About the founder and teacher
Hi, I am Rai Tateishi, shinobue flute player.
Shinobue is a Japanese traditional flute made of bamboo. It's played at almost all traditional Japanese festivals.
Being a shinobue player has allowed me to meet people and explore countries around the world.
I’m always in search of new expressions and connections using my shinobue.
Now, in this period of hard time, the next step seems obvious and exciting:
Creating a shinobue online school!
“Do something you love and share its fruits widely with society” has acquired a deeper meaning for me in these challenging times. Perhaps now is the time to broaden horizons, to rediscover what really enriches our life, to rethink how we can connect.
What you can do at
Lion-Kai Shinobue Online School
1
Get access to a great number of learning materials!
Practice anytime and anywhere!
You can watch over 50 lesson videos of shinobue songs, live events and other learning materials.
2
Play new songs offered by musicians!
Try playing songs of different genres.
3
Do what you love, do good to the society!
Part of the profits of the Lion-Kai Online School will be donated to charities, or used for an activities to benefit the community.
4
Try a new life style!
Come play music with us in the countryside.Explore new ways of life where music and community intersect.
The system of Lion-Kai Shinobue Online School
1. People who are interested become members of Lion-Kai.
2. Lion-Kai offers online shinobue lessons, learning materials, live events and so on.
3. Musicians will also offer songs for members to play.
4. Lion-Kai pays musicians for their music.
5. Every month, part of the profits of the Lion-Kai Online School will be set aside. Once these savings reach 300,000 JPY, they will be given to a charity, or will be used for an activity to benefit society.
6. When more events are allowed, performers will re-start their tour and play music anywhere. Members will also have more chances to gather and play in places near the nature.
Let's go through this period of hard time together by doing things we love and sharing love with others!
Message to future members
Lion-Kai Shinobue Online School
The online school brings together professional shinobue flute players, students, composers and musicians. On the website, you can study and improve your skills, but you can also meet up with players from Japan and around the world and explore future opportunities.
The online school is not just a transfer of conventional lessons to the internet.
It’s about creating a shinobue community.
It’s about providing a host of high-quality materials and content related to shinobue flute playing.
It’s about facilitating a new form of exchange that will broaden your horizons.
It’s about bringing together musicians of the world with musicians of Japan.
It’s about collaborating with composers to create opportunities for both, composers and students.
It’s about sharing part of the profits with society.
Did you wonder where the name of the school comes from?
“Rai” is my first name and it means “thunder and lightning” in Japanese.
“On” is the “sound” of music and “kai” means “get-together.”
All together it makes Li-on-kai!
You may want to join if you:
- have always wanted to learn to play the shinobue flute, but found it hard to start on your own
- want to improve your shinobue playing skills
- want to do something that will give you a chance to strengthen your body
- feel stressed out
- live out in the countryside and can’t find a local teacher
- want to practice at your own pace
- are too busy to regularly commute to a teacher’s place
- have started lessons with a teacher before, but have stopped
- are looking for new songs or musical pieces that you can perform
- need new impulses to bring a new breeze into your way of playing the flute
- think that competing with others will be fun and everybody will get better
- are looking for a door to connect with Japanese music and musicians
Offline events
1. Shinobue gathering in the countryside once a year
2. Free lesson in person 2 times a month.
3. Gathering at Gion Bar Lion in kyoto.
4. Workshop of shinobue flute making once a year
5. Recitals
Online contents
1. Learning materials
- Fingering instruction image
- Basic music theory
2. Over 50 videos and updates every month
- Basic practise
- Stretch
- Tutoring videos
3. One online lesson every month
4. Live streaming
5. Advice and Q&A through video chat
What kind of learning materials can you get access to?
The school acquires first editions of pieces by composers.
Here is an example of a video provided by composer Choi Jae Chol for public view!
▼Composer: Korean drum player and composer Choi Jae Chol
Korean Drum: Choi Jae Chol
Fiddle: Kunugi Takehiro
Guitar: Fukue Kenta
Shinobue Japanese Flute: Rai Tateishi
Engineering: Kishimoto Ryohei
Title: Path through the snow
▼Composer’s message:
When snow falls during Japan’s winter festivals, it looks unreal and magic. I composed this piece using the motive of a “path through the snow.” I used the special atmospheric sound of the Japanese shinobue flute as the basic tone, and from there added the Korean drum, the guitar and the fiddle (Irish violin) to form an ensemble. The one-two, back-and-forth rhythm of the Korean drum known as “whimori” has the meaning of “blowing through.” I composed the piece based on the image of snow dancing in the wind in the winterscape of Tohoku in northeastern Japan.
Message to musicians and composers:
The Lion-Kai Online School aims to open up opportunities for composers, and to build a community of musicians, composers, performers and students.
Musicians and composers of different genres are invited to compose shinobue pieces that can be used as learning materials for all levels, from beginner to advanced. The school will consider purchasing submitted pieces for a negotiated fee. Up to two musical pieces per month per composer will be considered. Some of the submitted pieces may be arranged later to adapt to beginner’s level.
The website of the school will serve as a platform where musicians and composers can announce their activities -- an exciting place where musicians can connect with others, and where they may find new work opportunities.
Please contact school head Rai Tateishi if you are interested.
Sharing fruits
Every month, 10 percent of the profits of the Lion-Kai Online School will be set aside. Once these savings reach 300,000 JPY, they will be given to a charity, or will be used for an activities to benefit the community. The specific charity or activity for which the money will be used will be decided upon discussion among the school members. There will be a report on the website on how the money was used.
*For May, June and July 2020,30 percent of the school's profit have been saved for the charity and/or social engagements".
Gatherings, performances, events, workshops
As soon as the corona virus situation will allow, we will restart our offline activities.
Exciting plans for events and shinobue community building are in place!
If you live in Japan or if you plan to visit from abroad, feel free to take part in these events:
- Once-a-year shinobue get-together in the countryside
- Once-a-year get-together at Gion Bar Lion in Kyoto
- Once a year ‘make your own shinobue flute’ workshop
- Public performance of Lion-kai Shinobue Online School members
- Once-a-year countryside music festival YAMAJAM
