San Francisco, Tamuke and my new goal.

                                          No, not that San Francisco has anything to do with my future playing or studies, which it does not.  But after my recent travels there and a bit of mental reorganization, I'm ready for a change. The last year of practicing and blowing Ro has been productive. I can pick up Hideo or any of his siblings and blow well, with strength and power or with lightness and still be able to scale Otsu and Kan both. This is where I so wanted to be after a year of only concentrating on scales and breathing, not really memorization of a number of songs nor to perfect only one . I knew there had to be a point to where I could play when I wanted and not be frustrated with embouchure and making any sounds nor by inability to hit Otsu when needed. This is finally within my grasp and is a wonderful reward after laborious days of boring Ro and scales blown. Not that playing or practicing is boring, but two teachers, my own sensei and also another at last years Seattle Matsuri, really agreed that such blowing practice be utilized. I noted in my journal every time I practiced and what I did, daily.

I'm thinking of doing this again in 2016. Keeping a daily practice journal to see how it keeps me in check and doing what I should be. Looking back through this years edition...I did NOT practice enough nor as often as I should have. Why? Family,schedule,time,other distraction?Yeah, all of the above. Running,cycling and a host of other excuses. And every new year I vow to change. Suppose I shall do that yet again. :-P

So what does San Francisco have to do with shakuhachi? More than you might think. As I had some alone time there while out for my running, this time I listened to some shakuhachi music instead of of the usual upbeat rock tunes. I repeated to myself that when in town I would visit the Buddhist temples and centers if I could. We were able to visit the San Francisco Zen Center and also explored both Japantown and the vast reaches of Chinatown, all with Tamuke playing either on my headphones or in my own mind. This is one of my all time favourite honkyoku and THE piece I want to learn to play the most. It has significance to me and my goal to is to play Tamuke at Hug Point, Oregon on the coast, where my father is buried.

Therefore, I'm going to make 2016 my year of  learning to play Tamuke. This printed version from Taniguchi is the only only one I currently own and is a start. There are many recordings of Tamuke out there and what's great about this piece is that so many interpretations can be found, none of them being incorrect. It is a personal piece and one that can be played to one's own style.

It's going to take some time to learn this. I shall still practice and play other things, of course. but this is the goal I have for the future.

Autumn is almost here!!

                                                                       The last waning days of summer are here and slowly I count down to autumn's new beginning of 2015. This has been a year of many new discoveries and during these times I admit my practice time has been less than desirable. The "summer doldrums" I blogged about a few weeks back have finally begun to disappear and schedules are now loosening up to allow more freedom and time to get back into a routine.

                                                                        Cooler temperatures and some wonderful pushes from loved ones help me in tremendous ways to get centered and back on the right path. This being said, today is one I hope is the new beginning to daily practice and progression in my shakuhachi studies. If I had been diligent these last few years and really progressed well, think of the advancement I would have made. Alas, it was not to be and I find myself still in the dungeons of beginner and far less accomplished than I should be. When I ponder why I have NOT progressed in much more scholastic ways, it usually comes down to devoting the time that should be in practice and study to other interests and parts of my life. Isn't it how we all are to some degree? Too much going on.

   
                                                                        Therefore, from this day on till the end of the year, my goal is to practice a minimum of a half hour every day and to study the music, history, culture and extras about my beloved instrument for a half hour. That is an hour a day on this. Can it be done?
Um, yes, of course. Though getting sidetracked is my problem. So I shall use my dry erase board and a calendar to chart my progress. Another goal is to have three songs memorized by years end. I was able to master one song this  year. One. That's pathetic and pitiful. Yet that time is past and not much can be done about it but move on and make better use of my time. Something else has to be dropped from my list of interests in order to accommodate the practice and study of the shakuhachi. Languages are the first to go, so Welsh and German are now on the far back burners of this player's stove as are any study of ancestry and genealogy. I'll still keep to my Buddhist philosophy details and books as well as meditation and running/cycling. The new photography business I have just started will of course be moving ahead so this will leave little time to add anything new. Looks like my remaining months of this year are now spoken for and filled. Onward and upward. ^^^^^^^^^^^

First public performance

                                                             This last weekend was one I shall never forget.  On Saturday evening, at a large party of friends and companions, music lovers...I was able to play my shakuhachi. The only time I have ever played around more than a few pals was at last years Seattle Matsuri and that was with other players. So this was a big deal for me and one that will never be forgotten. After some other bands and groups played their music, mostly rock and pop tunes, the noise levels had to drop considerably due to a ten o clock ordinance in the area I live. The bands before me were awesome and played on this stage pictured. My good friend Patrick is the bassist in this photo.

