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Study Guides

Programs with Tsugaru Shamisen Player, Masaya

dragongflies


rokurokubi
A biwa hoshi (blind itinerant storyteller with biwa) entertains Japanese grotesqueries.

Sheherazad
Sheherazade storytelling, with an oud, a predecessor of shamisen, in the foreground.
Japanese Folktales
Savor the Japanese culture through whimsical, greedy, and generous spirits, goblins, animals, and human beings, enlivened through storytelling and Masaya's lively shamisen music.
For all ages
Sample stories: The Magical Tea Kettle, LittleOne-Inch, The Old Man with a Wen

"When Megumi and Masaya perform together,
they create a splendid harmony beyond tradition.
What a dream team!"

Chieko Yoshikawa, Executive Director
Japanese Cultural Fair, Santa Cruz, CA

Japanese Ghost Tales
Enhanced with exciting and eerie shamisen music, stories of overcoming fear and outwitting the evil are great for Halloween, and every other season. Available in English with Japanese.
For middle school students and older
Sample stories: Hoichi the Earless, The Snow Woman, The Leak

"Masaya's accompaniment not only sets the mood
and enhances Megumi's enchanting performance,
but is mesmerizing on its own."

Doug Temkin, Coordinator, Spoken World Series
West Valley College, Saratoga, CA

The Silk Road
The Silk Road represents our human yearning to reach out and understand beyond the familiar. Travel the Silk Road, sampling the rich music, stories, and proverbs along the way.
For middle school students and older
Sample cultures: Japanese, Western Chinese, Afghani, Persian, Turkish, Greek

"Masterfully realized program
of deftly woven stories and virtuosic music
riveted students and teachers alike."

Stephen Lessard, Middle School Humanities Teacher
Nueva School, Hillsborough, CA


- See www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp to check how these programs satisfy the California Content Standards for History-Social Science, English Language Arts, and Visual and Performing Arts.
- For Storytelling with Shamisen Performances, contact Megumi.
- For more information about Masaya, Shamisen Concerts and Lessons, click here.