A complete turn of events.

I'm an easily distracted and yet motivated student. While I don't get bored very quickly with projects or hobbies, I DO tend to devour everything I can that comes my way, doing so with full immersion.
This is now the case in my journey. A few weeks ago I was determined to return to the practice and play of my shakuhachi flute and to hopefully continue learning. While that desire is still present in my mind and heart, a new and yet not so new attraction from many years ago.

The Great Highland Bagpipe is one..

   And the others include the Irish/Scottish Tin whistle flute...

There are many instruments used in Celtic music but these are the ones that attract me to my heritage.
Through four years of high school in Spokane,Washington (Shadle Park high) I listened to and devoured the music of the bagpipes and drums. They did put me in touch with my own Scottish and Welsh/English roots. but I was never serious about learning any more about them nor of playing them. I simply enjoyed listening.  Until now.

A daunting idea for sure but one that I'm willing to give a try. The bagpipe is a serious instrument and one that requires a teacher eventually and is a lot harder than it looks. To prepare myself and decide if I do want to travel this path, I purchased a practice chanter. This delight gives one the sounds , minus the drones that is, of the bagpipes but as a single flute style instrument on it's own. In fact, by itself it is fun to play and worthy of consideration even without the bag and drones of the full instrument.
I opted for the standard chanter from McCallum pipes. That is the middle chanter shown here.

At a mere $55 it is nothing compared to a full bagpipe set of $1500+. I now have the necessary tools for playing this splendid instrument. As time goes on and I learn, I hope to gain momentum and learn the Scottish and Irish music of my ancestors.

An even less expensive yet charming and fun instrument is the Whistle or flute. Some call them Irish tin or penny flutes but they are just as fun with Scottish, English or American tunes from the last 300 years. And at $15 a flute, they don't break the bank. For how well these can be played, go listen to the pros such as Paddy Moloney of the Chieftans, or James Galway and Sean Ryan. Incredible music making! This promises to be fun indeed!!!

       So that is where things stand for now. Who knows where this will lead or what it will encompass.
My hopes are that it will help me better understand Celtic music and the way my forebears had a good time with the popular tunes of their day. My great-great-grandmother lived just outside of Glasgow and I hope these are the tunes she listened to then!!  Off to practice!!!!

New directions in music???

The shakuhachi was originally used for playing Buddhist pieces and for meditation by priests and monks. Over the years many old and revered pieces have been passed down with new ones appearing now and then by major players on the music scene. Since the 1960's though,only a few performers and composers have been willing to experiment with this most delightful of instruments, most notably Takemitsu, Brian Ritchie and a few others who crossed into jazz and world music.

     My own teacher, Larry Tyrrell, also recorded some Celtic pieces on his flutes, making me squeal with pleasure as I love this type of music! My ancestral roots come from the British Isles , notably Scotland, Wales and England proper. The shakuhachi could work wonders with the music of my ancestors homes!!! Give this CD a listen if you can and try out the shakuhachi for European music!

The Alder Bough by Larry Tyrrell

So...after listening to and trying to learn Japanese shakuhachi music for quite awhile, I have decided to investigate whether I can play some Celtic tunes and perhaps some Scottish/Welsh flute music.
I know full well the scales and tones are slightly different and will have to adjust but what fun this might be! Hopefully soon enough I will know as now my research will take me to new places that the shakuhachi is not usually associated: European music. Could be even more interesting!!!!
Imagine this: a kilt wearing American of Scottish and Welsh heritage playing a shakuhachi on a downtown Portland street corner!!! It could happen!!!!!  Now off for some research!

Past and present changes.

As I sit here in my cold yet cozy apartment I reflect on the last two years and what has transpired.
So much has happened, almost all of it a positive change in life. The unfortunate result of discontinuing my shakuhachi lessons with Larry Tyrrell became apparent as my practicing lessened and I stopped the flutes altogether for a month or two. Eventually I picked them up again and resumed the joy of practice in the spring and summer of 2011.

                                 My studies of Buddhist philosophy as well as it's history in relation to the shakuhachi intensified as I learned more about how this delightful instrument played such a role in the music of Japan. These memorable days of study and playing also edged me closer to meditation and the life of mindfulness I try to cultivate today. All of these rich months provided me a solid foundation in which to be happy with the simple things of life and to move away from more materialistic and nonsensical ways of living. Money simply did not mean as much and my wife and I moved this direction. Our friends and family received more attention than the pursuit of a bank account and we worked a bit less and spent more time together. As 2012 moved closer we both talked about the people in our lives and how we enjoyed sharing our time and love with others.


