Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Thank you all for this funny, cranky, insightful, helpful, ignorant, wonderful website! I am old and have been playing at the shakuhachi for thirty years but only recently started lessons with Ronnie Seldin. I feel blessed by his approach, his modesty and humor and helpfulness. In May I had a lesson in his dojo in NYC and he came wearing a black t-shirt with the words "I'm big in Japan" on it. That alone put me at ease. Over time I have bought a number of shakuhachi. I bought them as objects as they seemed to have a presence and would pull at me, but I was afraid to try to play them seriously as I questioned my sincerity and felt they required a commitment I couldn't or wouldn't give. Being around them was kind of like entering a church.  I am still not thinking I'm ready but if I wait much longer I will be dead so ----
  I have learned the basics of Daiwa Gaku and my experience of playing it is these individual units of sound and I don't seem to be able to make it feel like music. I have played traditional Appalachian music for forty years for much the same reason I have been attracted to Honkyoku, a connection to something beyond words, yet with the shakuhachi I can't get that sense when I play. I feel like I'm typing except that I get light headed. How does that go away? I know to just keep playing but I would like to hear another perspective on this.

P.S. I have a beautiful  Biwa I would consider trading for the perfect flute. Maybe I just need the right flute? I can send pictures if anyone has a good 1.8 or  2.4 they would like to trade for a Biwa.

Kyosen

Last edited by jmeade (2008-01-13 05:41:27)