Beyond Japan update

PURE SHAKUHACHI SUMMER

Big Apple Shakuhachi Festival 2004

Prologue:

Back in B.C., thoughts, memories like rain soaking into the soil of my soul, nourishing the roots. Sitting on my pillow focussing on my breath above my upper-lip and under my nose, preparing my mind for sensation sweeps through the body. Images of this past summer events drift in and out of my subtle spheres. Heat. Breath. Shakuhachi. Breath. Music. Breath. Honkyoku. Breath. Bamboo. Breath. Japan. Breath. Sunshine. Breath. New York.......

Traveling to New York on the train from Montreal. Yesterday I gave an 8 hour workshop to 5 students in Montreal (one student from Vermont) at Bruno Deschenes' place. It was great to see all the fine students with love for shakuhachi. I regret not taking any photos of the group. The week before we just had a successful workshop and concert with Kakizakai, Matama and Satomi and I at the Willow Farm on the Sunshine Caost of British Columbia, Canada, which was wonderful. We learned more and more about organization and promotional techniques from the experience.

The landscape view from the train window was beautiful. But my mind was not on the scenery but on the Shakuhachi Festival for the next 4 days. 10 years ago I attended the first International Shakuhachi Festival in Bisei, Okayama, Katsuya Yokoyama's hometown. Who would've thought that that Festival would have blossomed into something so wonderful as the World Shakuhachi Festivals!

Arriving at Penn Station, New York, I was a little nervous since my image of New York was quite intimidating, not ever having been there since I was a child. Also, I didn't know how far I was from New York University where the Festival was being held. So finally getting to the dormitory was such a relief. I checked in and started running into people: Kurahashi Yoshio, Miyoshi Genzan, David Wheeler, James Franklin, Shimizu, Mastumoto, Kurita, Kato, Murai Eigoro, Kakizakai, Matama, and Furuya.....It was so great to see Furuya sensei again after three years. I missed his beautiful, friendly energy and great shakuhachi sound. Later, Jim Franklin, David Wheeler and I went out for dinner and did some catching up over Chinese cuisine. David was again the main designated translator for the Festival. I am constantly awed by his incredible facility with both languages. Before retiring for the evening, a group of us met in Rm. 803 where we all had a beer and kanpai.

DAY 1

The first morning I had a solitary breakfast at a restaurant nearby the dorm. The weather was surprisingly cool and mild. I was expecting New York to be extremely hot and muggy. Back at the lobby I met Miyoshi Genzan and helped him send some faxes to Japan. Afterwards I went up to Murai-san's room to greet him and his wife. Around 11:00 AM I made my way to the Silverstein Lounge where the registration was to take place, this was THE watering hole for shakuhachi people. I was met by Ronnie Seldin, the main organizer of the Festival and collected my name tag and festival shirt which was designed by his daughter. Yoshio Kurahashi was buzzing around helping and greeting everyone. Stepping into the open area of the lounge a sense of electric excitement pervaded the room as all the various vendors were setting up their booths and taking out all the beautiful flutes. It was a great joy to meet all the shakuhachi friends again: Monty Levenson and his wife Kayo and daughters Eda and Anna, John Neptune, Yamaguchi Shugetsu, John Singer, Murai Eigoro, Perry Yung.....Meeting new friends and old friends was such a wonderful feeling that I lost track of time. If it wasn't for Kakizakai sensei reminding me I had to play at 4:00 PM I probably would have missed it. So I rushed back to the dorm room, changed into my stage outfit then rushed to Kimmel Hall where the opening performance was being held. Being the the first to play, after Yokoyama sensei's video greeting, I was quite honored albeit very nervous. Furuya sensei cautioned me to slow down and catch my breath before I go on, or else my performance would suffer, which indeed it did. Waiting in the wings, listening to Yokoyama sensei behind the closed door, I calmed my mind and focused on playing well. After the last words of Yokoyama sensei, David Wheeler introduced me and I walked out on stage. I stood still for a moment letting the atmosphere soak through my ears and pores then played the piece, Yamagoe.

