Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Just passing along my "review" of the weekend workshop...

The workshop was outdoors, both days.  Long days.  Natural setting, nestled away in the rainforests of the Canadian Pacific coast.  Mostly overcast, comfortable, some heavy rain (we all stayed dry and it wasn't cold), and we ended on a warm, sunny note.  Aching muscles.  5:30am and 7:30pm, two-hour zazen sessions at the temple for those who partook in the mind-emptying and post-meditation flute playing.  (Except Saturday night when everyone skipped the cushion out for more sanding and filing!  Sorry, Master Henry!)

Yamaguchi Sensei was extremely generous with sharing tips, flute-making philosophy, and lots of hands-on help for everyone.  He has very strong ideas about what makes a good flute and didn't hold back in sharing opinions.  His intuition for solving flute problems, tuning, creating tone color, balancing, etc. is amazing.  We had several people to translate (thanks again, Koji!) and I think we all learned a -lot- and came away with flutes that we'll treasure.  I hope he enjoyed himself, too!

Of course, Yamaguchi also brought a large collection of his own flutes that left our eyes wide and jaws on the floor.  He insisted we try them all and it was like feeding frenzy of flute noodling.  Most of those flutes were for those with a "professional budget" and he suggested we should all use those flutes as references... but that we should make our own even -better-.  What a joker! 

Al and Sandra worked their asses off with labor and hospitality and I'm sure everyone felt at home.  The food knocked everyone's socks off, but we probably ate it too fast to enjoy it properly!  We had people from Vancouver, Seattle, Victoria, Edmonton, Illinois, and New York.  Then it was all over and most had to rush for ferries, sailboats, and airplanes home.  I made new friends, lasting memories, and I hope to see you all again!

Here's the whole group. 


For those who attended, if you want a better file to make a print, download this.

-Darren.

Hello Forum,

Thanks Darren for the great review and for being a part of the workshop!

I did a brief write up of the 2007 hocchiku making workshop (which includes the delicious menu!) here:

http://www.bamboo-in.com/about-us/hocchikumaking3.htm

Here is the photo album of the photos I took:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shakuhachi … 413242217/

Geni, the shaku-staff that I am holding in the photo is pitched in "C".


Very best,

Alcvin
www.bamboo-in.com/about-us/ramos.htm
www.myspace.com/alcvintakegawaramos
www.myspace.com/shindake

Hi Prem.

Yamaguchi Shugetsu does not oil his bores.  He didn't say if oil would do any other harm or good, but he specifically said oil would offer no protection against cracking if that's what's on your mind.  You just have to look at his flutes to see that raw and urushi lacquer are his two preferences for jinashi bores.

Ed and others suggested a while back that oiling is basically something you do if you like the look of it and if it makes -you- feel better to do it once in a while.

I used tung oil in the bore of one wide bore jinashi a while back.  After that experience, I don't have strong feelings one way or another about it.  It definitely hardened and smoothed the bore and improved its breath condensation resistance.  Did it change the flute's character?  Sure, I think mayyyybe, but that could be the placebo effect.

-Darren.