Live Music Soothers
Hi Johnny
How is that a honkyoku heaven? Is that because you see a place where honkyoku could play a role?
I have played hokyoku in hospitals in the US and UK. I got mixed reception. For people being ill, honkyoku can sound a bit too sad in their ears. But others loved it.
How is that a honkyoku heaven? Is that because you see a place where honkyoku could play a role?
I have played hokyoku in hospitals in the US and UK. I got mixed reception. For people being ill, honkyoku can sound a bit too sad in their ears. But others loved it.
I played a little for my mother and her roommates when she was ill. One roommate would say, "That actually makes me feel more calm." The keyword there was "actually." Her roommate died about 3 weeks later. I didn't get a chance to get anymore feedback, but I played with a bit of "style" and flair in those days. So I think "actually" was kind of generous. Fortunately I played on a very soft, subtle voiced 2.5 which Perry Yung made.
My teacher's teacher, a Taizan Ha master, says, "Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring." -- All of the beautiful "zen drama," the noisy mura-iki and the anguished San-no-U, ETC the that are often elements of performance shakuhachi need to be tempered or even abandoned.
I'd avoid the overly gloomy stuff in general. Gentle, restful, warm. Lonely is okay too. Everyone in a hospital for any length of time understands "lonely" and most appreciate the honest acknowledgement of that. But in general, keep it gentle and light with restrained beauty. People who are sick need, crave the experience of beauty. TOO beautiful or too emotional however can be overwhelming. Keep it simple and honest.
The musicians who make it their specialty to play the 'music of repose' for the ill and dying are often harpists, acoustic guitarists and flute players who play simple music.
Make sure you are playing for them and not for your Self.
My teacher's teacher, a Taizan Ha master, says, "Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring." -- All of the beautiful "zen drama," the noisy mura-iki and the anguished San-no-U, ETC the that are often elements of performance shakuhachi need to be tempered or even abandoned.
I'd avoid the overly gloomy stuff in general. Gentle, restful, warm. Lonely is okay too. Everyone in a hospital for any length of time understands "lonely" and most appreciate the honest acknowledgement of that. But in general, keep it gentle and light with restrained beauty. People who are sick need, crave the experience of beauty. TOO beautiful or too emotional however can be overwhelming. Keep it simple and honest.
The musicians who make it their specialty to play the 'music of repose' for the ill and dying are often harpists, acoustic guitarists and flute players who play simple music.
Make sure you are playing for them and not for your Self.
"x moran""x moran"
My teacher's teacher, a Taizan Ha master, says, "Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring." -- All of the beautiful "zen drama," the noisy mura-iki and the anguished San-no-U, ETC the that are often elements of performance shakuhachi need to be tempered or even abandoned.
Is this advice in reference to playing in hospitals, or just general playing advice?
"Brian Tairaku Ritchie""Brian Tairaku Ritchie""x moran""x moran"
My teacher's teacher, a Taizan Ha master, says, "Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring." -- All of the beautiful "zen drama," the noisy mura-iki and the anguished San-no-U, ETC the that are often elements of performance shakuhachi need to be tempered or even abandoned.
Is this advice in reference to playing in hospitals, or just general playing advice?
'My teacher's teacher, a Taizan Ha master, says, "Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring."' is Fukushima-sensei's general approach to playing, as I understand it. I don't know how strict nor how liberal he is in applying that to all of his playing or all of students playing. My teacher, presumably derived from his teacher, tells me "always play as though you have a basket (tengai) on your head."
The rest is my extrapolation on that theme, largely on my experience in a hospital setting and the experience of other musicians, mainly harpists, who make a part of their spiritual practice playing for the ill and dying.
I hope it is not inapproppriate to add this link to a musician who made a cd specially for patients that are terminally ill.
Anders Rogg has done a very varied stuff, but the last 10 years has been contemplative and quiet.
I usually don't like "relaxation" music, but I find this good...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8cQ3tdL3YM
http://www.myspace.com/andersrogg
From teaching yoga to terminally ill people I have the experience that any emotions: peaceful acceptance, sorrow, anger, hysteria etc might come up.
Should I put on some shakuhachi music for someone that needs peace, relaxation and soothing, I guess it would be Riley Lee, Music for Zen meditation.
Honkyoku for someone not familiar could be quit disturbing I believe.
Anders Rogg has done a very varied stuff, but the last 10 years has been contemplative and quiet.