As I played, memories of the first International Shakuahchi Festival in 1994, in Bisei, Japan and second World Shakuahchi Festival in 1998 in Boulder, Colorado ran through my mind. In 1994 I was a fledgling shakuhachi player, and was ready to quit shakuhachi all together since I felt I was getting nowhere with it. Meeting Christopher Blasdel in Kyoto the year before (1993), he convinced me to come to the International Shakuhachi Festival in Bisei. Hearing all the wonderful players Yokoyama, Riley Lee, Iwamoto Yoshikazu, David Wheeler, Christopher Blasdel, Marco Lienhardt (who played Yamagoe), John Neptune, Aoki Reibo, Araki Kodo, Ronnie Seldin, Ralph Samuelson.....I was re-inspired to continue my shakuhachi studies! In 1998, although in the worst state of health I've ever been in, I drug my deteriorating body to Boulder, Colorado to experience the grand beauty of the World Shakuhachi Festival at the University of Colorado in Boulder, put on by Cory Sperry. All the greatest players were there again and more! The energy generated there was unlike any I've ever experienced. Hearing Yamagoe played again by Kakizakai Kaoru inspired me to return to Japan and deepen my shakuhachi studies with him and Yokoyama's school. I regret missing the Tokyo Shakuhachi Summit in 2000, but vowed to attend the next one in New York. I also was inspired by these root Festivals to organize the Vancouver Shakuhachi Festival in 2003 which did great things to spread shakuhachi in Canada and the westcoast. The next ones will be in 2005 and 2007.

Now, here I am playing at the New York Shakuhachi Festival. With my last muraiki, I listened to the sound fade away into nothing... Bow... Then leave the stage. I was happy to be first, as I could sit back and enjoy the rest of the performances which were wonderful.

Afterwards a group of us met again in Rm. # 803 for more beer and good company. Retiring to bed after a great shower I drifted off into sleep anxious for the morning to begin again.

Day 2

My roommate Rich Powers and I rose early the next mornning and started the day with 20 minutes of zazen then shakuhachi blowing. After a breakfast bagel and fruit I rushed to the Shakuhachi Lounge to meet more shakuhachi friends: Mitsuhashi Kifu, Tanifuji Wataru, Peter Hill, Duke Buphaibool, Peter Smith, Christopher Blasdel and Mika, Dan Ribble, Phil Gelb, Hideo Sekino, Tim Hoffman, David Sawyer, Yoko Hiraoka, Cory Sperry, Barry Weiss, Jim Schlefer, Brian Ritchie....

Assisting Kakizakai, Furuya, and Matama in their three consecutive workshops was wonderful. I always enjoy their high energy and interactive teaching style. They never fail to create a fine atmosphere for learning.

The last workshop of the day was one by Aoki Reibo, the current National Living Treasure of Japan representing the Kinko School of Shakuhachi. He basically lectured on the virtues of the piece "Koku", translated by his student, Elizabeth Reian Bennet. Just about everyone was there.

The Silverstein Lounge closed at 4:00 PM every night to let everyone focus on the evenings performance. But it would have been easy to stay there all night talking to friends amongst all the flutes.

That night was the shakuhachi makers' panel discussion which was fascinating to say the least. However, I had to leave early to prepare for an open stage performance with Furuya and Peter Hill, and my lecture the next day. I came back a little late for the evening performance and witnessed Tim Hoffman play a scorching duet with a tabla player while injured. Ouch! Again it was an inspiration to see all the great players. But it was so long that they had to stop the show before everyone could play. The one's that didn't play were added to next days' concert.

I returned to the dorm that evening to practice. Suddenly I hear a knock at the door. I open the door and it was David Sawyer.

"Hi David!" I beamed.

"Is that you playing shakuahchi?" David asks with a stony look.

"Yes, I'm practicing," I answered with a smile.

"It's 1:00 AM. Could you please stop? Yoko and I are beat," replies David.

"Sorrrrry! I guess I lost track of time. I didn't know it was so late!"

It very well could have been another player because I fell asleep to the strains of several shakuhachi singing through the building. I suddenly got a flashback to 1994 in Bisei when Iwamoto Yoshikazu encouraged everyone to keep your neighbors up all night practicing shakuhachi!

Day 3

After our morning zazen and RO buki I picked up fruit for breakfast and took a relaxing stroll to room 714 where Sakai Shodo would be giving a lesson on the playing of the modern honkyoku, Chikurai Gosho. This is an awesome piece. I enjoyed the animated and enthusiastic style of Sakai Shodo's teaching as well as his brilliant playing. Next lecture in the same room was Dozan Fujiwara's talk on body awareness in shakuhachi playing which was very helpful. I had to exit early but Bill Fletcher told me that I just missed a beautiful performance of Dozan's piece, "Air". I had to prepare for my own lecture at 1:15 PM which I was giving with the wonderful jinashi player, Kikutsubo Day. It went better than I anticipated, being sandwiched between the great player, Mitsuhashi Kifu and Indian-shakuhachi maestro, Tim Hoffman. Immediately after my lecture I had to rush downstairs to play on the open stage with Teruo Furuya and Peter Hill. We played "Dai Yon Fudo" by Kineya Seiho. That was my last duty for the Festival. The rest of the Festival was enjoyment of listening to and meeting the beautiful shakuhachi players.

