Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Friends,
    I am pleased to announce a concert here in Santa Rosa by my shakuhachi teacher and friend, David Wheeler, Kansuke II, on the night of Saturday, August 1st as well as a full-day Workshop and private lessons during the course of the weekend.
    This is the first time he has come to Sonoma County to perform and teach.
    Wheeler-sensei began studying with Kawase Junsuke III, head of the Chikuyusha shakuhachi lineage in Tokyo, in 1977. He lived there for many years, eventually moving to Boulder, Colorado during the mid-90s. Last year, Kawase-sensei gave him his professional name, Kansuke, during the World Shakuhachi Festival in Sydney, Australia. The name Kansuke was Kawase-sensei's name before taking his position (and professional name) as iemoto of Chikuyusha. Therefore David became Kansuke II.
This is the only recorded instance of a non-Japanese shakuhachi player being honored with his teacher's original given name.
David now performs and teaches as the central representative of the Chikuyusha lineage in North America.
Details of this very special opportunity to hear David Wheeler in concert follow.
Please mark your calendars to attend!

The Concert:

The Natural Sound of Bamboo:
Modern, Classical, and Original Works for the Shakuhachi
Saturday, August 1st, 7PM
Backstreet Gallery, 461 Sebastopol Ave., Downtown Santa Rosa, CA
(Entrance through alley from South A Street)
$15 at the door.
Because space is somewhat limited, please call to reserve seats at 707-303-5925.

The Workshop:

David Wheeler, Kansuke II's workshop on classical shakuhachi ensemble performance, featuring "Cha no Yu Ondo."
Play it, Learn it, Own it.
Saturday, August 1, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
$50 for the all-day workshop including lunch (and tea!)
Kallen house, 2151 Riesling Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

It is rare that we have Kinko-school masters visiting us to perform and teach, particularly one with the depth of knowledge and understanding of the Kinko Sankyoku repertoire that Wheeler-sensei possesses. His is a practical, hands-on approach that will benefit players of all levels (and all traditions!) His special love for the Jiuta ensemble works became the basis for this Workshop.

Many elements come into play when practicing and performing classical ensemble music for shakuhachi, shamisen, koto, often accompanying voice.
These include (1) performance techniques and idiomatic phrasings specific to this repertoire, (2) an understanding of the respective roles of the different instruments and voice in the ensemble, (3) a general understanding of the musical forms and conventions, (4) and an appreciation for the historical and literary context out of which this music (and each piece) arose.

With an aim to raise skill, understanding and enjoyment of this music, this workshop, comprised of four approximately one-hour sessions, will cover all of these areas. The vehicle for study for this particular workshop will be Kikuoka Kengyô's "Cha no Yu Ondô" (often called "Cha Ondô").

Study materials, including recordings, sheet music and notes will be sent out in advance, so please contact Elliot at 707-575-8626 to reserve your spot in the Workshop. Having said this, in fact, no particular preparation is required. Just listening to the recording and or reading the lyrics is sufficient. Those who want to do more than that are welcome to use the provided materials.

Why Cha no Yû Ondo? Kikukoka was the leading composer of these vocal works with shamisen and koto accompaniment which featured extended instrumental interludes as highlights. Any piece in the repertoire would suffice, but Kansuke II selected one of Kikuoka's because he is the recognized definitive master of the genre, and this particular piece because it is not too large and intimidating (relatively!!), yet is a good example of the style, replete with the many idiomatic and characteristic cool stuff that define the genre. Furthermore, the lyrics, as the title suggests, are suffused with references to tea and the Tea Ceremony, a subject of great interest to many of us (including Mario and Liz Uribe who are hosting the Concert that night!).

Private lessons:

Sunday, August 2nd, 10AM - ??
$45 / 45 minute lesson
Kallen house, 2151 Riesling Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Please call 707-575-8626 to reserve your time slot and, if possible, a specific Kinko-school piece you’d like to work on.

Players whose spouses or significant others would like to explore the Sonoma County Wine Country during the Workshop and/or lessons are welcome to contact Cara at 707-575-8626 to discuss the many possibilities.