Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hello everyone! こんにちは! Terve!

I've finally decided to break the silence, emerge from the shadows where I have been lurking for a way too long time and make my first post.

My name is Erkki and I've been playing shakuhachi for 2,5 years now. I picked it up while spending a year as an exchange student in Hokkaido University. Before that time I was only vaguely aware that such a beautiful sounding instrument existed. For a few years I had been planning on starting with the silver flute but I never got around doing that for various reasons. After few of my Finnish friends started playing koto I wondered if I could find a japanese instrument that would fit my interests better (having played bass and guitar for several years string instruments didnt really do it for me) and more importantly, could take back home with me a bit easier. 

So, a mutual friend introduced me to Sugawara Kuniyoshi from whom I purchased a Yuu and his practice book. The lessons I took from him before coming back to Finland got me started, covering basic sound production and techniques. After that it took me almost two years to have another proper lesson. I didn't stop playing but trying to figure out more advanced stuff by yourself, having no one around to give constructive critique on the sound and how you produce it or even anyone to talk about shakuhachi was somewhat taxing. I was sure that there must a  least a few other players around somewhere but didn't really have a way of contacting anyone. It seems that there was one very active finnish member on the forums at one point but unfortunately he didn't reply to my messages. Time went by. Luckily I kept my eyes open and saw a notice about a workshop to be held in Helsinki in June. I seized the moment and rather uncharacteristically joined the workshop without a second thought, which I consider to be one of the best things I've ever done. I met a wonderful group of Finnish shakuhachi players and Gunnar Jinmei Linder who introduced me to the fascinating world of honkyoku. After a few preparatory lessons on basic ornamental honkyoku techniques I was already blowing along to the not-too-beginner-friendly and heavy Kinko pieces like Yûgure no kyoku and Shika no tône. Nothing like a good challenge that really forces you to put everything you got into what you're doing : )

Recharged and full of motivation I started practicing more than I used to and with a sense of direction which I didn't really have before. I attended my second workshop couple of weeks ago with the same group. They said that my playing had improved a lot between the workshops which I was very happy to hear and proves that hard work does pay off : )  The yuu is still the only instrument I have and plays very nicely but I'm really looking forward to the day when I have enough money saved to buy a proper bamboo one. One good reason more to graduate and start working as soon as possible ^^

So that's my shakuhachi story so far. Hoping very sincerely to continue it as a part of this worldwide online community (...in a slightly more active manner...)

Yoroshiku.

- Erkki -