it to me last week but I forgot the details. I think they said we could go online and download a paper that you can take on the flight in case you get hasseled. If you know of anything like this, please enlighten? They never ask for anything when I'm abducted though.

Some useful links pertaining to musical instruments as carry-on items:

     http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ … _1235.shtm

     http://www.finecases.com/about/airline-travel.html




American Airlines musical instrument carry-on policy (be advised that policies may vary by airline, so check your carrier in advance):

"Musical Instruments
Small musical instruments may be carried on-board the aircraft providing they meet existing carry-on size requirements and fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. Case dimensions may not exceed 45 linear inches (width+length+height), except for guitars which may be brought on board only if they can be safely stowed in an overhead bin or approved stowage location in the cabin. The instrument is considered the passenger's one allowed carry-on bag. A personal item is allowed in addition to the instrument."

I just traveled last weeK.
I had my 1.8 in a bag with my clasical flute.
No problem at all.

chikuzen wrote:

Does anybody know of a law that says airlines have to let you carry your instruments on board with you? Someone mentioned it to me last week but I forgot the details. I think they said we could go online and download a paper that you can take on the flight in case you get hasseled. If you know of anything like this, please enlighten? They never ask for anything when I'm abducted though.

If you look at Monty's site under "tools" he has a download of the TSA/Musicians Union agreement which allows you to take an instrument on board.

On the other hand there is another law which says, "No baseball bats, or any other thing which can be used as a club." and of course a 2.7 nobe jinashi could fit that description.