Shamisen & Koto Teachers in the US & Abroad

[AnaIkimaru]

Hey everyone,

This is a project I've started- I've contacted every single Japan-American Society chapter in the United States, and I'll keep my eyes peeled. So many times I hear people say, "oh, if ONLY I could take lessons! If someone near me did, I'd totally learn!"...and to that I say, sometimes excellent teachers ARE near you and you may not even know it!

This is an effort to raise awareness for the talented teachers of Japanese Music in this country, as well as abroad. If you know of any teacher missing from the list, please let me know.

Also, if you decide you're eyeing an instrument you see on ebay or yahoo!Japan auctions, please remember that your local teacher MAY NOT teach that particular type of the instrument, or specific notation. It is IMPERITAVE that you meet your teacher first- they can make a recommendation for you, and perhaps loan you an instrument during the first lesson so you can get a feel for the instrument.

Please also be prepared to understand (or at least be willing to learn) a minimal amount of Japanese for your lessons, and a background in music theory wouldn't hurt either. But also be prepared to have lots of fun!


US SCHOOLS WITH MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
"The Sawai International Koto School in Sydney, presently based in Ashfield, opened in 1989 under koto master, Satsuki Odamura and is one of five branch schools of the Sawai Koto School based in Tokyo. The others are in Honolulu, New York, Los Angeles and London"
Contact info is available at the following website:
http://satsukikoto.com.au/sawai/index.html


FLORIDA [/b}
Tomoko Kawahara - Shamisen & Koto
Orlando, FL
http://www.geocities.jp/kankan0406/

Yoshiko Carlton - Shamisen & Koto
Boca Raton, FL
http://www.yoshikocarlton.com/


[b]MASSACHUSTUS
Janet Pocorobba - Shamisen
http://www.lesley.edu/gsass/faculty/pocorobba/pocorobba_index.html
Cambridge, MA

Elizabeth Reian Bennet -Shamisen & Shakuhachi Dai Shihan (Grand Master)
near Boston, MA
http://www.myspace.com/128324904


WASHINGTON
Mary "Mariko" Ohno - Shamisen- Shihan (Master)
Tacoma/Seattle, Washington
http://webforce.nwrain.net/kabuki/music.html

Dr. Elizabeth Falconer - Koto Shihan (Master)
Seattle, Washington
http://www.kotoworld.com/story.html

NEW YORK
Masayo Ishigure - Koto & Shamisen
Recorded some of the music for "Memoirs of a Geisha"
NYC, NY
http://home.earthlink.net/~masayo-koto/index.html

CALIFORNIA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto - Koto DaiShihan (Grand Master)
Oakland, California
http://www.murasakiensemble.com/index.shtml

TEXAS
Stan Richardson - Shakuhachi
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
www.stanrichardson.com

ONLINE LESSONS
Koto Music Institute of Colorado
http://japanesestrings.com/internetlessons.html

ABROAD

Linda Caplan - Shamisen & Koto, Daishihan (grand master)
Toronto, Canada
http://www.lindacaplan.com/