And here I go...again with the 尺八.

                                                           尺八      So...here I go again. Sounds like a Whitesnake song title from the 80's (which it really is). Another change in direction for my soul,heart and mind. At the beginning of the year I told myself I would study Welsh and stick to running as my primary passions.
Then, after eight months of Welsh, I came to the conclusion that it just was not sinking in, not getting past the permafrost that is the brain of James Donald Ross. As mentioned in a previous post, languages don't tend to linger long in my mind as much as they once did. So, I had a choice: go back to German, the language I did and do well with, or waste time on Welsh when it is never penetrating.
German it was!! Yet, I didn't get too far with it before I was bitten...AGAIN! But, this time by something I really LOVE and enjoy doing...anytime of the day or night. Alone or with others.

Yep. The shakuhachi was calling me back...in a BIG way. My teacher, Larry Tyrrell, posted information for the Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri, a one day class/cultural event that is in it's second year. I missed last year due to finances and scheduling issues. But not this time!! This totally inspired me to start up again with my beloved and most favourite instrument of all time. Sure, I had been playing the shakuhachi since 2010, but not very well. I really enjoy what I'm able to accomplish on it though and it is very, pardon the pun, instrumental in my meditation and personal/private alone time. I have never NOT played my flutes but admittedly have taken long stretches in between more serious study, the last being in 2013 for a few months. Well, I have a renewed fervor in getting back to where I was in playing and moving on from the few songs I can play. Time and finances won't permit further study privately right now.

Therefore, I shall attend this delightful event and soak in as much as possible. Music IS my soul.
The shakuhachi calls to me more than other instrument ever has. Since hearing it for the first time I have been enamored, spellbound and enraptured by it's sound, it's voice and the way it makes me feel.Only the native American flutes have ever had a similar voice. But none of them were meditative to me. This simple piece of vegetation from the ground has an incredibly rich history that has played a distinct role in shaping the music of China, Korea and especially, Japan. So, there it is.

  I shall give the shakuhachi more time now and spend an hour a day on practice, if I can. One never knows how life will change and transform the heart and soul. but this instrument has been a big part of me for years now and it's time I get cracking on more in depth study. THIS is where I actually might shine and can perhaps become good at something that is not a common "hobby" or an instrument that everyone and their brother plays. Like the first line of the blog said...here I go again.

 If you are interested in attending the Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri, here is the information:

Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri 2014
October 25, 2014 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Japanese Community and Cultural Center of Washington
1414 S Weller St, Seattle, WA

shakuhachi@moonbridge.com
This year the Pacific Northwest shakuhachi community welcomes back Kaoru Kakizakai for the second annual Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri. This one-day event celebrates the music and cultural heritage of the Japanese bamboo flute. We're pleased and honored to add New York-based Ralph Samuelson to our roster for this year's event.
We'll have workshops, a flute fair, a CD table, bento lunch, a student recital and a 4:00 feature concert with Kaoru Kakizakai, Ralph Samuelson and Larry Tyrrell.
Filmmaker André Mascarenhas will be there to document the event so we'll have a DVD available at a future date.
We request advance registration for all-day participants. Please register by emailing shakuhachi@moonbridge.com. Both the recital and the concert are open to the public. A $10 donation is requested for the feature concert. Looking forward to seeing you there!