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Bryan James

Born 1949


jamesshinyo@yahoo.co.nz

Born Auckland 23-8-49. Educated at Auckland University 1968-72 (MA Hons, Anthropology); Canterbury 1975-6; Massey 1985-8 (Certificate of Japanese Studies) & 2000-present in final year of PGDipSLT; Christchurch College of Education 1975-76 (Diploma of Tchg in Speech-Language Therapy). Registered music teacher of flute, saxophone and theory. Plays soprano,alto and baritone saxophones, concert and alto flutes, and Japanese shakuhachi (an end blown bamboo flute). Studied traditional shakuhachi playing while living in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan 1992-95. Since returning to NZ has performed traditional Japanese music in “Soyokaze” (shakuhachi and koto), and flute ensemble music with “Crofton Flute Ensemble” also plays in jazz and improvisation ensembles. Featured in 2001 International Jazz Festival with quartet playing traditional Japanese music blended with jazz. Interested in ethnic musics and extended tecniques for woodwinds. As well as studying traditional music in Japan, had lessons on the Chinese flute (Di-zi) while at Hunan Normal University in Changsha, China Dec 1986-Jan 1987. Currently employed as a secondary school teacher of Japanese and French at New Zealand Correspondence School, Wellington. Married with 5 children.