After they were finished, this gave way to fireplace/firepit styles of performance and playing. Acoustics were great and so I began with some improvisations on honkyoku pieces as I have not yet learned them in their entirety. Nonetheless, I'm decent at improv and can move around the shakuhachi well enough to sound ok. Perhaps not to well accomplished shakhachi players but I thought I did rather well to be honest. In addition to playing I was able to speak a little about the instrument and music that's usually played . Answered some questions and played a bit more. Many of my friends convinced me to give public playing a try. So I did and am happy with the results. Now, to PRACTICE more and get my butt in gear as I have not been progressing well this summer.

There is a good possibility I will be going to San Francisco this November and I would simply LOVE to meet Masayuki Koga and even have a lesson if possible. Will have to do some research into if he does that and perhaps meet up with other players. I have one week but only a few days to spare. So this will be fun to see what shakuhachi related things I can dig up in that beautiful city!
Where can I go to see anything shakuhachi related? Japanese stores,cultural centers and places to enrich my time in SFO. Off to do some research.

Summer doldrums

                                                     Ack! Summer doldrums! Things get tight with my schedule and I lose track of time. Practice has been waning and I regret not being diligent at it. When I get up each day should be the time I practice and at least blow Ro or meditate. Alas, I have been doing other things and need to change. Excuses: summer heat makes playing tough. Add running, time with sweethearts and the usual work I do and I get sidetracked. Therefore, a daily routine needs to be set up. Ready..set...GO!!

Mornings are going to include meditative practice with the shakuhachi, preferably before 7am. This should not be a problem since I'm up earlier than that most of the time. This also depends on whether I have insomnia that night, in which case I can do it during that time period.

                                              The new schedule will start tomorrow morning!!!
       

Meditation and 尺八

                                               The shakuhachi has had and continues to have so many different uses for each player. The Fuke sect of Buddhist monks in Japan used their playing for meditation and for playing while begging for alms. Eventually the shakuhachi was used for ensemble music and then in concert as a solo instrument. So many different ways it can be played and used. For myself, it has always been not only a relaxing way to unwind but also as a meditative tool. When I play, primarily by blowing the first two notes, Ro and Tsu, I'm transporting my mind and heart to my own meditative place. This calms me, helps me reflect and think. If not careful, can lull me to sleep.  it is part of my inner paradise and always helps me to think clearly as I contemplate life and love, the world and things around me. The benefits of meditation with the shakuhachi can be so valuable!

What do I think of when I play when meditating? Well, usually nothing. I know, it sounds strange as I just mentioned contemplation. And while I do have moments of that, most of the time I concentrate on breathing and of inner peace, silence. Just like any normal and regular meditative practice, this one uses the sound of the flute to bring one to a deeper place and makes it that much more of a beneficial thing. How?  Here the theories abound. Is it the drone of the low notes, or any notes in general? Or could it be the vibration of the flute when playing? Sure. Yes. And all of the above. They can all be part of the enhanced meditation one achieves when blowing Ro , or any other note.





The delightful thing about meditation is that it can be done almost anywhere, although I wouldn't encourage doing so when driving!. But I meditate all the time when running, walking and in a special place I have set up at home. This allows me to sit on my seiza bench and be more comfortable as I play.

                                                                             A good fifteen to thirty minutes of meditation time invigorates me, making me stronger in my resolve to be mindful and aware. Adding the 尺八 to the meditation only enhances this. Plus, it is never a bad thing to add practice time to breathing as well as blowing exercises. While I don't get to meditate daily, like I really should, any time devoted to it strengthens my mind and heart, making me a better person. Life has changed so much from the man I used to be a short eight years ago. And am I ever glad of the decisions I made back then.

