Shakuhachi Recital in the Courtyard with Dr. Sarah Renata Strothers

Dr. Sarah Renata Strothers returns to Mt Lebanon Public Library for a shakuhachi recital in the courtyard. Join us to hear "Japan’s most iconic wind instrument," the shakuhachi (a root-end, longitudinal bamboo flute).

No registration required! In the event of rain, the concert will move inside.

Dr. Strothers graduated from Florida State University with a doctorate in philosophy in ethnomusicology. Her dissertation, “Localizing the Global: Shakuhachi’s Place in ‘American’ Culture” deconstructs the commonly accepted historical narrative that shakuhachi is “an ancient instrument of Zen” and problematizes concepts like cultural relativism, tradition, and authenticity in an age where much of the world’s population has adopted a digital lifestyle.

Dr. Strothers studies shakuhachi with dai-shihan (⼤師範, grandmaster) Michael Chikuzen (⽵禅) Gould and earned her shoden (初伝, beginner’s level, 2010) chuden (中伝 , intermediate level, 2011), okuden (奧伝 , advanced level, 2016), and jun-shihan (準師範, teaching preparatory and/or master/model level, 2019) license and earned the professional name Kyoufuzen (きょうふぜん, 狂⾵禅, “fierce wind Zen”).