Everyday when I practice I play my Senryu Shakuhachi. Justin from Senryu Shakuhachi in Japan makes some very exceptional flutes worth checking out. I spend hours with my flute every day and a great flute makes it easy to practice. I just wanted to hip everyone here to a maker who is really making a great instrument. If you already knew of him then you probably already knew of his deep involvement in the culture, history and music.
I got a new car the other day. It is a KIA Soul in Alien. (Stock Photo)
While researching the vehicle I found this cool video below. It isn't your ordinary commercial and is well worth the minute it takes to watch it. It is very creative! BTW... I love this car!! (Sorry there was no shakuhachi content today)
Disclaimer: This was sent to me and I am just reposting it in it's entirety as I was asked to.
EARLY NEADRA PLANTAE MAGNALIOPHYTA BAMBUSOIDE CAVEMAN was first cited in this geographically indeterminate bamboo grove last week. He is believed to be the oldest living shakuhachi player in the world. Coming from the late Pleistocene Era about 10,000 years ago. He is believed to have been responsible for the extermination of the very large mammals covering the earth at the time by playing haunting sounds on a bamboo flute that caused widespread fear in the animals. It is said that they often gave themselves up peacefully to this early shaku god figure for food and in hopes that he would use their tusks in the utaguchi. They believed that it would secure safe passage into the next life. We were in shock to receive this photo from our outer space resource. They admitted that they photoshopped in the shoes and black rings on the flute just to confuse us into rewriting shakuhachi history for a few more hundred years. However, they say they cannot account for the shaku T-shirt wrapped around his waste as shyness wasn't invented for a few thousand years later. We figured it was cloth created out of the necessity of keeping mosquitoes off his JIGNASHI.
I am getting the last bits of stuff from the camp together for the blog. Here is an audio clip of Brian Furner, Larry Mullins and Michael Chikuzen Gould playing the trio version of Kojo no Tsuki on shakuhachi. This clip was provided by Larry Mullins. Click here to listen!
Well, I was pleasantly suprised to come home and receive my Chuden certificate from Chikuzen yesterday. I "finished" the Chuden Shakuhachi repertoire at the Ohio Summer RO Camp. I had to play through the Sankyoko pieces in the Chuden book which include Rokudan, Mitsu no Keishiki and Shintakasago. It is so much more fun to play Sankyoku in a group setting then by yourself. (IMHO) I want to thank Chikuzen for his time and dedication to his students and I am enjoying working through Okuden now.
Sorry it has been a few days since I updated the blog about the camp. The last 2 days were packed with info and lessons so it was hard to get to the computer to do any updates. We covered more songs than were on the roster and had a great talk on the 3rd evening about the nature of the shakuhachi and its use as a tool to bring the formless to form.
I have to say this was the best camp yet. Everyone was intent on learning and because everyone really focused people were really improving as the weekend went on. I know I picked up a lot of the subtleties I have lacked in my own playing and I have been so motivated and inspired by the camp I can't stop playing. If you get to attend a camp I can't recommend it highly enough!
coming soon! I am at the airpor coming home from RO camp now and I will post more pictures and info after i get home and can sift through everything. Thanks for stopping by.
Another great day at camp. We started off by blowing RO for about 20 minutes and then followed that up with practice on the "Top Ten Techniques of Shakuhachi". We followed that with learning different songs.
The songs we learned yesterday include: Komori Uta Ajikan Shintakasago Mitsu no Keishiki Kusatsu Yumomi Ondo Mamuragawa Ondo
So as you can see we were busy playing all day. The food as always was excellent and want to say a special thank you to Clinton "speedo" Moi who couldn't make it but still took the time to send the notated snacks.
We ended the night with both solo and group performances and of course a bonfire by the full moon with some Jack Daniels. It is great to see everyones progress through the weekend. Playing in the atmosphere we are in is not only relaxing but so creatively positive. Here are a few pictures of the day.
Well, day one of RO camp is over. We did a few beginner songs followed up by Honshirabe, a duet named Yamabiko and some improvisation. All of this was off course after a nice long session of blowing RO. Brian Furner and Michael Gould performer Yamabiko together and it was excellent. I recorded it and will post an MP3 of it later today. Now we are all up and getting breakfast together. I will post more as the day goes on. Here is a pic of me at the airport on the way to camp in the Chikuzen Studios shirt.
RO Camp is coming this weekend. I can hardly wait. I will be posting sounds and sights from the camp through the weekend. Stay tuned!
Also we did the test run on the new shirt yesterday and here is the picture. The first shirts will be shipped after I get back from camp. If you are interested please contact me as they are going fast. Thanks!
Michael explaining some of the top techniques used in Dokyoku style shakuhachi.
That's me in somebody's glasses I was borrowing. I never did figure out who's glasses they were.
