Now that the performances and Jury duty are over, I can get back to the shop. This interesting repair came in a couple of weeks ago. Someone has customized this old Kinko flute by building up the back chin rest. The present owner needed it brought back down to it’s original angle.

It was also a bit heavy for him so he requested the root be shaved in the style of the old Komuso or Edo period flutes.

I was a little hesitant to do the work as the root was pretty, but if the owner needs to play it the work should to be done.There are different opinions on whether one should customize old shakuhachi flutes as these are in many ways cultural artifacts. I’ve work on many old flutes and always make sure the owner understands what’s in toll. If the flute was made by a renown maker of historical importance, nothing should be done, including retuning. However, if the instrument is the #1 flute of a very experienced player (over 20 years) and she/he needs an adjustment, that’s a different situation; an artist needs to feel uninhibited. This question came up in the 2004 Big Apple Shakuhachi Festival panel discussion among makers. John (Neptune) said, (to paraphrase) “... if it’s your flute and you need it to play a certain way, then you can have things done to it.”

This one didn’t have a Hanko so it was an easier choice.

The top back angle was raised with a build up of CA glue and bamboo dust.

Painted with urushi many years ago.

CA glue and bamboo dust was used to build it it.  I masked off the front so as not to change the depth of the utaguchi. Fine mill files were use to prevent removal of the bamboo.

Now it’s back to the original angle.

We saw the Marina Abramovic exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art last week. She had a lot of questions as to what art is since she’s been painting a lot recently and I’ve been describing the difference between abstract art and art that is representational.  It was difficult to explain why Marina sitting on a chair not moving for three months is art (try explaining Conceptual Performance Art to a 6 year old!) When we got home, Sasa was inspired to do some contemporary art by making this dress out of the coupon page of the newspaper. She then did an appropriate Oskar Schlemmer (Dadaist founder) dance with it..

While there are rules to creating art, just as there are in making and/or refurbishing shakuhachi, we have to look at each situation based on the intention of the artist. Sasa said she made the dress so that we can save money by dancing for ourselves. There is still so much to learn from my children.