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Mike

About Me

Im November 2008 gewann der spanische Künstler und Filmemacher Pablo Silberschmidt ein wichtiges spanisches Kurzfilm-Festival mit seinem Film OYNO. Ich bin sehr froh und stolz, dass Pablo mich einlud, die passende SHAKUHACHI-Musik für seinen Kurzfilm zu spielen. (Klick auf das Bild, um den Film zu sehen und mich CHOSHI spielen zu hören)

In November 2008 the young spanish artist and film maker Pablo Silberschmidt won an important spanish shortfilm festival with his movie OYNO. I am very happy and proud that Pablo invited me to play the appropriate SHAKUHACHI music for his shortfilm. (Click on the picture to see the movie and to hear me playing CHOSHI)

Erst kürzlich / recent performances:

03.10.2008 (10/3/2008):

14.06.2008 (6/14/2008):

Infos zum Auftritt im buddhistischen Tempel des EKÔ-Hauses der Japanischen Kultur in Düsseldorf, am Japan-Tag (14.06.2008):

EKÔ-Haus der japanischen Kultur e.V. Offizielle Web-Site

These new pictures have been taken at my performance on June 14th at the EKO-Haus in Düsseldorf, when I played SHAKUHACHI for about 500 people on this afternoon.
And here is one of six videos of this performance. This HONKYOKU piece is called DARANI
You can watch more VIDEOS of this concert here on the video section of my MySpace!
The following video was made at a concert performance in December 2007. I performed SHINTAKASAGO on the Shakuhachi together with Yuko Igarashi playing the Koto and singing.
I really hesitated to publish this video because my playing was by far not as good as it should have been.
TENRI TOURS 2007 - Japan Web-Gallery of Mike and Ela

A lot of people ask me: "Playing SHAKUHACHI? What made you start learning how to play this instrument?" Well, it's quite a funny story. One day my wife came home from shopping with a book she had bought for me. It was “Blowing Zen” by Ray Brooks and had been a special offer. She thought that I could find it interesting because I've been practicing Zen-Meditation. She was absolutely right! That was the day I got infected with the Shakuhachi virus!
After some months of wandering around on the internet, buying and testing more or less unsuitable instuments, learning without personal instruction and searching for a good teacher I finally found Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin. He is still teaching me from New York City, USA. And I am very happy and proud to be one of his students.
He is a Koku-An Dai-Shihan (Grand Master's at the level of Kyu-Dan, or 9th level) and received this lincense from Japan's Living National Treasure in shakuhachi, Aoki Reibo. He was also given the name Reishin (Heart/Mind of the Bell) to go along with it. Ronnie is the first non-Japanese to receive this high award. I'm proud to be his student. Thank you very much, Ronnie Sensei. I hope I will be able to learn a lot from him so I can make many steps on the "path of bamboo".

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 19/10/2006
Band Members: Michael 'Mike' Müller playing SHAKUHACHI

Please also visit me on 'facebook'
and 'reverbnation'

Some examples of Mike playing Japanese Classical Music (GAIKYOKU: SHIKI NO NAGAME, FUNE NO YUME, ISO CHIDORI, SAKURA GAWA, MIDARE) and HONKYOKU on the SHAKUHACHI in higher quality:

You can also listen to HONKYOKU-pieces (JINBO SANYA, YUGURE NO KYOKU, KYOREI, AJIKAN, FUTAIKEN SANYA and CHOSHI) on my myspace player up on the right side of this page.

Influences: Ronnie "Nyogetsu Reishin" Seldin Sensei
(right), my main SHAKUHACHI teacher, he lives in New York City, USA.

Kurahashi Yoshio Sensei (left), my SHAKUHACHI teacher who lives in Kyoto, Japan
Watch my teachers' newest performance videos, recorded Feb. 2008:
Nyogetsu Sensei performing JINBO SANYA
Kurahashi Sensei performing "Renpo-Ken" TSURU NO SUGOMORI, part 1 ( part 2 )

I have been practicing Tai Chi Chuan, Qi Gong, Zen and REIKI (as a master and teacher of GENDAI REIKI HÔ) for many years, and I always “used“ the kind of music and sound that supports healing processes and the meditational aspects for clearing ones mind and for concentrating. So for me it was natural to listen to the sounds of SHAKUHACHI music very often but I never really thought about learning to play a Shakuhachi myself - but now playing this instrument is one of the most important things in my life.

Please visit the German Shakuhachi website of my teacher Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin and his representation of the 'KiSuiAn Shakuhachi Dojo' in Germany.

This is the link to the very best source of SHAKUHACHI knowledge, moderated by the best players, teachers and makers. For beginners and those who are already on their way along the "Path of Bamboo":

If you are interested in REIKI (the Japanese art of healing through universal life energy) please take a look at my (German) REIKI website:


Click the picture below for the myspace shakuhachi group

This is a live webcam view of Tenri, Nara Perfecture, Japan, showing the Tenrikyo Main Sanctuary. I have so many wonderful memories of Japan, and I am deeply longing to visit all these places again soon.
No auto-refresh! Click on picture to refresh. (max. 1/min)
Record Label: Selfmade

My Blog

Auftrittsvideos / Performance videos:

Es war ein tolles Erlebnis - und ein grosser Erfolg !!Aber erst einmal möchte ich meinem SHAKUHACHI-Lehrer, Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin danken! In meinen Augen bist Du der beste Lehrer der Welt, Ro...
Posted by on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:50:00 GMT

Shakuhachi HAIKU - a special kind of japanese poetry / eine besondere japanische Gedichtform

Ein klassisches japanisches HAIKU ist ein dreizeiliges Gedicht mit einer typischen Silbenstruktur (5-7-5). A classical japanese HAIKU is a three-line poem with a typical structure of syllables (5...
Posted by on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:00:00 GMT

JAPAN 2007

TENRI TOURS 2007 - Japan Web-Gallery of Mike and Ela
Posted by on Wed, 16 May 2007 06:33:00 GMT