                                                             Namaste  __/|\__

Bike ride and park visit with Ichirou!

                                                           Today was a great one for a bike ride before the heat settled in at 90°, a bit much if you ask me. So, out the door I went with Ichirou, my first shakuhachi that was made by Perry Yung. I didn't want to take Hideo as he went along last trip. The park is about four miles away but I took the longer route which turned out to be ten miles one way. Once there I had some time to practice and play a bit. Here we are having some moments of meditative and contemplative happiness.

 Oh, and as always, my little buddies came along with me. The new delightful little Jizo is a newer addition to the group and I simply love his design!

                                                               On the way home I came across a wonderful house with Asian flavour and flair that I had forgotten about. Been many years since I'd been down this street.

   Finally, I stopped at the location of my former workplace. A new business has taken over the property and building but I as I had spent almost 21 years of my life at this place, a selfie sounded fun!

What a fun morning this was and I'm glad to have made it out for some playing and quiet time as well as exercise on the bike.  __/|\__

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Break time is over, and hopefully, so is perfectionism.

                                                                Life has been throwing curve balls at me all year long, and when that happens, sometimes it is necessary to take a break. My shakuhachi practice was becoming too routine and not progressing, yet again. These road bumps of being a musician and those blockages that make one step back and adjust the thinking. My own perspective on events like this teaches me to listen to my inner musician, my voices, er, notes. Instead of throwing away what I have built up over many months, I simply need a break from it and to rest the little grey cells. So, this is precisely what I did.



 Now, after a week long break from any form of practice and playing, I returned to both of my main flutes and am feeling MUCH better about my abilities. While a musician is his own worst critic, this has to be dealt with daily and perfectionism is always a demon sitting on our head.

I take my practice and playing seriously, even if it's not very good or worth listening to by others. This makes me a perfectionist and one who does NOT like to play in front of others unless I have mastered a piece and perform it well. Fortunately, this can be a good and bad thing. Productive in that it disciplines me to practice and get better but not so much in that it also takes away from being good at improvisation and doing impromptu playing. I'm trying to break this cycle of perfectionism.



                                                                      This all being said, the time for me to concentrate on a summer schedule of practice and playing has arrived. Daily practice is usually normal for me, but progression in song material and in memory exercises seems to be lacking. Breath control and perfecting my embouchure have both been MUCH better than ever and I'm very happy about that.

                                                                      Time now to concentrate on songs and filling my mushy, monkey mind with material, enough to play more than a few short Japanese folk songs.

Never enough time!

                                                              There really is NEVER enough time! therefore, one needs to make room for the important things . Priorities in life usually require one to take that time out, seek it and devote the moments necessary to what they have as passions, work or the things that make them happy. Shakuhachi playing and life is one of those things. In my own life, I find I do have to carve out time to play and practice. Admittedly, there has not been a lot of progress with my studies in the playing arena. Reading about the instrument, following posts and articles...sure. The student of the instrument, it's history and all there is to see and do has always been there. But making time for practice and really getting down to the actions of LEARNING and PLAYING new songs has been a struggle for me. By now, I'd hoped to have four or five new songs from my Koga book memorized and "under my belt".

 Alas, I have still only two learned from this delightful book and have had a difficult time in getting my head wrapped around learning more.
Is it my brain NOT being able to memorize or digest it? Not really, as I can listen to a piece and know it when I hear it. Perhaps it is the possibility that I cannot play them after all. No, I can. It is simply a matter of taking time, doing it over and over again and LEARNING the pieces.


  What I have is...monkey mind. It's all over the place, like a monkey from limb to limb. Jumping to and fro, never staying in one place. As soon as I start to play and learn something new, my mind moves to other things.  What is one to do when the brain refuses to calm down?





