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Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers February 11, 2024 “I found you on Instagram when looking up Japanese flute. Would you be interested in performing at New York Fashion Week?” I received this text last week and thought it was spam. I looked up the sender, and she was a budding Asian fashion designer. This was real. During our phone meeting, she asked me if I could play the shinobue to open her fashion show during NYFW. There will be media coverage, including Vogue, Bazaar... and Netflix....

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers October 13, 2024 You must completely seal the holes to produce a clean tone from the shinobue. This may seem like common sense, but it is often challenging for beginners to accomplish. When you're playing the shinobue, even a small 1 mm opening on the hole can make the tone sound windy and fuzzy. Since you can't see your fingers while playing, it isn't easy to realize it when the holes are not completely sealed. You might think your sound is off because...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers October 6, 2024 Here is a formula for becoming a professional shinobue player! You probably didn't start playing the shinobue to make money, right? You play because you love it! But guess what? Earning money by sharing this beautiful instrument is not as hard as you think. So, why not give it a try? You can earn some extra cash, and at the same time, more people will get to know the joy of the shinobue. It's a win-win! Novelty Factor You might think, "But...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers September 29, 2024 Low humidity has a negative effect on bamboo flutes. Last Sunday, I suddenly couldn't play the shinobue properly. It felt like there were cotton balls inside the instrument, and the tone sounded dry and airy. The instrument wouldn't vibrate as it usually does. I started to wonder, "Is my embouchure off?" "Maybe I'm not using enough diaphragmatic support." "Did I eat something that made my lips swell?" I tried everything, but I still...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers September 22, 2024 Conquer Your Ryo On 1 Issue Forever!! Getting the hang of playing Ryo on 1 can be a little tricky. Sometimes it just doesn't want to make any sound, even if you're not a beginner anymore. Here are a few things you can practice to improve! If you're having trouble getting a good tone on ryo on 1, try using a different shinobue for comparison. If you consistently have difficulty, you may need to work on your technique. However, if it's...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers September 15, 2024 Let's play Waka's Theme from the video game Okami! I'm super excited because I uploaded a performance video and a fingering tutorial for the song, and they're getting a lot more views than my usual videos. So, I've decided to break it down and give you some phrase-by-phrase advice! AND FREE KARAOKE audio track for 8 hon choshi!!!!!!! Our newsletter Exclusive!! Thank you for watching my videos and supporting my channel!!!!!! 💓 Here is...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers September 8, 2024 Power of Shinobue Sheet Music Learning the shinobue is much easier if you understand shinobue sheet music. Let's dive in and have some fun! 1."Why do I need shinobue sheet music? I learn songs by ear." It's great that you can learn songs by ear! When I was younger, I used to rely on my ear and didn't enjoy reading music. However, as I started playing more complex music, I realized that playing by ear has its limitations. For instance,...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers September 1, 2024 Power of Shinobue On August 29, 2024, my YouTube channel, which is all about the beautiful shinobue flute, hit 2,000 subscribers! 🎊 Google says that out of the 100 million YouTube creators, only 10 million channels have surpassed 1000 subscribers. That means that if you have 1000 subscribers, you're in the top 10% of all YouTube creators. So, reaching 2K is a big deal, and I'm super excited about it! Why did my channel become successful?...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers August 25, 2024 You might wonder, "Why is my tone bad? What am I doing wrong?" It's completely normal to have a breathy and/or tight tone when you're a beginner. However, I can't stress enough the importance of producing a beautiful tone in shinobue playing. Even if you've learned 100 songs, if the tone is unpleasant, you'll have 100 unpleasant songs! Let's talk about what might be causing your breathy and tight tone. 1. You are blowing air with your...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers August 18, 2024 Secrets to achieve a beautiful kan on tone Trying to play kan on can be frustrating for beginners. I bet many people feel like giving up the shinobue at this point. But with practice, you will be able to produce beautiful kan on, too! Before you try this, be sure that you have a good ryo on tone. Discover the distinction between a great ryo on tone and a not-so-great one. Check out this video to see how to practice for a fantastic ryo on...

Weekly Newsletter for Shinobue Lovers August 11, 2024 Kick that perfectionist inside you, if you want to get good at shinobue. Do you get frustrated when you can't get a good sound or any sound at all? Do you feel discouraged if your fingers stumble? You want to punch the wall because you've been practicing the same thing for 5 days and you still can't get it? I have some advice for you... Allow yourself to SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a Japanese saying: Shippai wa seiko no moto. Failure is...