Happy new year all! 2010 was such a great year for the Yung Flutes and I owe it all to you, my dear friends.  Newcomers came from all over with all sorts of question and repairs. Many were text book repairs such as cracks and missing utaguchi inlays but some were quite unique and I learned greatly from them (a deep bow of gratitude to my friends for sharing).  And, although I wasn’t producing many new instruments outside of my commissions, I was quite busy in my growth and education on this life long journey with the shakuhachi.

With some major restorations completed, I was able to get some of my bamboo stock out from storage to start on some new commissions.

A 1.8, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.8 are in here somewhere

On the other side of life, the kids are growing fast. Jet just started Kindergarten and Sasa is now in 2nd grade. They, along with my partner, are my daily inspiration.  The natural beginner’s mind the children possess teaches me much about shakuhachi making. Their free-spirited, “anything can happen” energy is something I hope to capture in a flute, even if it’s just a drop. My style of parenting allows the kids take risks as they will learn more about life from their own mistakes. My job is to carefully guide them and allow for their innate qualities to blossom, not rule with an iron fist which may extinguish the spirit. The kids tell me what they need more than I tell them what they need. I’ve learn to put this into practice during the crafting of a shakuhachi. By listening to the bamboo for guidance on how it wants to be crafted, the bamboo will be much happier. And so will the player (and perhaps her partner, their neighbors…and the world).

We were lucky to have gotten out of town just before the blizzard hit. It wasn’t so pretty in New York City, but outside at my in-laws it was Winter Wonderland.

Here’s Jet nailing me with a snow ball.

No one told Sasa that Snow Angels were done face up.

With palms joined, let’s wish together for world peace,
Namaste, Perry