Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Individualized major! What a beautiful concept.  Is that something that goes on at your school only or is that becoming available at many schools? You go Ben.

Congrats Ben, Thats awesome!
Will you be taking any music curses or Ensembles? (besides shakuhachi) That will be a very helpfull in long run.
I am doing my Masters with Shakuhachi @ new England Conservatory. Its been fun!!

Hello all,

Just a little update with all that is going on.  I met with Kiyoshi Otsu about a week ago and seemed delighted that I had taken an interest in the shakuhachi and was trying to put together a degree around the flute.  I will officially be a Shakuhachi major next semester. My major specific courses with not only include all that I have mentioned above, but also working with Reiko Yonogi and Kiyoshi Otsu on learning and appreciating Japanese aesthetics.  Otsu san and I shared a nice meeting discussing different aspects of japanese culture; from quotes of Issa and Basho, to kendo, kyudo, chado, and wabi sabi. Pottery and Ise architecture seemed to be of great interest with both of us, and he seemed sad to state (as many of you here probably have heard) that anymore the shakuhachi seems to be something that most Japanese people don't seem to have an interest in. 

There is also an opportunity if I progressed well enough in my Japanese studies I would get a full paid scholarship to go the Japan for a year and study at Hakuoh university in Oyama city. I am greatly excited for all of this to begin and will certainly keep posting updates as they become available to me.

Benjamin