>This is probably more than most people ever wanted to
>know but .... I think there may be a decline of
>interest in studying the shakuhachi via the
>traditional licensing route in particular among the
>young, but something of an increase in interest in the
>shakuhachi among younger people here in Japan over the
>last few years. Now more people take lessons at
>university or at a music school.
Actually for me personally this is very intresting - not too much
infomration at all. Thanks!
And in respond to Bill's comment - which was basically that most Japanese
shakuhachi players either simply do not have the time, resources or even see
the value in venturing out of Japan shakuhachi-wise: Yes, I think you are
right - it is not that they are insular- it just doesn't serve any clear
purpose in their lives to venture out of Japan culturally. I mean, if you
love broadway musicals, and you live in New York, there is no reason really
to travel to Alaska to check out their song & theater district.
But I will build on this point a little further: Japan has been amazingly
efficient at exporting certain aspects of its culture. I think in large
parts of Manhattan sushi is now as easy to find as pizza. (I didn't say it
was as cheap, just as easy to find.) It is surprising how educated a lot of
people here are about Japanese Manga, and Japanese cinema is very popular
here as well. (I know several people who refused to see the American version
of the Ring because they feared it would not be faithful to the original.)
If there was a commercial market for shakuhachi, they would also export that
with the same degree of efficiency. But because of a lack of mass market
appeal (why this is is yet another conversation) all we find is the same two
or three shakuhachi disks in every music store across the states- and then
people like me make the assumption that no one is playing shakuhachi any
more.
_____________________________________________
List un/subscription information is at:
http://communication.ucsd.edu/shaku/listsub.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jan 06 2006 - 10:00:44 PST