The Some Enchanted Believing piece we performed for the DanceNow! Festival was a smash. We closed the evening to a very enthusiastic audience. One of the producers for the FAB Festival saw it and booked us so we’re performing tomorrow Sept 26th outdoors at around 3pm on East 4th street, rain or shine. My performance art cohort Richard Ebihara and I took the opportunity to show a work-in-progress on the indoor stage. We are doing some puppetry and contemporary dance to a live musical mash-up of shakuhachi, White Wedding by Billy Idol and Turning Japanese by the Vapors. It stars Dora the Explorer as Cio Cio San. 2:30pm New York Theater Workshop. Sept 26th. See the schedule here: FAB Festival Homepage See you there!

It’s always a bit hectic around here with the kids. It was especially frenetic this week due to the running around for the extra rehearsals. But, I was able to get some shop work done.

This flute was purchased on eBay. It’s made by Shogetsu, a prolific maker from Kyoto. The owner got a great deal as it will be a fine playing Jinashi flute once the repairs are finished.  There was a recent thread on the Shakuhachi Forum about whether a good old Japanese flute can be found on eBay. This flute can be the ideal instrument for some, but not usable for others. This really depends upon one’s approach or purpose for playing the flute.  The owner purchased it because he was specifically interested in an authentic flute. In the shakuhachi developmental time line, Jinashi natural bore flutes came before the Modern fabricated bore Jiari instrument.

As requested, I’m using reclaimed Ivory for the new utaguchi inlay.

This one was for a teacher. Rattan inlays are always time consuming. Like surgery, you just can’t rush it.

This one was for a studetn.The utaguchi was chipped and needed to be replaced so it had to be removed. Also requires surgical skills.

A beautiful instrument that came to the US via Yoshinobu Taniguchi.

On the parent front: Jet started Kindergarten last week. Again, my partner and I are poised at the threshold of a new reality. Man time flies. Did I mention…my life rules!