Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Greetings to all,

I am attempting to learn to play shakuhachi, as a student of Stan Richardson. While my progress is slow on the shakuhachi, it is getting better, over time. I am not studying as a "serious" devotee, but rather in an effort to add the shakuhachi to my instrument capability, as my primary instrument is Native American flute, although I am attempting to learn to play various world flutes, to at least a listenable playing level.

At this point, I have several flutes, but due to budget limitations, all are modest instruments. (Shakuhachi is one of the priciest of all flutes.) I have a Zen-On maple flute, an Yuu ABS flute, a Tai Hei student flute, and a Japanese root-end flute, whose hanko I cannot read. I also have a contemporary root-end flute, which is being evaluated for adjustment and tweaking, in the near future, to see if it can be made into a decent flute, at a cost I can afford. (Cannot read that hanko either.)

Since all of these flutes play somewhat differently from each other, I am now concentrating on my lessons with the recently acquired Japanese root-end flute, which seems to play best, to me, personally.

I do not ever expect to be able to invest in what most would consider a "good" flute, as they are out of my price range. (I have found it a bit curious, that the most difficult of flutes to play, is also one of the most expensive, which does give rise to the issue of why we want to play them.....but I offer no explanantion for that at this point.)

My biggest stumbling block at this time, is learning to read the notation, as variations in the calligraphy, complicate reading it, for me, as I find it difficult to see the notation well, due to my eyeglass prescription. It is especially hard to read the finer aspects of the notation, so that is one of my struggles at the moment.

Naturally, embouchure is always difficult, at best, and impossible at times....such as when I am weary, or late at night, etc.

I am almost 62 yrs. of age, so I do NOT sit on my heels to play! (smile) These old bones wouldn't take that, I'm afraid.

I know a few people who I see here, who are fellow NAF players, or world flute players, such as Peter Phippen. I look forward to getting to know some of those who only play the shakuhachi, as well.

I am NOT a musician, and do not ever expect to be one, but I do appreciate good music, especially flutes, of various genres, and new age music, as well as traditional oriental music from various parts of Asia.

I am a member of the Heart of the Cedar Native American flute circle, in the Dallas / Ft. Worth metro area, and serve as the INAFA representative for that flute circle, at the moment.

Thanks,
Rick McDaniel