 
                                                                         A solution is available to me that will be put into place starting now. More meditation . This time, WITH the shakuhachi . Perhaps blowing Ro while I meditate, or even scales. Working on pitch, embouchure or the fluency of notes. Whatever it takes, this will have to be done. I have now been involved with and playing the shakuhachi for five years and things need to change if I'm going to progress. Many have suggested lessons again or getting together with others. While the former sounds delightful and I'd LOVE to do that again with my sensei, funds are not available for that as it is simply too expensive. But getting together with others...now THAT is a ;possibility. I shall look into announcing some sort of get together in Portland for all shakuhachi lovers and perhaps there are some things we can all share. The Pacific Northwest Shakuhachi group on Facebook has quite a few members now so maybe some would be up for meeting somewhere to play, share tips, enjoy the friendship.

                                                                         Until then, each day I shall try my best at meditation with the shakuhachi, Hideo for sure, and to better my playing and progress. This needs to happen if I'm ever going to play in public or at a Matsuri, which I hope happens this next year, either in Seattle or Portland. Might have to look into that.

A day out for Hideo and his little pal!! We visited the local park and had a great time playing and snapping photos!!

 I'm fortunate to have such a beautiful place located only half a mile away from the humble abode. Granted, it is popular for a lot of dog walkers so there is not a lot of privacy, but hey...it's a public park!  Think I shall go back there again later this week and spend some more time in practice near the trees. I LOVE to play towards the plants and beautiful trees in this park!

Moving between flutes...and breathing life.

                                                                  The fortunate part of owning more than one flute is that I have the option of different keys and dimensions in which to switch between. Hideo is my daily flute and it's with him I spend by far the most time. Yet, how fun to switch to the longer and deeper 2.1/2.2 shauhachi and play the same songs, scales and notes. Or, to play the 1.8 Earth flute that is a smaller bore and a wee bit tougher to play due to embouchure. either way, I get to practice.




After a few months of switching between these three, I have come to really value the Earth and Chikusing models much more than I ever have. While Hideo, my much more expensive, advanced and better playing

 尺八 is the model to spend most of my time on, my others are never far away and deserve to have life breathed into them. After all,to this player,a shakuhachi
does not really "live" until it is played and given life by the one connecting with it, the one breathing into it. No matter whether it is living by playing simple scales or the oldest and most sacred honkyoku, the  尺八 flute in front of you is part of this earth. And it can truly call back to where it was grown from if the soul and heart desire it. Sure, some just love the sound of the shakuhachi itself and have no Buddhist ties to it, either religious,philosophical or historical. And that is just fine. But, THIS musician feels every breath he sends to it, communicates with and listens to when the sounds are made. This...this is when the real meditative qualities of playing the shakuhachi, 尺八, mean something special. :-)



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尺八 related goodies !!

                                                                   With this post I don't want to focus on the playing nor the practicing side of things but rather the collectors angle. Not collecting shakuhachi flutes though as that is a rather expensive hobby and one that most players cannot afford. Well, at least the players that I know. :-)  What I'm referring to are the goodies that represent our beloved flute. The T-shirts, figurines, collectibles and assorted gems that we see and want the second it hits our brain that...HEY, it is a shakuhachi related item and those are rare and hard to find. OK, well perhaps in Japan they are not so tough to locate. My Japanese friends can respond to this and tell me if that is truly so but around the rest of the globe, I don't see too many shakuhachi related items for sale on ebay, Amazon, online stores and such. So... like many, I jump at the chance to snatch them up when available, if within my budget.  What do any of you have in this field? here are a few I have acquired since my journey began.


                             




                                     First off, here is this great little fella! He is a komuso from Kidrobot out of Japan and a tough one to locate! I was very fortunate to have been given him to me for my birthday last year and he sits on my shelf, overlooking my blogging and occasionally my playing. It is not common to find komuso related toys or figurines much less when they have a shakuhachi in their hand!





                                         
                               

Next up is this wonderful figurine I just bought off of ebay only last week. Never before have I come across such a treasure. Sure, I have looked at and admired the shakuhachi playing figurine from Lladro. That is an expensive piece at $400 and never going to be in my budget. but this Hakata shakuhachi player came up and I was really surprised no other bidders appeared. Not exactly sure of the date it was made but by the others I have researched, thinking the late 1950's , perhaps 1957. When Googled or searched online, nothing comes up at all except the sale on ebay.
He is 7" tall and in superb condition!



