Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Anna,
welcome. i think all any of us could ask for is to REALLY just play and hold an actual note!

love the "akikaze" moniker...


我が祈り浄土へ渡せ秋の風　（竹海） Waga inori/joudo he watase/aki no kaze 　（chikukai)
Autumn windー/carry my prayer across/ to the Pure Land   

ganbare!
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ps- happened to just read this quote by shakuhachi maker Murata Hozan, from David Sawyer's website http://japanshakuhachi.com  :

"Shakuhachi is not an easy instrument, however this difficulty is why it is so attractive! There is only a small difference between shakuhachi being very difficult and being very attractive. 80 percent of its sound quality is made by the player, only 20 percent is in the domain of the flute. With good bamboo and good construction you get good tone color and good pitch control, but the rest is up to how the player holds his breath in his lungs, how he maintains pressure in his mouth cavity, how he uses the muscles of his cheeks and tongue, and how he concentrates the flow of air, and at what angle across the utaguchi. So most of the sound coming from a shakuhachi is due to body mechanics. I can't think of any other instrument which has such an intimate relationship with the body.

Shakuhachi sound can be compared to the human voice: it can never produce exactly the same sound twice because the tongue, mouth, flute relationship is subtle and always changing. An excellent player will find his sound quality changing from moment to moment throughout the day, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. Everyone experiences this frustrating phenomenon and we often blame it on the flute!

The neophyte shakuhachi player is like a new-born baby just beginning to use its vocal cords. For the first six months nothing very intelligible comes out, but with a lot of yelling and experimentation, words finally emerge. Shakuhachi players go through a trial by fire!..."

Last edited by Glenn Swann (2009-11-13 02:21:22)

Hi Anna --
Coincidentally another MRO member, also a woman, also in NJ, just started lessons with me. Perhaps you know her -- her dharma name is Chikai? If you want to get in touch with her and ask her about shakuhachi study, email me and I'll get you her info.