Age and Shakuhachi

From: Gerard Yun (Yun@suu.edu)
Date: Sun Nov 04 2001 - 16:11:11 PST


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On Sat, 03 Nov 2001 07:30:01 +0000 "Stav Tapuch" wrote:
=20
> I am a 38 year old who would like to study the Shakuhachi.
>=20
> Is this a realistic idea for someone my age or do you need to=20
start
> studying=20
> this instrument at a very young age to achieve any level of
> competence? My=20
> hope is not to be a master musician - but to play well enough=20
to
> entertain=20
> family, friends and, of course, myself.
>=20
> Are there musicians on this list who found the shakuhachi in=20
mid-life and=20
> who accomplished a degree of competence? How long did it=20
take you? How=20
> many years of study does it realisticly take to play solo=20
honkoyoko (sp?)=20
> music well enough to be pleasing to the ears?
>=20
>=20
>=20
++++++++++++++++++
=20
Hi!
=20
Anything is possible. What I have found is that all my training in other =
instruments, conducting, teaching, EVERYTHING has gone into the shakuhachi.=
  I recall a lesson with Yoshio Kurahashi where I couldn't make a sound to =
save my life. After a couple of frustrating minutes I finally said, "I'm =
sorry, I can't seem to make a sound!" He looked up and said, "Don't worry =
the sound will come, just play." As a professional musician it never =
occured to me that one could be playing without sound. In fact, the =
shakuhachi and now that I think of it, music itself deals with much more =
than sound.
=20
So yes, you'll get better and the sound will be pleasing, but you don't =
necessarily have to have that as a goal. Just play and the instrument and =
your teacher will lead you perhaps in directions you had never considered.
=20
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
=20
Gerard Yun
=20
Dr. Gerard Yun,
Professor of Music, Southern Utah University
Music Director/Conductor, Orchestra of Southern Utah
=20
Southern Utah University Music Department
Cedar City, UT 84720
Office Phone: 435-586-7893
Home Phone: 435-865-1664
Email: yun@suu.edu

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<DIV><FONT size=3D1>On Sat, 03 Nov 2001 07:30:01 +0000 "Stav Tapuch"=20
wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>&gt; I am a 38 year old who would like to study the=20
Shakuhachi.<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; Is this a realistic idea for someone my age =
or do=20
you need to <BR>start<BR>&gt; studying <BR>&gt; this instrument at a very =
young=20
age to achieve any level of<BR>&gt; competence?&nbsp; My <BR>&gt; hope is =
not to=20
be a master musician - but to play well enough <BR>to<BR>&gt; entertain =
<BR>&gt;=20
family, friends and, of course, myself.<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; Are there =
musicians on=20
this list who found the shakuhachi in <BR>mid-life and <BR>&gt; who =
accomplished=20
a degree of competence?&nbsp; How long did it <BR>take you?&nbsp; How =
<BR>&gt;=20
many years of study does it realisticly take to play solo <BR>honkoyoko =
(sp?)=20
<BR>&gt; music well enough to be pleasing to the ears?<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; =
<BR>&gt;=20
<BR>++++++++++++++++++</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>Hi!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>Anything is possible.&nbsp; What I have found is that =
all my=20
training in other instruments, conducting, teaching, EVERYTHING has gone =
into=20
the shakuhachi.&nbsp; I recall a lesson with Yoshio Kurahashi where I =
couldn't=20
make a sound to save my life.&nbsp; After a couple of frustrating minutes =
I=20
finally said, "I'm sorry, I can't seem to make a sound!"&nbsp; He looked =
up and=20
said, "Don't worry the sound will come, just play."&nbsp; As a professional=
=20
musician it never occured to me that one could be playing without =
sound.&nbsp;=20
In fact, the shakuhachi and now that I think of it, music itself deals =
with much=20
more than sound.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>So yes, you'll get better and the sound will be =
pleasing, but=20
you don't necessarily have to have that as a goal.&nbsp; Just play and =
the=20
instrument and your teacher will lead you perhaps in directions you had =
never=20
considered.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>Good luck and let us know how it goes!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>Gerard Yun</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>Dr. Gerard Yun,<BR>Professor of Music, Southern =
Utah=20
University<BR>Music Director/Conductor, Orchestra of Southern Utah</FONT></=
DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1>Southern Utah University Music Department<BR>Cedar =
City, UT=20
84720<BR>Office Phone:&nbsp; 435-586-7893<BR>Home Phone:&nbsp;=20
435-865-1664<BR>Email:&nbsp; <A=20
href=3D"mailto:yun@suu.edu">yun@suu.edu</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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