Snapshot: Syakuhati Walking on Its Own

In July 1998, more than 350 syakuhati (shakuhachi) players, amateur and professional, gathered at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, Colorado, for a week of intensive master classes, seminars, workshops, scholarly symposiums, and evening concerts. Of these participants, roughly half came from Japan. The rest were non-Japanese syakuhati enthusiasts from the Americas and Europe. Participants came from a variety of backgrounds, styles (ryûha), and teachers. The musical programs and activities...