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!!!

The cast of 尺八

                                  The adventures are about to begin!!!!! But before the posts truly start, here are a few photos of the cast involved and a little background on them.

At the far left is the first shakuhachi I have every owned. His name is Ichirou and was brought to this world by Perry Yung. While not having an inserted utaguchi, he does indeed sing very well and is simply magnificent for meditation, practice and general music making.  (1.8)

Second from the left is Arata, a 1.8 Yuu model made from synthetic material. As this is not bamboo and a newer and fresher approach to the shakuhachi, the name Arata is perfect! While he won't be used near as much , his structure and stability allow better travel and use in rougher surroundings. (1.8)

Second from right is Hideo, the primary traveling companion and instrument in my family of  尺八.  His birth in Japan in the 1960's reminds me so much of my own during that decade. So much happening around the world and especially in Asia. (1.8)


And finally at the far right, the second flute ever added to my 尺八 family a few years ago, is Shinji, or "second son".
A bit longer at 2.1 , the key of B makes this a deeper and more resonant flute.
He is a Chikusing model from Perry Yung and while getting louder and more vocal sounds from is tougher, the rich reward is worth the effort. (2.1)

So there you have it. These four will be the traveling and playing companions of mine during the adventure and I look forward to spending more time with them over the next, oh, fifty years. Sure, there might be additions to the family but for now, these four will be sufficient enough.

Welcome to my Shakuhachi Journey!!!!

                             Yes, welcome to a new blog about my journey down the shakuhachi path!!!!!
This is going to be a different blog, though, than the one I started in 2011 to do the exact same thing.
That slowly morphed into the blog I have at http://hiroshigeowl.blogspot.com.  It was intended to be a blog such as this, but as life and other things entered the picture, changed and only a few posts really talked about the shakuhachi. Until this year,2014, when I was able to get back into playing again and spend quality time with the instrument.

                               Then, in October, I had the privilege of attending the Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri with my former teacher and many other great players and instructors.
That was indeed a monumental experience for me and made me determined to play better, stronger, and with more passion. To learn all I could about the shakuhachi and it'ts history. In depth.

                                                                    So, this first post is to announce the new blog and that shortly, the journey will begin . What will happen on this journey is anyone's guess, even mine. I have NO idea what I will blog about, post or experience. No idea where I will blog from, where "Hideo", my new flute, and I will go or play.

                                                                       Now and then, perhaps a different shakuhachi will accompany me to other places. This is the fantastic part of this and will enrich the travels. So stay tuned here, hang on and lets experience all of the adventure together!!!!

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