Shakuhachi Master - John Singer
John Singer, master shakuhachi teacher, performer, recording
artist and former.shakuhachi instructor at the University of Hawaii,
has performed music on the Japanese bamboo flute since 1975. After several
years of intensive study in Japan under the tutelage of the late shakuhachi
Grand Master and Living National Treasure Yamaguchi Goro and shakuhachi
Master Matsumura Homei, John was awarded a Shihan (Master Teacher certificate)
in 1982. He later learned the Nezasa Ha Kinpu Ryu pieces from Kinpu Ryu
Iemoto, Master Inoue Shouei (Shigeshi). It is important to note that John
is one of a small group of shakuhachi masters in the world and currently
the only outside of Japan to record and perform using extremely rare ancient
Edo period instruments dating back to the 17th century. John has performed
throughout East Asia, The United States, and Western Europe to audiences
very appreciative of his unusual talent and mastery of this difficult
musical instrument. He has appeared many times on radio and television,
and has been actively performing and lecturing at colleges, Zen centers,
and other venues in recent years. The main motivation for John's concerts
is to give his audiences an understanding of the shakuhachi both as an
unusually dynamic musical instrument and as a meditative tool having a
rich history within the Zen Buddhist tradition.
THE MUSIC
John specializes in the performance of the Zen music (called Honkyoku
in Japanese) which derives from the ancient tradition of the Komuso
(wandering priests) who used the shakuhachi as a tool in their religious
practices. These mendicant monks were well known for wandering and playing
the shakuhachi and their history can be traced back to Japan's Muromachi
period (1338-1573 A.D) It is often said that Zen music represents the
true essence or "soul" of the shakuhachi. John also specializes in the
performance of traditional Japanese ensemble music where the shakuhachi
is combined with the stringed instruments called the Koto and Shamisen.
This genre of shakuhachi music (called Sankyoku in Japanese) began
as early as the 16th century and has been continually developing to this
day.
THE INSTRUMENT
The Shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown bamboo flute. The name shakuhachi
is derived from the term "isshaku hassun" which means one shaku
and eight sun (1.8 Japanese feet). Even though the term shakuhachi
refers to the standard size instrument (54.5 cm in length), it can refer
to many different sizes ranging from 1.3 shaku (39.4 cm) to 2.5
shaku (75.7 cm) and longer. The shakuhachi is made from the root
portion of a thick-walled bamboo called madake in Japanese. Though
simple in appearance, the shakuhachi is very difficult to play; its magical
quality is revealed to the listener by the purity of its tone. John has
written an article on appreciating fine shakuhachi
and obtains the finest instruments for sale.
YOUTUBE VIDEOS
ROKUDAN NO SHIRABE
John Singer & Yamato Shudo
ZANGETSU
John Singer & Hiroe Yonekawa
KOKAN SHAKUHACHI HONKYOKU: ZEN MUSIC WITH
ANCIENT SHAKUHACHI
John Singer's Double CD of Kinko & Koten Honkyoku
Using Ancient Historical Edo & Meiji Shakuhachi
Copyright 2001 John Singer. All rights reserved.