Shakuhachi Workshop

During the last holiday of Pâques, we organized the second training course of Shakuhachi which took place from 22 to 26 of April. As we did for the first session, we invited Mr MITSUKA for the instrument's making and Mr MATSUDA and KITAMURA for the musical practice.

In the wonderful surroundings of a chalet in the Centre of La Baume, in the middle of Aix-en-Provence's forest, we were able to construct and experiment with this instrument from the morning to the evening.

There were 10 participants, 4 of them taking part for the second time; their professions are very various, physicist, teacher, actor, farmer, flute manufacturer, flute players, osteopat and naturopath, bringing to the group an enriching diversity.

The discovery of the Shakuhachi in our occidental world took place a few decades ago, and more and more people are interested in this extraordinary instrument. However it is really difficult to get a Shakuhachi in France. So this training course takes on a great importance because some privileged people can appropriate this instrument by their hands (almost!).

The modern Shakuhachi, which remains really onerous, is made up of two parts, the inside is completely restructured with the famous lacquer URUSHI which must be handled with lots of care because it is a very toxic chemical and it needs a very particular technique. Some time is necessary to do this sort of work.

During this short course,the making of an "old style" Shakuhachi helped by the special technique of Mr Mistsuka was proposed. This type of Shakuhachi has a soft and warm sound and its tone serves admirably the interpretation of ancient traditional pieces as the HONKYOKU ones. In 5 days, the participants have fabricated an excellent instrument with a preparation made in Japan by its maker.

One of the secrets revealed by Mr Mistsuka is that in the hundreds of bamboo pieces selected for the fabrication, only about ten have the right length to become an instrument. In the fabrication of modern Shakuhachis, their composition in two parts allows to adjust easily their length. The natural empty space of the bamboo flute proposed during this course is also an important point to be considered and Mr Mistuka has this knowledge to judge and modify this internal structure, that is in my point of view uncommon for Shakuhachi manufacturers and gives his work a magical touch.

Beyond the transmission of fabrication techniques and instrumental practice, we wish to transmit the philosophy which surrounds the Shakuhachi and through this we wish to reveal a part of Japanese Culture through the musicality and the expressiveness of this extraordinary instrument.