Traditional Music from India, China and Japan

The Sitar is the iconic instrument of traditional India. A typical ensemble will include one or two sitars along with a pair of drums called a tabla. After selecting the raga (a sequence of notes which convey a "flavor" of sound) and tala (rhythmic group or pattern of beats) the performers will improvise a piece normally falling into three parts: An Alap (slow meditative section establishing the raga), a more rhythmic middle section wherein the tabla joins in, and finally the Jhalla a feverish rapid end often played over a drone.

Raga Khamaj

The Pipa is a four-string traditional Chinese instrument similar to a western lute. Like so much of Chinese arts, pipa music often depicted aspects of nature. This piece probably dates back to the Ming Dynasty and is describing the early spring where the snow is is just giving way to the small shoots of plants starting to emerge from a winter slumber into a spring rebirth.

White Snow in the Spring Sunlight

The Shakuhachi is a bamboo flute which has long been associated with zen meditation in traditional Japan. Unlike traditional flutes or recorders in the west, shakuhachi players will often not cover the holes of the openings completely so as to produce pitch variances which fall outside the "normal" musical scale. Similarly, the players can tilt his head to effect the blowing angle which also alters the pitch dramatically. To western ears this may at times sound "out of tune." So though the shakuhachi has only 5 holes for its pentatonic scale, its variety of pitch is quite extensive.

Shakuhachi Meditation

Calligraphy of a Haiku - In some ways nothing captures the zen aesthetes better than the art of calligraphy. Watching the subtleties of how the brush is held and free yet restraint movement of the gestures all convey an exquisite art form.

Haiku of Yosa Buson

The Tea Ceremony or as it is correctly referred - Cha-no-yu, has a long history going back to the 9th century. Every aspect of the ceremony is carefully learned through years of practice. The subtly of the ritual is seen in every nuance of movement, gesture and sound. Like a visual haiku, cha-no-yu eliminates every extraneous element to focus your attention on the least and subtleties of the senses.

Tea at Koken

Throwing a Pot may sound like an odd thing to do to anyone that doesn't know the art of making pottery. The term refers to the process the clay is formed on a spinning wheel into a vessel of some type to eventually be fired and hardened. If you have never seen the process in action you should take a few minutes and have a look. The masters always make it look so easy!

Throwing a Clay Jug

Humanities Resource of Mark Hunter