Greetings All,
Well it seems that the World Shakuhachi Festival in New York city has come
and gone, no doubt dissipating like a slow running syrup in the minds and
hearts of those who participated either actively or passively. The festival,
organized by Ronnie Seldon ( much applause to you Ronnie for pulling off
what had to be an overwhelming job at times) featured what is now a well
known list of teachers and performers (less those who couldn't make it due
to health and/or monetary reasons) from around the world with a strong
representation from the U.S.A followed by Japan. According to participants
writing in mailing lists, satisfaction was found within the bounds of the
festival, though one comment written by a well spoken practitioner and
enthusiast from North America was interesting and perhaps should be taken
into account for future considerations. That was referring to the 'event'
dedicated to and featuring female shakuhachi players. The intention, no
doubt, in including this spectacle into the festival was to pay homage to
the growing group of female players largely in North America, and to
recognize them for their efforts( shouldn't all players of accomplishment as
well as learners be recognized for their good efforts regardless of
conditions of birth perceived as disadvantageous or not). My question is:
does gender restrict or impede musical expression in this medium or in any
way limit the channels of recognition that already exist, and if so, is that
specific to North American practice? History explains the reason why women
didn't traditionally and in large play the shakuhachi in Japan or for that
matter, didn't take part in the spiritual practices that were evident in its
origins. Was the concept of this event an attempt to rectify this situation
or to distance modern players from the roots of the practice that seem to be
politically incorrect? It seems to me that by creating an event, and I think
the word spectacle is better here, to display, portray and expose players
simply because they were born with biologically feminine apparatus, fails in
paying homage to those players for their musicianship and accomplishment,
but rather, sets them up in public view and says through what would seem a
biologically male perspective, 'Wow! And they can play too!'. The fact that
no women have spoken out on the obvious exclusionary aspect of this event is
curious.
Devoid of the cultural traditions that exist with the shakuhachi in Japan,
does the inclusion of this event set precedence for future displays that
satisfy the North American appetite for political spectacle? Are we doomed
to be witness to 'Gay Shakuhachi Master's panel discussions', or ' The Music
of Vietnam War Veteran Shakuhachi Master's' or perhaps 'A Special Concert of
Shakuhachi Players Shunned by Popular Internet Mailing Lists.'
With the apparent ongoing ness of the World Shakuhachi Festival, I would
hope that organizers consider how the events included not only move the art
ahead but add to a greater accessibility of existent knowledge and
instructional techniques. If there are feminine or masculine aesthetics that
can and should be expressed through the instrument, then they will be
expressed by all with sufficient artistry , insight and desire to do so and
not be restricted by ones consequence of birth.
Though I was unable to participate in this festival, I felt compelled to put
my thoughts about this out and welcome discussion or comments from any.
All the best,
Jeff Cairns
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Feb 23 2005 - 15:42:33 PST