10/18, Update:

The Block Party was amazing.

My dear friend Anca shot this video with my two shakuhachi making apprentices. I made 6 flutes in two hours!

 

10/16:

Hi All, If you’re free on this beautiful day, come on down to East 4th St from 1-6pm to party with us! There will be an official naming of East 4th St. (between 2nd Ave and Bowery) as Ellen Stewart Way. I’ll be making shakuhachi and story telling for children of all ages between 2-4pm. There are other activities such as an arts and crafts table, hula dancing, Lei flower necklace making, mask masking and much more, including live performances by original La MaMa artists the Blue Man Group and others!

 

I owe much of my artist career to Ellen. I became part of her Great Jones Repertory Group around 1993 and never looked back.
Being a part of Great Jones allowed me to travel internationally, performing on the most amazing stages (and cliffs) in every corner of the world. In 1994 I was in Cairo Egypt and I had just started making shakuhachi because I heard the flute in another La Mama Production - Oedipus the King. Ellen said, let’s go the Grand Bazaar so we can find you some Egyptian Ney flutes. She said, “I know you like the shakuhachi, but you must also investigate what this culture has to offer in their flutes. After we purchased a handful of flutes, she said, “Let’s go ride a camel at the Great Pyramids.” Life was never boring around Ellen. In fact, it was quiet the opposite.

I also owe much of my shakuhachi playing and making practice to Ellen. She continued to encourage me to study shakuhachi at the highest level. When I got to Japan, she introduced me to a lot of wonderful artist. She said, tell them Mama sent you. In actuality, everywhere we went in the world, there were always La Mama “babies”. Whether it was in Italy, or China Italy, Ellen would say, Perry, this is your brother, Perry, this is your sister.”

It is because of Ellen that I have made myself accessible in teaching shakuhachi. Being a La MaMa artist is about community. We are all connected…somehow.

See you at the block party!
Namaste, Perry