  And finally I have two T-shirts which I proudly wear when out and about sometimes. One from the 2014 Seattle Matsuri , which I attended and really enjoyed, and the other from the company of Ken Lacosse. There are a few other shirts I have located out there and I hope to secure those eventually or find something on ebay, which I check daily for shakuhachi related fun stuff!!!

      Those are the little treasures I own!! Besides books and CD's ,of course. Someday I'd love one of the komuso figurines that you see in museums in Japan. But my oh my are they expensive. Although..... I DO have something komuso and shakuhachi related that I take with me everywhere I go..... in fact a few.

 This komuso tattoo is on my left back calf and can be seen when I run or am in shorts. That and all of my tattoos were done by Doug Auld in Portland, Oregon.
The shakuhachi related tattoo at the right here is inked on my right rib cage. Yes, that was a tender spot and was the least happy place for me to get inked. But well worth the resulting artwork and design. In addition to these two, I also have the 尺八 at right
on the top of my left forearm, visible for all to see.

Yes, there are some shakuhachi goodies out there and sure, I suppose one can say I'm a wee bit obsessed. Ok. Go for it. Say it. I admit to another addiction!!!

Hideo and Shinji: practice time!

                                                                      As spring gets closer and closer, my desire to practice and learn grows. Winter is a tough season for me and even though stuck inside normally, this year has been different. Our "winter" has been so spring like that I SHOULD have been out and about a lot more. Alas, illnesses and other obligations have kept me inside and with severe cabin fever, which still seems to be affecting. As I get get better and stronger, the need to get back to practice is hitting home for me. I've been getting in at least ten minutes a day in practice, which is better than nothing,sure. But, it is nowhere near enough to progress. It simply keeps the edge there and is not doing much. What to do?

Ok, this seems like a good plan. Can one get better at practice than this? Yes! Thanks Bruce!

He seemed to have been rather proficient at his art form and in keeping fit. So as a role model, I think this is a delightful addition to the blog post. And perhaps this one, minus the clarinets and add the shakuhachi!! It is essential that I get back into a regular routine of practice and spending more time doing so. With the help of Hideo and Shinji, I shall try even harder to do this over this month of March.

Here they are, ready to go!! Time to practice!!

Hideo meets the guitar.

                                                                There are some instruments that pair very well with the shakuhachi  and those that most certainly do not. Sure, this is subject to the ears and magic of the listener ,so it is all relative. The koto and other Japanese instruments are among the most likely to be appreciated in duets or ensembles. And many western style instruments pair well also. I feel the classical guitar belongs in this group. Well, both the classical and standard steel stringed acoustic work well with the range of the shakuhachi and in the right key can be beautiful together. I'd LOVE to explore this relationship someday and to bring these two together. Currently, I own two guitars: a fender stratocaster electric from 2000 and a beautiful classical guitar from Cordoba.

 This Fender is not really going to be a duet partner any time soon. Just a bit too harsh for me and I'm going to save that for later when I have been able to improve my classical guitar playing. but I must say, I adore this guitar and with the Fender amp, sound sampling and various effects I can play with, it's a delight to play. I have had this guitar twice: I sold it way back in 2004 and regretted it greatly. So I bought it again a few years ago and will not do that again.







    Now, my Cordoba "Dolce" classical guitar is something I truly cherish. I looked high and low for a reasonably priced classical that was not only a wee bit smaller in size, to accommodate these smaller hands, but also was beautiful to gaze my eyes upon. This is what I found...

 Is this not a stunning guitar?!

   

 So, I was able to find something that would be a perfect fit with any other instruments I could play and be in my price range. I've now had this Dolce since 2009 and adore it! While not exactly the best classical guitarist by any means, when I'm playing well and the fingers work, it is a joy.  The left hand fretting fingers have never been the same since almost losing the hands in a cat bite incident in 2013 and subsequent week long hospital stay. My fingers on both hands had bites to the bone as well as major infections within. They still have trouble bending on some days so that makes any guitar playing problematic and difficult. But...working on that issue and hopefully can get back to where I was with it a few years before the feline kiss.



