New additions to the shakuhachi family!

 Two new shakuhachi have been added to my growing family of flutes!

     I have been wanting a Kinko style shakuhachi with the same utaguchi insert and yet didn't have the money to purchase one. So, I made a tough decision and decided to trade my two Ellis Pueblo Native flutes for two shakuhachi from a fellow musician in Maryland. After a week of travel and delays, these two lovelies arrived! The one on the left is a 1.8 model from Nomura Godo and has a lovely kinko utaguchi as well as silver accents. Plays sweetly and sounds delightful! The second flute on the right has no hanko but is a 1.9 with a Tozan insert. This is my only bamboo shakuhachi without any bindings.

They both play well and are a welcome addition to the growing collection! As for my playing...that is still and always will be a work in progress! My last lesson with Araki Sensei went very well and I have now added Sakura to my list of pieces. Currently I am working on Sanya Sugugaki which is and will be a big challenge for quite awhile. Yet, even in the few lessons I have had with Kodo Araki VI, there has been much learned and gleaned! I confess that money is tight and I am not sure how many lessons I can afford in the future, but at this point I will do my best .

The shakuhachi itself is not only a beautiful instrument of sound but a work of art! To own these amazing flutes is in itself a pleasure . Even if I were not a player, owning them is a privilege and honor. They also play a role in my spiritual life as well, within the framework of meditation and mindfulness. On this holiday after a week away up north adventuring with a loved one, the time calls for getting back to practice and learning again. The break was necessary for my mind and heart.                                         

A new beginning? What changed?

                                As the remaining months of the year arrive, new dynamics and events have changed my shakuhachi adventure! As of October 2024, my new shakuhachi teacher and sensei is Araki Kodo VI, or Hanz Araki. After much thought and consideration as to whom I could turn to for further instruction as well as someone local to the Pacific Northwest, I asked Araki sensei if he'd consider myself as a possible student. Thankfully, he agreed! Now, there are no illusions as to this when it comes to finances and time. 

As a shakuhachi scholar, student and music lover, I knew that I couldn't follow the traditional route of a student. I simply don't have the finances to take lessons every week, or two weeks. The most I can do is maybe a lesson per month if the budget allows. After two lessons now from my new sensei, I can see this is going to be a very fruitful adventure!

                                    Here is a link to the blog of Araki Kodo VI as well as his website for more information: 

 Kodo Araki VI  (website)

 Kodo Araki VI blog

                           I've decided to restart, or rather, continue my blog here at Shakuhachi Adventures instead of starting a new one. For now, I will post this and then add more next time regarding my studies, shakuhachi flutes as well as other new insights.

                                                          Till then, Namaste! 

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