A new repertoire of 27 compositions for big bamboo, fat flutes: Taimu shakuhachi, a variation on 1000-year-old Zen Buddhist flute tradition.
This project is currently in two parts:
1) completion of the written and recorded materials and creation of print and digital copies to be made available to students, teachers and players. Funding needed for print reproduction, CD-ROM authoring, duplication and manufacturing.
2) hosting and archiving the Release Event on October 9, 2010 at 1187 Franklin St. San Francisco, "The Chapel" at First Universalist Unitarian Church, 6:30 pm workshop, 7:30 pm concert. Funding needed for hall rental, audio and video recording and workshop/concert performer and flute-maker compensation.
The shakuhachi is an ancient Japanese bamboo flute initially utilized as a breath awareness and meditation tool by the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism. The classical repertoire draws from chant, nature and breath and has evolved fluidly over the past 1000 years in multiple directions as intuitive and virtuosic solo acoustic music. San Francisco shakuhachi maker Ken Mujitsu LaCosse (in collaboration with Brian Tairaku Ritchie, shakuhachi player and founder/bassist of the Violent Femmes) has developed a large-bore, lower-pitched, rich sounding variant on the shakuhachi that is called Taimu. These fat flutes maintain raw bamboo interiors and feature large finger-holes for a wide dynamic range. Taimu can be described as the cello of bamboo flutes: the Barry White of shakuhachi.
East Bay composer and reed renegade Cornelius Boots has created a new repertoire of 27 pieces specifically for these big bamboo, fat flutes. The Taimu flutes appreciate being approached more as forces of nature and less as musical instruments. Due to the extra thickness, Taimu exhibit unique tonal possibilities. To further explore these possibilities, the creation of brand new pieces that exploit the sound of the Taimu and are accessible to beginner and intermediate players was undertaken in April 2009. The term "Taimu" itself means "the big nothing" and this new repertoire has been named mukyoku meaning "songs for Taimu." It is also a Buddhist metaphysical term meaning "the ultimate of infinite non-being.” The stylistic influences on these new pieces are primarily honkyoku (traditional Zen shakuhachi repertoire, "original songs" based on chant, nature, breath) and Mississippi blues.
This project includes the release concert and the publishing of these pieces, both in print and digitally via CD-ROMs and downloads in three sets of nine pieces each (Levels One, Two and Three). There is a large amount of instructional material, including tone and finger exercises, being offered in conjunction with Level One of the repertoire. For each of the 27 pieces, there is both a score (in modified Kinko, Japanese calligraphic notation) and a recorded version (performed by the composer).
All who are curious about these great bamboo flutes, whether already a shakuhachi player or not, are encouraged to come to the workshop and concert portions of the event. Taimu creator/maker Ken LaCosse will bring some of his most recent (and hopefully some of the largest) Taimu and we will explore them up-close and also discuss the compositional approach taken by Boots in the creation of these 27 pieces. The concert will feature two 30-minute sets of selected mukyoku performed on 4 different sizes of Taimu (2.45, 2.65, 2.75, 2.8).
Visit http://mujitsu.com/news.html scroll down and follow the link for recorded example.
More samples and updates to be posted throughout the month!
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$107
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Funding Unsuccessful This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on October 10, 2010.
Funding period
Sep 8, 2010 -
Oct 10, 2010
- First created · 2 backed
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- Website: edmundwelles.com
Pledge $7 or more
1 backer
Download/mp3 of one mukyoku recording of your choice.
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0 backers
Download/mp3 of two mukyoku recordings of your choice.
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3 backers
Download/mp3 and pdf of one mukyoku piece of your choice: recording and score. PLUS admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA.
Pledge $27 or more
1 backer Limited (26 of 27 left)
Download/mp3 and pdf of one mukyoku piece of your choice: recording and score PLUS print copy and PDF of all mukyoku Instructional Materials (about 30 pages including Finger, Tone, and Long Tone exercises, practice guide, fingering chart and notation guide). PLUS admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA.
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Download/mp3 and pdf of one mukyoku pieces of your choice: recording and score PLUS in-person or Skype lesson. PLUS admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA.
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0 backers Limited (9 of 9 left)
Download/mp3 and pdf of two mukyoku pieces of your choice: recordings and scores PLUS in-person or Skype lesson PLUS PDF of all mukyoku Instructional Materials (about 30 pages including Finger, Tone, Long Tone exercises, practice guide, fingering chart and notation guide). PLUS admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA.
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Private Lesson OR Concert in location of your choice (travel and lodging not included) and admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA.
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0 backers Limited (7 of 7 left)
Private Lesson OR Concert in location of your choice (travel and lodging not included); Complete Level One mukyoku materials (9 pieces, print and digital); complete Instructional Materials (print and digital). [and admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA]
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0 backers Limited (7 of 7 left)
Private Lesson OR Concert in location of your choice (travel and lodging not included); Complete Level One and Two mukyoku materials (18 pieces, print and digital); complete Instructional Materials (print and digital). [and admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA]
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0 backers Limited (6 of 6 left)
Private Lesson OR Concert in location of your choice (travel and lodging not included) PLUS private tour of Ken LaCosse's shakuhachi/Taimu making shop in San Francisco and try-outs on his most current flutes available (travel and lodging not included). [and admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA]
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0 backers Limited (3 of 3 left)
Sensory deprivation floatation tank session (60 minutes); one-hour massage (by professional MT, not by me!); and private lesson/playing session all at FLOAT spa in Oakland, CA. PLUS Print and digital copies of all 27 mukyoku and Instructional Materials. Vietnamese vegan dinner included (at a restaurant, not by me!). [also, of course, admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA] www.thefloatcenter.com
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0 backers Limited (8 of 8 left)
Print and digital copies of all 27 mukyoku and Instructional Materials PLUS Private Lesson OR Concert in location of your choice (travel and lodging not included) PLUS private tour of Ken LaCosse's shakuhachi/Taimu making shop in San Francisco and try-outs on his most current flutes available (travel and lodging not included) PLUS dinner at the famous vegan gourmet restaurant Millennium including Happy Birthday played before dessert by me on the 2.8 Taimu (or flute of your choice) while wearing a Jedi robe (does not have to be your actual birthday; includes dinner for you and me, guests welcome but not included in Reward). [also, of course, admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA] www.millenniumrestaurant.com
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0 backers Limited (3 of 3 left)
Print and digital copies of all 27 mukyoku and Instructional Materials PLUS recorded versions of 9 pieces of your choice (mukyoku and/or selected honkyoku or other shak repertoire) made in person in a live private concert in your home on the Taimu or shakuhachi flutes of your choice (limited to my flutes or flutes you have access to: travel and lodging not included). [also, of course, admission to the release event October 9, 2010 in San Francisco, CA]