                                   Then 2012 burst on the scene and life truly changed as we welcomed many new and talented people into our lives. A lot has been learned over the last year about friends and lovers and how they relate to our transitory lives on this planet. My continued work as a part time window washer ended in late summer and I decided to again pick up the shakuhachi after a 5 month hiatus over the spring and it's following warm months.Then I met someone in September that completely changed my world and how I now live. This delightful being has added a new phase and meaning to my life that flavours and excites the way I go about things as well as balances my existence. She has since become a partner in life alongside and together with my wonderful wife of nineteen years. The addition of my partner's daughter and this expansion of the family unit has given me new lease and balance in life. Every moment is precious,not to be wasted. Just be. Breathe. Enjoy.

The Enso, an expression of the moment.

It has helped me see things in a completely different light and encouraged me to seek meditative ways of calming and enjoying this life I have now even more than ever. No, not everyone will agree nor accept such relationships as "common" but then again I don't live my life according to their ideals and standards anyway.We are a diverse and intriguing cross section of mammals,humans beings are, and that separates us.

Never judge.

Only love.

What does not work for one works beautifully for others! Fortunately most of our family and friends do NOT judge and continue to be the bounty of this rich harvest of human interaction.

                                    So now, this 19th day of January brings me to a point where life has evolved into one of quieter contemplation and days filled with activities of joy. Sure,there are ups and downs to every life lived by humans. But how one lives them and fills them makes the difference. From this point forward I hope to attain enlightenment with my family at my side and to journey a road that brings peace and love to all. Now to go study some shakuhachi theory and practice a bit. Next post I hope to add some flute history to the blog.

                                    

                                   

Back to routine.

Getting back into a routine of practice and study can really take some time. It is not an overnight
change for me. Over the last four months many exciting things have happened in my life and time need to be scheduled now more than ever. Fitting practice in usually is not a problem for me as it only takes a 20-30 minute slot in a day and all is well and good.

                     The problem: I have too many hobbies and chores! So this has has to change in order for me to get back on a pace of learning. Starting today, I shall be practicing at either 4:30-5P or at 9:00PM. No if's,ands or buts. It simply needs to be done. As for the other important part of my schedule,my running,well it will fit in as the weather and time permits.It will ALWAYS be a part of my life and routine if I can help it.
                     
                         In the shakuhachi practice realm,we have a way of this called "Blowing Ro".
Simply put, it is just blowing the note Ro for long lengths of time, building up stamina and breath control in the lungs. This I have been doing the last few days and slowly but surely am getting back to better control. My sensei Larry always held firm to this and of maintaining firm breath control when practicing and playing.

                           As a side note,and one that will be brought up very often in this blog,my lifestyle of running plays a HUGE role in my shakuhachi practice/playing as well as in my "running meditation".
The two fit together like a snug glove. I listen to either music or books on mindfulness,compassion,Buddhist philosophy as well as theory and teaching books on the shakuhachi. Sure makes the miles go by quickly!!

                             As I head out the door to enjoy this Friday with Liberty and Ann, I reflect on the past week and the lessons learned in my life. I try to pick three each week..

     #1: Money is NOT everything and life is just as grand without it!!! As I have little, it it less bother.
     #2:Compassion is always a renewable resource that can be planted every moment possible.
     #3: Always LISTEN before I speak and digest/comprehend others words before my own.

To all my family and friends...have a truly delightful weekend!!!!

                        
 
                 

14 January, 2013.

For awhile now I've contemplated a new blog since the demise of the last,two years ago.
Sadly,I deleted that blog and now regret the decision to do so,wishing for the information and posts as well as comments to return. Alas,this is not possible. So...here I start a second journey down the shakuhachi path. This will include not only my beloved Japanese flute but that of the Native American flutes as well. In time. For now the focus is going to be on retracing my steps those first few months of 2011 and regaining my foothold on practice as well as knowledge.

Since then many things have happened in my own life that bear a strong stamp on my individuality.
Friends and lovers always come and go the old song says but my life right now is balanced with the love of my family and friends. With these delightful things in place,perhaps it is time to again take on the task of a blog. I cannot guarantee daily nor even weekly additions to this blog. But...I shall try my best to keep up to date. And this time will NOT delete the blog as done before!

So there you have it. My firt post of the new blog. Next time I shall get you caught up on where I was before in the world of flute playing and current status as well as new developments in my life.

It is going to be an even better journey this time around!! I can feel the tingle of new beginnings!!