Chikusing Model Shakuhachi Commission
I’m soooo exited about this Chikusing commission. I’ve had a streak of luck lately where the flutes are almost making themselves. More often than not, when making Jinashi style flutes, a lot of time is spent adjusting the bore for optimal playability while retaining an organic feel in respect to balance, response and tuning. A few flutes recently exhibited perfect aspect ratios and seemingly made themselves. This 2.7 was commissioned by a student of Micheal Gould. He wanted the best Choukan bass shakuhachi I could make in the Jinashi style, which is my Chikusing Model. So I asked Kinya if he could spare a 2.7 piece of bamboo. He sent me two pieces a 2.7 and 3.0. Both were harvested by Kinya around 2000 near Osaka.
More Custom Shakuhachi Work
These natural shakuhachi came in from one of Atsuya Okuda’s student. They were made in Japan and one was made by Okuda himself. I was asked to refine them. It’s always an honor to be able to examine and work on a flute made by a master.
Custom Commission Shakuhachi Flutes
Lots of catching up in the shop this week after Love Cripple closed. It was a great run. Short but sweet. An audience member approached me after one of the shows and said that she was catapulted to Japan the second she heard the sound of my flute. The strange thing was that she said she had never heard of the shakuhachi or been to Japan. Never under estimate the subliminal power of Hollywood or television commercial. A while back, I heard the sound of the shakuhachi in an NFL commercial. An intense blowing technique called Komi Buki or Muraiki was used several times to underscore the players tackling one another. It didn’t remind me of Japan, but it worked musically.
Back to the shop. These two pieces of bamboo were found in a thrift shop in Maryland. They were sent them to me to see if they would make good shakuhachi.
Shaved Root Shakhachi
Now that the performances and Jury duty are over, I can get back to the shop. This interesting repair came in a couple of weeks ago. Someone has customized this old Kinko flute by building up the back chin rest. The present owner needed it brought back down to it’s original angle.
It was also a bit heavy for him so he requested the root be shaved in the style of the old Komuso or Edo period flutes.
Lunch Break Shakuhachi
Life in NYC is never boring. It’s very much like a great Honkyoku - quite and subdued on the surface, but bursting at the seams internally.
I just went from a few intense weeks of creating and performing theater to sitting in a jury waiting room for selection. The first group was selected but the remaining good citizens were sent to lunch.
On my break I played a PVC shakuhachi.
Review of Love Cripple
The four theater interns from Korea were a bit shy earlier this week, but last night they approached me wanting to try their hands at the shakuhachi.
Update:
The first critical review of Love Cripple from nytheater.com:
Martin Denton, May 27, 2010
Great Jones Variations is a 75-minute program of original short theatre works of various types that together comprise a thrillingly appropriate homage to Ellen Stewart, the remarkable woman who founded La MaMa E.T.C. and co-founded the Great Jones Repertory Company (with Elizabeth Swados and Andrei Serban). In these five pieces, artists of every stripe who consider themselves “MaMa’s babies” give back in the way they and she understand best, by creating adventurous new works that defy categorization but all speak resoundingly from the heart.
“Love Cripple…filled with startling images, perhaps none so thrilling as Yung’s creation of a musical instrument right before our eyes.”
Read the entire review here: http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=grea10326
Action Shakuhachi
What a crazy week I’m having! It feels just like this Jackson Pollack painting we saw last weekend at the Met. Sasa said,” Daddy, I can do that”. I said. “Great, and please keep this kind of spontaneity and freedom in your life!”. It’s always hectic here in the workshop, but this week on top of the repairs, commission work, shipping and lessons, I also took a Sankyoku workshop lead by Ralph Samuelson with the fabulous Yoko Hiraoka on koto and shamisen. What an amazing elucidating experience! (More in this later). On top of all this, I’m also opening a show at La Mama E.T.C. Please come if you are in NYC.
Some interesting validation and discoveries this week in the repairs department.
Love Cripple - Shakuhachi Performance Art
GREAT JONES VARIATIONS
The Ellen Stewart Theatre
Hi All, I’m directing and performing in a dynamic new Shakuhachi Performance Art work, Love Cripple. The piece uses voice, movement and PVC shakuhachi making to explore the notion of desire.
May 27-30
Thursday - Saturday at 7:30pm & Sunday at 2:30pm
Tickets $20
purchase tickets online -http://www.lamama.org”> http://www.lamama.org
Or, Box Office
74A East 4th Street, between 2nd Avenue & The Bowery
(212) 475-7710
Business Hours: Monday - Sunday Noon - 5:00pm
Five original pieces inspired by Ellen Stewart’s
work with the Great Jones Repertory Company
Tower of Babel Directed by George Drance, An Appointment in Time Directed by Ozzie Rodriguez, Narcissus Directed by Elizabeth Swados The House of Atreus: 2:00 AM Directed by Zishan Ugurl, Love Cripple Directed by Perry Yung
It’s a sunny, beautiful 80 degrees today.