A long winter.

                                                        Not sure why it seems so, but this has been a long winter for me and seems to never end. Used to be I adored winter and the bleak,cold and darker aspects of it. But that has changed for I now really love spring and autumn the best, tired of the continual rain and downpour we seem to have every day here in my pacific northwest location. Still, it is a beautiful place and I have no intentions on moving (unless a Scottish or Welsh home is given to me for free !!
:-D  So that means I must take matters into my own hands....playing hands. And the last two months have NOT been good to me in this regard. Especially February and March as I have been lacking in the practice department. Was supposed to be playing some Celtic music and getting ready for the arrival of my transverse flute (more below) but so much of LIFE has intruded that I simply have been lazy about it. Ok, I confess: I could MAKE time and really be diligent. Alas, Welsh language study along with family genealogy, running and other activities have taken over. Therefore I need to schedule my practice time and keep up.

Not sure how I will set it up but it is necessary and needed for my improvement and in maintaining breathing,control and sound.



                                                            Now, on the flute front....I have a new transverse flute being created for me!! The new flute is bamboo but is constructed as a transverse and with many add ons and extras, such as a black walnut lip plate, end cap and reinforced hole ring. The black walnut piece came to me courtesy of Robert Guerassio , my sweethearts father, and how cool to have it be part of this beautiful creation. Here is an early photo of that lip plate.

Eventually the flute will take on a Celtic look and so this is not the final result. But Michael Howard Monroe is doing such incredible work that I'm giddy to get this flute in my hands to play! If you are interested in a custom, bespoke flute, send him a message !!

                                                             Kolbe Bamboo Flutes


So, until the flute arrives, I have been digesting more Celtic flute tunes and grasping the dynamics that are so completely different from Japanese shakuhachi music, as that was mu focus the last few years. It will be a great journey when this beauty arrives and will be the beginning of some great times ahead!!

That's the update for now. More will be posted when the flute arrives and then some photos can be taken and music made. Till then, happy playing and namaste!!!  __/|\__

Way too long!

                                                                 
                                                               All I can say to start is ....wow! I cannot believe it has been this long since the last post here. Time gets away from more and more as life takes up the precious hours. Since my last post, practice and playing has waned back and forth. I'm not practicing as much unfortunately but as the load lightens, that is changing. Although there has been a change since the beginning of the year. Last post, I'd mentioned how I wanted to learn Tamuke. This is still on my list of things to do and will be tackled. But, not this year like I'd planned. My focus has changed and a much needed break from things Japanese has motivated me to get back to more Celtic music study.

                                                                No, this does not mean I will be neglecting the shakuhachi at all. On the contrary, our wonderful flute can easily play Celtic music as is so aptly explored by my former teach, Larry Tyrrell. His CD release of " The Alder Bough" on Moonbridge is a delight that showcases how diverse the shakuhachi truly is.

Along with my beloved shakuhachi, I have also ordered a custom made bamboo flute in the key of  C, an alto for Celtic music. My focus will be this particular genre for the year 2016 as well as continued studies in the Welsh language. Sure, it's a far cry and away from the Japanese shakuhachi literature and not as pertinent to this blog, but that is the way I roll. Sometimes I simply change my mind and want to discover something different. And this is one of those times, although I have been flirting with Welsh for a few years now. Immersion is key for a language and Japanese shakuhachi was not helping out in that regard.


Wish me luck! Until next time...Hwyl fawr!

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  __/|\__