Mentorship and Collaboration
Selena enjoys mentoring and collaborating with local musicians. Most notably, she has mentored shakuhachi player Bob Rama in developing techniques to play Western music on his Eastern tonal shakuhachi flutes. Likewise, he has greatly expanded her understanding of Eastern music and techniques.
They perform contemplative improvisation, and are best known for playing their own arrangements of ancient meditative Japanese songs on the violin and shakuhachi at venues in Ann Arbor. They also enjoy adapting blues, rock, jazz, and classical music to their respective instruments. More recently, they have begun playing their own arrangements of Celtic music on the low D whistle and folk harp.
Recordings engineered by John Churchville at Crestland Studio, Ann Arbor, MI. Some of these tracks will be included in an album Bob and Selena plan to release in 2026.
Two of their contemplative pieces Kyorei and Yamato Choshi were published in the album Spaces (click here) thanks to the support of Sam Vandiver and the Gifts of Art program at Michigan Medicine. Bob and Selena frequently play at Ann Arbor venues and serve patients at Michigan Medicine through the Gifts of Art and Music While You Wait programs.
