Robert,
Thanks for your good thoughts.
In Japan, there are proportionally fewer male koto players than female.
This is not looked at even in the slightest way as a discriminatory
situation. Conversely, there are proportionally fewer female shakuhachi
players than male. I'm not sure that the numbers equal out in both camps,
but that wouldn't surprise me. I have met and played with some excellent
female shakuhachi players here (in fact one of my students is female and
Japanese.) They have never expressed the idea that 'their' lot was any
different than any other person learning the instrument (who would more
often than not be male). There are no intentions of gender restricting the
learning of any of the traditional instruments in Japan and in my
experience, there also isn't any observable discrimination toward
non-Japanese performers and teachers here either. I both teach and perform
here and find people either welcoming or curious. Experience and exposure
in traditional circles lend credence to ones situation within those circles.
I understand that Ronnie is going to make some of the events from the
festival available in a recorded format, the Female Shakuhachi Masters'
panel discussion being one of them. I am very much looking forward to hear
how these players speak of their experiences and to try to understand
whether there is anything different from a general, gender-specific point of
view about it.
Robert, my choice of the word apparatus was an attempt to point out the
physical exclusivity of the human body and the way that has moulded and
moved cultures, and in the same breathe to point out that feminine and
masculine aspects of the person from a psychological/spiritual point of
view, though very much influenced by the physical experience, are not
exclusive to the body they inhabit but available to any individuals
expression at any given time as a matter of intention. You may see it in a
different way, and I would love to hear about that from you.
One of the reasons for bringing the original topic up is my overwhelming
suspicion that these perceived feelings of inequality may be felt more
strongly in North America than in Japan. Again, learning the shakuhachi or
for that matter any of the traditional arts here in Japan comes with a great
deal of historic fortification, not to mention baggage which is passed on
from teacher to student. As I pointed out in my original letter, perhaps
the North American experience with shakuhachi learning lacks that aspect of
the learning process, except in the relatively few cases where
Japan-experienced teachers are available to pass on that realm of the total
traditional experience. I wonder about the possible divergent paths that
the shakuhachi is taking inside and out of Japan due to this discrepancy. I
might also like to add that different directions may be a good thing.
Undoubtedly, this festival and others like it, will only help to bring these
paths closer together and present the possibility for intermingling and
trade, but only if a larger contingent of Japanese players manage to be
present at international events and a larger contingent of non-Japanese
manage to be available and present at Japanese, domestic events. As it is
right now, I can say from personal experience, there are many players in my
local experience here in Kumamoto who have no awareness at all of the life
of the shakuhachi outside of Japan. Perhaps this is a situation that needs
to be addressed, though I honestly don't know how yet. I would welcome any
suggestions or ideas.
As for the results and effects of the festival in general on individuals and
its ability to create community, I know it very well. My experience in
Boulder was exactly that and I have no doubt that people walked away from
this festival with similar feelings. Overall, I agree that this festival is
a good thing and I hope to be able to participate in 2008 in Sydney.
again, Robert and Karl, thank you for your response.
jeff
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