RE: [Shaku] Do Westerners Have a Shakuhachi Accent?

From: Duke B (icarus927@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Jun 29 2004 - 18:14:43 PDT


Different recordings do represent different phases in the evolution of=20
someone's playing - perhaps pieces should be compared with this in mind=20
rather than the original culture of the player (perhaps this condition ca=
n=20
be seen as dynamic rather than static as well).

As someone who learned a tonal language first, then a non-tonal language=20
second, I can say this exposure has benefited me in learning other langua=
ges=20
(one's ear is accustomed to listening to a wider range of sounds). I've a=
lso=20
heard english speakers learn tonal languages with impeccable pronounciati=
on.=20
I think that this would rule out any general inability to absorb a "forei=
gn"=20
cultural sensitivity (which I believe allows one to express that culture'=
s=20
"sound").

I'm guessing it's possible that the western players you've heard may not=20
have absorbed this cultural aspect (for minyo pieces - as if we're talkin=
g=20
honkyoku - then they would be expressing their own music). It's also=20
possible that the player has yet to reach a certain maturity in their=20
playing (one would have to compare a japanese & western player of the sam=
e=20
skill).

Of course, there's the home turf advantage - one knows how a certain piec=
e=20
is supposed to sound.
I recently heard an extremely accomplished japanese player do a rendition=
 of=20
Amazing Grace. It was a beautiful rendition, but I felt that it did lack=20
that soulful quality that certain American vocalist can infused it with. =
The=20
technical playing of the piece was undeniably good. But I would argue tha=
t=20
this player has not absorbed the American culture and sentiments to exres=
s=20
it in the piece (which is fine - as I see it as his version of it).

To be sure that you're not placing any bias (from the knowledge of the=20
player) on the piece, perhaps you can purchase several new CDs of players=
=20
with comarable skills and have a friend do a blind-folded test. It would =
be=20
interesting to see wheter you can guess a player's cultural origin by jus=
t=20
hearing a piece you've never heard before. Again, I think that this is on=
ly=20
relevant for certain music - like Minyo/folk pieces.

Cheers,

Duke.

>From: "Brian Miller" <ramasita@peoplepc.com>
>Reply-To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
>To: <Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu>
>Subject: [Shaku] Do Westerners Have a Shakuhachi Accent?
>Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 19:00:35 -0400
>
>When I listen to shak recordings made by various performers, it seems th=
at
>the Japanese players sounds more traditionally Japanese than Western
>performers. Even those Westerners who have studied in Japan with Japanes=
e
>teachers seem to speak a subtle, but different sound language. Is this=
 my
>imagination, or does it simply demonstrate my lack of sensitivity? I kn=
ow
>that unless learned at a very young age, most second language speakers h=
ave
>an accent - no matter how long they have been speaking their second
>language. If I recall correctly, this has to do, in part, because the
>speaking organs (mouth, throat, muscles, ligiments, etc.) are shaped by =
the
>unique pronounciations of a particular language. By the age of 6 or 7=20
>these
>organs are already pretty much molded. Could it be that the Japanese
>language translates in an indirect way into the sounds blown with the
>shakuhachi via the physical characterists of the native speaker?
>
>Am I way off based, or have other's speculates similarly?
>
>Cheers,
> Brian
>
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