That’s a thought. I’ll have to get myself a proper carry on then and not my duffle bag 
Greetings all. This may be an exceedingly daft question, but - are there any spaces left for this?
Hello, Ants! Welcome to Bachido!
Not a daft question at all! Actually, there are many spaces left. It’s not too late to join!
May I ask, do you have previous shamisen experience? (Even if not, you’re still welcome to join!)
Thanks for your swift reply! I have a small amount of experience. I’ve had about ten lessons on a shamisen that I got on ebay and can play and sing a few minyo songs as long as nobody is looking. (I’m still working on playing and singing at the same time, because my full-time job radically limits the amount of time and energy to practise; my previous musical experience consisted mostly of singing in Balkan bands, and instruments are new though enjoyable territory for me). I still have doubts about how to hold the instrument etc. It’s not a Tsugaru model but possibly a chuzao-hosozao hybrid. Unsure. I had my very first instrumental performance today in SF!
Another question, this time even dafter. Due to the ghastly logistics of my insufferable job, I may only be able to know on Thursday if I’ll be free on Friday, the first day of the camp. I understand if that is just obscenely late and beyond the pale, but I’ll ask anyway: will I be able to join even with such risibly short notice?
Thanks again. I do hope I can participate somehow! - Ants.
Oh, that’s great to hear! If you’ve had ten lessons and can even play/sing some minyo songs, you have more than enough skill to attend the main workshops at ShamiCamp. Your shamisen is intriguing! I have a feeling it is a minyo shamisen, which is very fun.
That’s no problem, Ants. Even on short notice, we’d love to have you join us!
Cheers!
Kyle
Most excellent. I fondly hope that my robotic overlords will allow me to take that Friday off. Then the mystery of my shamisen will be revealed (it’s got the curvy neck thing, but it’s not as thin as a hosozao apparently is, according to those who have seen them) and all sorts of doubts will be resolved. I’m deathly shy, but I’d love to join in (tediobots permitting) and explore all manner of musical wonders! I shall report back if I manage to wangle it (or even if not, just “FYI”). Otherwise, will there be other adventures of a similar nature in that general area? (I live in San Francisco - if, that is, a cubicular existence can properly be classified as ‘living’). If the grim arbiters don’t let me go, hopefully I can participate in the next California camp?
Sounds good, Ants! Somehow, I have a feeling you are gonna fit right in with the group. We’re a mix of shy, silly and overall flavorful shami-folks!
Hope the grim arbiters are favorable. Keep us posted!
Thanks! I hope I manage to reach whatever shrivelled vestige of a heart resides within the ribcage of Cubicula, austere sovereign of the cubicular empire, and gain a day of liberty for the noble cause of music. (My instrumental skills are probably big pants, but obviously one of the aims of going to the camp is to rectify this). Hoping!
Yay! Against formidable odds I appear to have convinced the ominous puppet-masters to let me be free on Friday. So I can participate as long as places remain available!
I have yet another daft question. I’m considering taking the beginners’ course anyway since it’s cheap and I’m still not sure about some basics, for instance holding the instrument and making the correct movements. Will the beginners’ courses clash with any of the other classes?
Thanks very much, again! I’m scared but excited.
Yay! That is wonderful news!! 
Thank you, O’ puppet masters!~
Spaces are still quite available, so you are very much welcome to come!
The beginner’s course is specifically for those who have never picked up a shamisen before. If you have had ten lessons already, it would really be too simple for you, I believe.
The beginner’s course also occurs during the main workshops in another room, so for you, attending the main workshops would be more suitable.
Looking forward to having you join us! Nothing to be scared about!
Excellent! Thanks for the information and for the swift reply. I’ll just bite the bullet of atavistic visceral churning terror and say YES to musical opportunity even if I’m so phenomenally shy! One just has to hope that everyone there understands the embarrassing yet inevitable phenomenon of rank beginners… (The tragicomic thing is that I have literally had loaded Kalashnikovs pointed at me by screaming militiamen and that proved substantially less frightening than things like parties or public speaking - oh, the psychology). Anyway, you must be frantically busy, so thanks again and good luck with all the planning and whatnot. Cheers much and see you in San Jose’, along with presumably hundreds of other people! -Ants.
Yesss!! Excellent decision, Ants! It’s great that you are thinking of it as a fantastic musical opportunity, because it’s incredibly rare for this many experienced shamisen instructors to be here at the same time for such a camp!
We look forward to seeing you on Friday!
Absolutely, it seems terribly rare and most shamisen learners outside Japan must find workarounds for the absence of human people to teach them in (human) person. So I took the plunge. Carpe diem. (Not capre diem which sounds more, well, goaty).
Now, the confirmation email told me to email you some details. I hope it’s ok - I mean, I’ve already been tormenting you enough. But the computer daemons are telling me to do it, see. (Diminished responsibility and what-have-you). I’ll try to be brief. Sorry, I type fast and I’m logorrhoeic. Too wordy. Thanks for your patience! It is not my intention to keep you tethered to the computer, so no hurry.