Hi Everybody,
I just returned from an annual teaching week in Mexico, and was astonished
at the thread of 80+ messages on the Shakuhachi News List. Wow!!
While I have no intention of responding to the list, I wanted to just send
out this personal thank-you to you people who either personally defended me
so well, and/or just showed a lot of wisdom (especially Riley and Bruce in
this case).
So for the few of you , to put things in perspective- for your eyes only
(which I realize is not necessary, but here goes anyway!):
1-Jason Castner is a VERY young 21 (?) 22 (?) man who is a little "slow"
mentally. I think if you re-read some of his emails with this in mind , it
will make a bit more sense. He certainly has faults, nonetheless, but
maliciousness really isn't one of them (This fellow JOHN BAKER, on the other
hand , truly does seem malicious). He finally showed up for his only lesson
with me in Rochester after scheduling for 6 months and never coming. He
brought another young friend with him and I taught them both for 1/2 price.
I also waved the required "odd month" fee for a cassette lesson, thus making
it a 1/4 price lesson for each of them. We scheduled another lesson 2 months
later and he never showed without contacting me to cancel. He also has never
contacted me since in any way, although I have contacted him via email to
see if he was OK.
2-He never asked to volunteer/work for any Camps or any Festivals in
exchange for lessons.
3- Only the top 3 players (although the offer was also extended to YAMAMOTO
HOZAN, but he withdrew from the Festival because of conflicting
commitments), received ANY sort of free Tickets (of the staff of 65!), and
these were DELUXE ECONOMY - really Business Class. No one received first
Class Tickets. And at that we were able to get the Tickets at 1/2 price
because we extended a sponsorship- blurb to: ANA/Star Alliance (All Nippon
Airways) !
It is true that we probably paid all of the Performers at least what other
Festivals have offered (particularly the Japanese), but most came at a loss
(certainly the Australians did not come out in the Black)! And as you all
know, we came in down $20,000-. But it was so wonderful that I would do it
again (even knowing the result) in a Heartbeat!
4-I could go on, but you all did so magnificently -so why bother!
Thank you all again,
Ronnie
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