I am a master shakuhachi player & teacher and taiko performer, holding a shihan (teaching license) from the KSK (Kokusai Shakuhachi Kenshukan; see here for KSK Europe).

I am also a member of the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers, Europe's only fully professional taiko touring group, where in addition to taiko and an eclectic mix of other instruments I also play shinobue. 

I regularly publishe videos on YouTube, many tutorials on how to play shakuhachi and shinobue but also videos on related topics as well as performances of old and new music, where ’new music’ usually means combining shakuhachi with taiko and electronica.

I split my time between Edinburgh in Scotland and Papenburg in Germany. I am available for performances and teaching both face-to-face and via the Internet.

To get in touch just send an email or click a link to one of the usual social media sites at the top of this page.

There is also an (infrequent) newsletter.

 

Music

There are some recordings on the Music page, on YouTube or you can listen to the album Samazama on Bandcamp or with the player below.

Patreon

 

You can support me in my activities to promote and teach shakuhachi by joining the Patreon campaign.

 

 

Some recent videos

Akita Obako (秋田おばこ – The young girl from Akita) – Simple play-along version on a standard 1.8 shakuhachi (尺八). No ornamentations or flourishes. Suitable for beginners to practise playing.
A 1.6 shakuhachi is sometimes considered a ‘Haru no umi’ (春の海) flute because it is needed to play this very popular piece. But for playing honkyoku its use is a bit limited. In this video I’m sharing my thoughts about a new 1.6 shakuhachi by the maker Kawasemi after having played it for a few weeks.
A clip from Kakizakai sensei’s concert in Edinburgh in March 2023. The piece is ‘Shika no tone’ (鹿の遠音). I’m playing the second part.
Kakizakai Kaoru sensei (my shakuhachi teacher) visited Edinburgh for a few days in March. He kindly agreed to do an interview. In this third part we talk about a range of topics: his personal interests and preferences, on the topic of shakuhachi and Zen as well as the future of shakuhachi.
Most books for learning shinobue (篠笛) are only available in Japanese, so finding something suitable can be quite difficult. Here are the ones that I found most helpful for learning.