Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hi Josh and Perry,
I can't agree with you more on the importance of location.  I live on a mountainside just to the west of Kumamoto city by about 20 minutes.  I have all the things that you found Josh in your location outside of Nara, except that I'm closer to the city.  The mountain I live on is an extinct volcano with an evident caldera.  I live just below the lip of the caldera which obscures the view and sounds of the city below.  Aside from that, I have great madake all around the lower portion of the caldera that I harvest from every autumn and winter.  It feels like a very convenient refuge to me.

Josh wrote:

Hi Perry,
   I was wondering your thoughts on the move? For example, in the city you might get more walk in people or business, but the Park Avenue place might have given you a little more breathing room.   Sorry if this is a personal thing and you don't want to comment on it.

Hey Josh, I'm not afraid to say I really enjoyed my time in Northampton. I met Robert Jonas, a great player and genuine nice guy. Did a couple of shakuhachi lect/dems with two of the Five colleges. And, met a great musician, Tony Silva, who I'm recording a CD with right now (yes, in between packing!).  I did get some walk in traffic and started off a few serious students, but certainly not international traffic and activity that New York City offered. Or, the steady stream of local players whose company I enjoyed but I had to kick out just to get work done (you know who you are!). It's really sour grapes, we have a house here for the same amount of rent as our tiny NYC apartment, a house with a huge back yard with trees and a nest by my shop window. I jammed with the birds daily. I will certainly miss the ease of this life style.

I moved from Osaka city to the countryside in Nara, but still have a fairly decent commute (within 1 hour) to either Nara city or (30 min) to Osaka. For me this situation is ideal; mountains, clean air, quietness, but still the action and creative expression found in the city at arms reach.  What are other player's locations like? I believe that your environment affects both you and your playing/practicing. Happy blowing wherever you guys are.

The thing about New York is that it not only offered more to my parter and I as artists, but is more multicultural. It's important that my kids are exposed to other cultures daily. I used to do a lot more film recording when I was in NYC. That sort of dried up because I was out of the loop. It will be interesting to see if I can get my foot back in the door. I was also very active in live theatrical performances. There's no place like NYC for that. But art aside, in the end, it's very important that my kids are exposed to other cultures daily.

Tairaku wrote:

Yeah but Perry can walk around the block and buy taquitos from a trailer.

Exactly! I love the trailer (1.50 per soft shell taco), but I'll never forget the time we went to the Taqueria around the corner with Nyoraku. I miss authentic Mexican food!

OK, Art aside, kids aside, NYC has the best selection of food in the world- Chinatown, Little Italy, East 6th for Indian, 32nd for Korean BBQ, Lower East side for Dominican, Cuban Chinese, etc....and right around the corner from our apartment is the best Ethiopian food in town. I mean, the list goes on. Great accessible food is integral  to physical and mental well-being!

Cheers my friends! Perry