The ladies' shakuhachi panel and masters' concert was no less than awe-inspiring. As was expressed by some of the audience members, I too felt it was kind of absurd to especially discriminate the women from the men, as music is all One. Listening to each player with my eyes closed, there was no way to tell weather it was a woman or a man. Everyone agreed that this was a one-time only experience. But I think it was important to acknowledge the wonderful work that these exceptional people were doing for shakuhachi.

Back in room #803 for more beer....and an extra bottle of whiskey and vodka, courtesy of Kato-san!

Day 4

Shamata/anapana---RO buki/San-an/Neri Saji----breakfast. The first workshop of the morning I attended was perhaps my favorite lecture of the whole Festival-- a powerful, moving, and tender talk by shakuhachi master, Junsuke Kawase about his life as a shakuhachi player and his spiritual realizations gained from honkyoku and devotion to a life as a shakuhachi player. Christopher Blasdel translated first while David Wheeler (student of Kawase) went to get photo copies. David took over translation when he got back. Kawase spoke about his survival from a heart-attack and coronary bypass and experience with the Chinese art of breathing-Qi Gong (Ki Ko in Japanese) and the beauty of degeneration and attrition; the ultimate shakuhachi sound expressed as the wind blowing across a torn shoji (Japanese paper door) screen. We went through a cursory run through of Hi Fu Mi Hachigaeshi as well. His talk was especially poignant since this was Kawase's first time outside of Japan, having missed the Boulder Festival due to health problems. He really gave everyone more energy to play shakuhachi from the heart and soul, which I am totally grateful for.

The next lecture I attended was "Shakuhachi and Other Asian Religious Music" by Karl Signell, Ralph Samuelson, Tom Hare, and Jorge Alfano. Having been a religious studies major, topics on spirituality still fascinate me. Unfortunately I missed the bulk of this lecture having been caught by the shakuhachi people in Shakuhachi Lounge. I had to pull myself away from the flutes to catch the last part of the lecture. Jorge Alfano described his experience of being initiated into a secret sect of Peruvian flute players who kept the ancient (pre-European) music alive. I missed Carl Signell's descrption of the similarities between the middle eastern ney flute and shakuhachi; and Tom Hare's talk about shakuhachi as seen through Noh plays.

After lunch I attended the lecture on The Spirituality of the Shakuhachi, by Robert Jonas of the Empty Bell Centre. It was quite beautiful to hear how Robert was connecting Christianty with Buddhist and Shakuhachi spirituality. I left with an open mind and a contemplative mood.

I stayed in Silverstein Lounge till after it closed taking in the last gulps from the Shakuhachi Watering Hole; connecting with the shakuhachi makers, Yamaguchi Shugetsu and Masami Kurita more substantially.

The final concert in Skirball Center was a perfect end to the Festival. Modern performances then topped off by the best of shakuhachi: honkyoku. Riley Lee who couldn't make it due to other performance commitments sent a message which was read at the end announcing the next World Shakuhachi Festival to be held in Sydney Australia in 2008.

After the show the scene outside of the theater was beautiful to see how the love of shakuhachi and the Festival connected all the people closer together. It was indeed a "Bamboostock", as one performer put it.

Our last night was spent this time in room #1401. The party started with a few people and expanded to about 20. The party went on till about 3 AM. I left early since I had to leave back to British Columbia early the next morning.

Epilogue:

The shakuhachi festivals which have grown from Katsuya Yokoyama's first International Shakuhachi Festival in Bisei, have become like pillars of light and strength for shakuhachi in the world. It reflects the importance of this simple and profound bamboo flute in the lives of people throughout the world. As shakuhachi players and enthusiasts let's do our best to imagine shakuhachi as the great instrument of peace and love that it is. Let's learn about the infinite beauty and profundity that it holds and keep the traditions alive while expanding it's dimensions.

I look forward to seeing you all in Sydney in 2008!