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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Practice

                                                                   Practice does NOT come easy for me. Whether it is the shakuhachi, classical or electric guitar, languages or even daily chores. Always has been this way for the most part, with some exceptions, like running. Now, shakuhachi seems to be a bit different this year. Like mentioned in previous posts, I have been changing in this regard and getting MUCH better at practice. Even if only five minutes, I make the time to do so. Since Hideo has entered my life, I have played him EVERY DAY. Some short moments, some long.
But even those few moments are helping me make progress. As I still very much am a beginner , even after three years of on and off playing, my progress is positive for me. Other than scales, breathing exercises, and two songs I now have memorized, so much is out of reach. For now. I've learned " Hi no maru" when taking lessons with Sensei Tyrrell and have that down well. At the beginning of December I really worked hard on " Yuyake Koyake" and have finally accomplished that.

             

 This is a page from my workbook, showing the two songs I have learned. Not sure if i want to learn ALL of the folk songs in this book as some are simply not  joy for me. So I simply pick and choose which I like and go from there.

The book I'm currently studying in is by Masayuki Koga. This was recommended by my teacher when I had to stop lessons due to finances. I hated to do that but it was necessary. This is a delightful book and I can see why it is recommended.

So here is where I am at currently. I'm getting in between 5 to 30 minutes a day in practice and then some if I can. Also, I listen to music when running sometimes, and that helps sort some things out.  Now, to increase that total a little more and progress to learning a song a month.

Out and about : Part one - Portland,Oregon

                                            The day was crisp and cool yet still drizzly on and off.  Yet it was a great time to get out with Hideo and visit Portland for some practice and to snap a few pics. I have never been one to play any instrument in public yet I'm slowly becoming more and more comfortable at showing the shakuhachi off and making a few sounds. This does NOT mean I will be busking or playing on street corners for loose change,  But who knows what a year from now will look like. :-)

                                      Here I was in SE Portland at the main Goodwill location.

   Then it was off to NW Portland and Powell's Books as well as the Brewery Blocks Starbucks.

Admittedly it was quite exciting watching others view my moves when taking Hideo out of his case and pose for a few pics as well as make a few sounds . Blew Ro and TSU a few times to show what he could do.






                  Then I had Ann take a few new pics of me and Hideo so that I would have a new profile pic as the last few were simply not satisfactory.




I shall be taking Hideo out more often as well as his pals. With only a few songs under my belt and plenty of improvisations, I hope to actually play in front of others by next year.

The adventure begins...NOW!!

                 The adventure begins today, this first day of January, 2015! Time to get moving on this journey and explore the shakuhachi world in more detail. these posts will sometimes be long but most often short and to the point. Now...out the door!!!!


The first stop for Hideo, my 1.8 Tozan shakuhachi flute, is to say hello and show respect for the Buddha as he makes his first foray out into the world of the Pacific Northwest!!!

                     As this is the year's first post and it's exceedingly cold out, there will not be a prolonged time of exposure to the elements for Hideo. it's time to go practice. Since this fellow arrived to join my family, there has not been a single day where he has been left to sit. Played every day. Granted, some days are busy with work, study and running. But, if even five minutes or fifty five, he is given the breath of sound . So, today it shall be scales, blowing RO for a bit and then study on a new song. This is a yet undecided minyo, or folk song. As of now, I only have two memorized. My goal is to have at least one song a week learned so that by summer I have a "repertoire" that can be played.
                                                                Now...off I go to practice!!!