Hi Aiko - Thanks for posting again.
No matter what it is called, it sounds like a tradition which we would do well to adopt. Years ago, my first teacher, Kawase Junsuke, had the usual student recital for us with koto and shamisen, after which we all adjourned to his apartment for dinner and sake. It was a really pleasant experience - one I've treasured for many years.
A later teacher did nothing of the sort - no student recitals at all. When it came time for me to play in front of others, I was really unprepared and was quite nervous. The first two times I gutted it out and was only moderately uncomfortable. But the last time (at a state park near here), I invited my family and friends to hear me. I was so nervous that I could barely play - my arms were shaking uncontrollably. It was a humiliating experience. Perhaps if I had the benefit of more Fukizome, it would have helped!
- Brad Klafehn
Aiko Ichimura <aikop@erols.com> wrote:
> Hi all again,
I thank you all to send me many encouraging mails to keep posting my mails
to the Shakuhachi ML even if they are shaky.
It's rather impudent of me to take up on your encouragement but I dare to do
so .. please forgive my imperfect writing.
Today I wondered if there was such thing like "Fukizome" in the world of
Shakuhachi.
For example, we have "Ohikizome" for koto player. Ohikizome(Hikizome) is an
event or gathering or action to play koto first time in the New Year. If you
are a member of group or a students of a teacher, you would play with the
group or with your teacher customarily in the house of the teacher. You may
have noticed about us Japanese - we put high importance on the first time
for everything. New Year Day celebration is a good example of that. To begin
something with a right feeling or a good footing(?) is so important for us -
we get bent out of shape if things don't go well in the New Year
day(gantan). In Japan, the teachers are obliged to invite all students for
the first gethering and treat the students with New year dish called
Osechi-ryori and sake- but the students better play well in retrun to show
the progress made in the past year!
Since I do play koto, do caligraphy and tea ceremony, I have
"Ohikizome","Kakizome" and "Hatsugama" respectively in January. I have done
all of that already last month. May be because I do not have many Shakuhachi
player friends, I have not heard the term "Fukizome". But there must be
something like that in Japan since the Shakuhachi playing is a traditional
"hougaku" music genre. I am guessing the word "Fuki-zome" because I have
never heard "Shakuhachi wo hiku" but "Shakuhachi wo fuku" rather. Or there
might be something totally different word for that.
If you do have "Fukizome" custom in Japan, do you follow that custom here?
Not that I am advocating age-old Japanese custom, we have so many irrational
and idiosyncratic customs!
But I enjoyed our ohikizome, seeing friends and play pieces that celebrate
New Year or put us in the auspicious mode.
Wondering in DC,
Aiko
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