Tales of Shinobue
Cinematic instrumental music, through the voice of the shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute)
Eight stories told through breath, presence, and emotion
Now Streaming Everywhere
Press and Recognition
Featured on The World Show with Nicky B — Kaya 959, Johannesburg, South Africa
Two tracks from Tales of Shinobue, “Even If I Fall” and “Zen Awakened,” were featured on Nicky B’s playlists on The World Show in August 2026, marking two consecutive weeks of international radio exposure.
Nicky Blumenfeld (Nicky B) is an award-winning broadcaster, DJ, producer, and curator who has produced and presented The World Show for 28 years. The internationally focused world-music program has a loyal global listenership, with people around the world tuning in to discover music from across continents and genres.
Featured on Global Village — PBS-FM, Melbourne, Australia
“Unshaken” from Tales of Shinobue was selected for Roger Holdsworth’s Global Village on PBS-FM in Melbourne, Australia, airing September 13, 2026.
Global Village is a weekly world-music program featuring new and recent releases from around the world, along with music from local Australian artists. The September 13 program included an extended selection of music from Japan, with “Unshaken” featured alongside music by Minyo Crusaders and Remon Nakanishi.
"A more masterful flute offering you will not find."
- Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio (Full Review)
“…she brings this traditional Japanese instrument into a contemporary setting while preserving the character and voice that make the Shinobue unique.”
- Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck, Founder of New Age Music Reviews (Full Review)
"Beautiful, marvelous playing of the shinobue."
- Doug Gertner, KGNU Denver
Awards & Media
🏆 Steve Sheppard Award for Best Album — One World Music Radio Awards, May 2026
🎙 KGNU Denver Radio Interview — February 2026
📈 Appeared on the August 2026 One World Music Radio Top 100 Album Chart.
🎼 Colorado Business Organization Songwriting Contest
Honorable Mention — The Calling
Honorable Mention — Unshaken
Podcast Interview - The Final on Vinyl
How did I end up playing the shinobue at 54—and creating an album at 60?
In this conversation with Keith Hannaleck, I talk about my musical journey, how I came to the shinobue at 54, the making of Tales of Shinobue, and the story behind the music.
The shinobue has one of the most expressive sounds I’ve ever known.
It does more than play notes—it carries sadness, joy, and strength. It tells stories.
That is why I named this album Tales of Shinobue.
Each piece is a story. Eight in total.
Eight moments, emotions, and inner journeys expressed through the voice of the traditional Japanese flute.
I did not grow up playing the shinobue. I discovered it later in life, at the age of 54, after a lifelong background in Western classical music.
At the time, I could not have imagined where the instrument would lead me.
But the more I played, the more I realized something:
this instrument could say what words could not.
At some point, a quiet but persistent thought arrived:
I can’t leave this earth with these stories untold.
And so this album became my way of telling them.
As you listen, I hope it offers more than sound.
I hope it gently invites you to reflect on your own stories—the ones still waiting to be expressed.
What is your story?
Eight Stories
Zen Awakened (2026 Remaster)
A stately, meditative opening that prepares the listener for an inward journey—an invitation to reconnect with the authentic self.
2. Ryugujo (Undersea Palace)
Inspired by the Japanese folktale Urashima Taro, this piece evokes the mystical world of Ryugujo, where time flows differently from reality. What feels like only a few days in that world is, in truth, many years in the human world. Upon returning, Urashima Taro opens the gifted box—and instantly becomes an old man, realizing how time had passed beyond his awareness.
3. Even If I Fall
A blend of sadness, hope, and quiet determination. Life’s challenges can feel like battles—but even in falling, there is strength to rise again. Within sorrow lives resilience and the courage to continue.
4. Red Moon
Driven by the presence of koto and a distinctly traditional melodic character, this is a piece deeply rooted in traditional Japanese melodic language. Originally titled Red Moon Over Kyoto.
5. Stardust
Under a sky filled with stars, the universe stretches beyond comprehension, and I am reminded of my own smallness. In that vastness, the ego softens into humility and wonder. Best experienced beneath the open night sky.
6. Unshaken
A steady, grounded piece that reflects clarity of direction and inner resolve.
7. Midnight Lotus
In the stillness of night, when the mind becomes quiet, clarity emerges. Like a lotus blooming in darkness, calmness and insight arise from within.
8. The Calling
The piece begins with the sound of ocean waves, as if standing alone on a cliff facing uncertainty. A dark undercurrent reflects inner doubt, until a single suzu bell cuts through and silence falls. This is the moment of calling. From there, the music transforms into a joyful ensemble of shinobue, koto, taiko, and suzu. The bells guide the rhythm, symbolizing purpose discovered through connection and shared expression. As the ocean returns at the end, the individual and the greater flow of life are brought into harmony.