Year in Review

Another year is in the books. Every year has its challenges, but this past twelve months have been particularly fraught. However, it hasn’t all been toil and drudgery; there have been some legitimately bright spots as well. One of the things I’m most thankful for is your kind response to this very brog which got off the ground back in June. It’s been very rewarding to force myself to write every week, and while I might’ve done it as an exercise regardless, your engagement has made it totally worthwhile.

The Year in Review…

Colleen and I started off 2023 in our new hometown of Mount Vernon, Washington. After we arrived, we lived painfully close—a scant hundred feet—to a house we gave ourselves over to restoring. It nearly killed us, both in body and in spirit (there’s a more in depth post about it here). We closed on the purchase of this place in June of 2022 and finally slept our first night in it on September 1st, 2023. It’s not finished, and as prevailing wisdom is wont to say, it’ll never really be finished. But it’s been so all-consuming that it left us little room for creativity. Our reserves, in every sense of the word, are gone, but we’re on a path to regain some parts of our mental wellbeing that we lost in the process.

*we were going for “western exposure” and got carried away…*

In better news, back in March of this year, I took part in the Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri in their first event since COVID which also happened to be their 10th anniversary! Kakizakai Kaoru, organizers Patrick Johnson and Larry Tyrell, and myself were thrilled by the enthusiastic turnout. I was grateful to be included in a shakuhachi event of this nature in my home town.

The real highlight of the year, something with great personal significance, was the European Shakuhachi Society Summer School in Dublin, Ireland in July. It was a chance to meet many people I’d only interacted with online or only known by name. It was also such a thrill to connect with so many young shakuhachi players. Not to mention being given the opportunity to play the music of my ancestors for the first time in Ireland.

I was also delighted to take part in events at both the Seattle and Portland Japanese Gardens. The two are so distinct from one another, but both offer an oasis in the middle of their respective cities. I was honored to provide some music for the opening gala of the Hokusai exhibit at The Seattle Art Museum; I found it deeply moving to stand among Edo Period works, playing Edo Period music on an Edo Period shakuhachi.

I can’t speak about 2023 without mentioning the passing of Shane MacGowan. Again, I wrote at length about it here, but as the days and weeks pass, the sting of his death is still acute. I’m hopeful that KMRIA can work out our complex schedules and celebrate Shane in our way among our friends and fellow fans. Stay tuned…

So what’s on deck for 2024? For starters, the Introduction to Kinko-ryū Shakuhachi class starts in January! I’m really looking forward to regularly teaching in person and hopefully growing a student body in the Seattle-area.

It’s hard to believe it’s been this long, but I’m finally going back to Japan for the first time since 2019. My annual Japan tour has not been possible due to the pandemic, making this the longest stretch I’ve been away from Japan since I was 17. I’ll be touring with Colleen and our dear friend Fukue Genta on guitar for a run of shows at some of our favorite spots in the world. I can’t. wait. Tour dates will be posted soon both here and at hanzaraki.com.

I’m also incredibly excited to take part in the Seattle Shakuhachi Matsuri again—March 30th at the beautiful Japanese Cultural Community Center of Washington!

In June (23rd-29th), I’ll be heading back to the Great State of Maine to teach at the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance at the College of the Atlantic. I’m delighted to be back home in Washington, but I would count my years in Maine as some of the best years of my life. I miss it and the friends I made there fiercely.

Lastly, I’d like to offer my sincerest gratitude to my students. Jeff, Donavon, Bob, Kane, Noah, Koji, Baikyoku, Gregory, Paul, Uwe, Takeru, Jonathan, you have all amazed and inspired me with your dedication and curiosity. It’s been an honor to walk with you on your journey and to witness your progress.

My congratulations to Donavon (森童 Shindō) Davidson and Bob (鳴童 Meidō) Price on earning their professional names! In addition to being an excellent shakuhachi player, Donavon has practiced bonsai for many many years with a similar devotion. We chose the character 森 which is the kanji for “forest.” Before meeting Donavon, I was unaware of the many different species of tree that can be used for bonsai. My name Araki (荒木) uses 木 so it seemed especially fitting. Bob has played and taught music at the highest level (clarinet) nearly longer than I’ve been alive. His first forays into music however were the birdsongs he had perfected by the time he was six years old. We decided on 鳴 which is the kanji used for “birdsong.” The character is made of two elements: kuchi (口) and tori (鳥) making it ideal for his unique gift. (I wrote about the tradition of natori here.)

So with that, from Colleen, Molly, Leo, and myself, we wish you all the best—peace, serenity, and prosperity—in the coming year. I hope you’ll continue to engage and ask questions about shakuhachi, or anything else for that matter! It’s been a joy.

More anon,
Hanz

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Shakuhachi is Life!