  So there you have it. Perhaps I can marry these two instruments together someday and lay down tracks to play them. There are some wonderful pieces for both that could be fun to duet with. Could be interesting to find someone to play with and experiment. :-)

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Back to normalcy.

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                                                            The last three weeks have been a disaster a far as shakuhachi practice and study go. No excuses other than the meds I'm on as well as a feeling of not being myself...well, they all have combined to make my favourite instrument something less than desirable.
So, a few days without practice happened. Now, I'm finally on the track to healing as the strep and viruses have been eliminated. Time to get back to practice and playing!

I'm very fortunate to have the small collection of flutes that I do. In addition to the shakuhachi I own, my collection also includes many Native American flutes as well. I started on these years before embarking on the journey with the shakuhachi, and they remain in my collection, never to be sold.


These include flutes made by Michael Allen, Geoffrey Ellis and Butch Hall. All are works of art and highly treasured. >>>>>>>>>>>>

So, onward I go , ready to get back to where I was before the grip of strep and ick.

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Practice time when sick...ugh.

                 
                                                                            This last weekend was the first time since October 26th that I had not played my flute.I knew eventually it would happen due to something. This time, it was moving weekend for my sweetie, from West Linn to north Portland. This will make her so much closer to me in distance and only a 15 minute drive away instead of an hour or so. So due to the moving, I just didn't have time to play or practice.

                      Then, I came down with a nasty upper respiratory virus that is making me feel horrible and breathing not so great. And it does not help with the embouchure at all, either.
So, now what does one do if practice is tough and not something really all too productive?
Well, first off, I DID play a wee bit to get the streak started again and hope to keep it going this time.



                                                                             



Time to get out the history books and search for new tidbits, or watch some Japanese films, trying to spot a shakuhachi or komuso monk! Yeah, this is a day (or two, three) for simply getting over this bug. First book to peruse....shakuhachi porn!!!
Of course it is not REAL porn, but Monty Levenson's Shakuhachi Sourcebook, a grand catalog for players and students to drool over and dream of. So many goodies in here I'd love to own, especially more books and sheet music. While shakuhachi materials can be had in some many places, I have never seen as large a selection available anywhere.

                  http://www.shakuhachi.com/

That's about all I'm going to blog today. Now to head back to resting up and getting over this damned virus.


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Books,books,books!!!

                                                                        While I practice daily and try to get in some playing time with the flutes, I also love to read and digest everything I can that has to do with the shakuhachi.
This has lead me to collect every book I can regarding my beloved instrument and to build a library that showcases the available literature. I'm really fortunate in having found some of these for low prices.

                                                                          The primary hardcover volumes in my collection are bound articles from the International Shakuhachi Society in two large editions that are not really easy to locate.

                                                                             I cannot imagine NOT having these in the collection as they are invaluable. If you can get a hold of them, do so.
    Then there are the books that combine playing manuals with a history and or biographical travels by well known shakuhachi players.

These two volumes are delightful adventures of both Ray Brooks and Christopher Blaisdel and how they studied the shakuhachi and their experiences with some of the world's masters. Essential in everyone's library!!










 



Then there is this volume, also by Christopher Blaisdel, which is filled to the brim with not only how to play but a detailed history and photos scores and almost everything one can imagine. Simply one of the best shakuhachi books ever written!!


So these are a few of my favourite things! Yeah, really corny. Oh well, what the hell. :-P

Yuyake Koyake, done!

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                                                         I've finally been able to memorize "Yuyake Koyake" (Sunrise,sunset), a Japanese folk/childrens song composed by Shin Kusakawa. It is a song that signals the beginning and end of the school day and is very popular. It is MUCH better to start on the shorter and easier songs than to think I could ever tackle honkyoku or the difficult shakuhachi pieces. This song is so popular that even Shirley Temple made a cover! Well, I can PLAY it now and need to really polish it up a bit to actually record my own version.

                   
                               







  Last week, Hideo went out again and this time visited Powell's Books to have his photo taken at the Pillar of Books, just outside the north entrance.

 A perfect opportunity to sit in front of the Tao te Ching inscription and reflect on possible origins from China.
While the shakuhachi is Japanese, it possibly came from China centuries before.
                                                                 







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