I usually don't like "relaxation" music, but I find this good...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8cQ3tdL3YM
http://www.myspace.com/andersrogg
From teaching yoga to terminally ill people I have the experience that any emotions: peaceful acceptance, sorrow, anger, hysteria etc might come up.
Should I put on some shakuhachi music for someone that needs peace, relaxation and soothing, I guess it would be Riley Lee, Music for Zen meditation.
Honkyoku for someone not familiar could be quit disturbing I believe.
Generally I think people find any good shakuhachi playing "relaxing" as long as they don't concentrate on it. The more they concentrate, the more jarring and extreme it seems.
"Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring."' Takes Watazumi and a lot of other knobs off the jukebox.
"Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring."' Takes Watazumi and a lot of other knobs off the jukebox.
"Jarle Jivanmukta""Jarle Jivanmukta"I hope it is not inapproppriate to add this link to a musician who made a cd specially for patients that are terminally ill.
Anders Rogg has done a very varied stuff, but the last 10 years has been contemplative and quiet.
I usually don't like "relaxation" music, but I find this good...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8cQ3tdL3YM
http://www.myspace.com/andersrogg
From teaching yoga to terminally ill people I have the experience that any emotions: peaceful acceptance, sorrow, anger, hysteria etc might come up.
Should I put on some shakuhachi music for someone that needs peace, relaxation and soothing, I guess it would be Riley Lee, Music for Zen meditation.
Honkyoku for someone not familiar could be quit disturbing I believe.
Have you ever heard the proto-New Age recording (I think they were still calling it '"Music of the Spheres' back then) called the 'Angels of Comfort' by Iosos. Something about it that avoided anything syrupy or sentimental. Really nice guidance music. All Moog I believe. (No shakuhachi.)
"Brian Tairaku Ritchie""Brian Tairaku Ritchie"Generally I think people find any good shakuhachi playing "relaxing" as long as they don't concentrate on it. The more they concentrate, the more jarring and extreme it seems.
"Always play like you are in the room with a sick person. You do not want to disturb a sick person. No surprises, nothing jarring."' Takes Watazumi and a lot of other knobs off the jukebox.
Yeah, well .... some of Watazumi's recordings are so beautiful, but probably not for the sick and dying unless they are very sophisticated people who can integrate many facets of illness and death and be at peace with them — zen people, honkyoku people, maybe Jungian and psychedelic people, but for most folks I think quiet and calm is best, most compassionate. ... I mean, Iggy Pop blowing a 1.3 might just be a bit much.
Last edited by x moran on 2012-02-04, 02:18; edited 1 time in total
Yeah but if your teacher's teacher says always play that way, it narrows the spectrum quite a bit. That's good advice for sick people. When people come to hear music for therapeutic reasons it's very challenging.
"Brian Tairaku Ritchie""Brian Tairaku Ritchie"Yeah but if your teacher's teacher says always play that way, it narrows the spectrum quite a bit. That's good advice for sick people. When people come to hear music for therapeutic reasons it's very challenging.
It's a style. Depends on how you approach a note or tone, color, phrase, cluster. Some of these cats play very subtly and they don't really care if you or I think they're entertaining or not. For all I know, my teacher's teacher (Fukushima) plays wilder than Ornette and clog-dances while he plays.
Remember Bird's saying "Play clean and look for the pretty notes"? My teacher says, "Play pretty notes and look for the DIRT!"
Shakuhachi teachers are weird.
I think it's interesting that the article stated that recorded music didn't have the same effect, it had to be a live performance. It seems to me that there is a lot more going on than just "soothing sounds" here. Clog-dancing while playing shakuhachi may have a similar effect.
"CharlesKoeppen""CharlesKoeppen"I think it's interesting that the article stated that recorded music didn't have the same effect, it had to be a live performance. It seems to me that there is a lot more going on than just "soothing sounds" here. Clog-dancing while playing shakuhachi may have a similar effect.
I agree Charles, the human contact in live performance (formal or informal) is very important. Just sitting in a room with the sick or dying has an important effect on the well-being of the person, or someone reciting or reading to a group of elderly. And the benefit goes both ways.
-- I believe that sitting or playing music or visiting with older and more helpless people fulfills a deeply ingrained social compact that has roots in our tribal and village behaviors of ancient times. It's only very recently in our human experience that we segregate the elderly, the sick and the dying from the rest of us healthy, ambitiously-driven younger people.
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