As I was walking around an artist district in Tokyo I came by this small house/business with a pile of bamboo flutes at the front with a sign that read, "please try."  I tried playing a flute and found it quite difficult to play.  One lady that was there, who I may add was dressed very cool, played the flute exceptionally well and made it sound so Japanese.  I was determined to try and get the flute in my hand to at the very least, make a sound that didn't sound like I was just blowing air into a pipe. The owner, who smelled of freshly drank saki, passed on to me some words of ancient Zen Japanese wisdom, he said, "it is not about making a sound, it's about centering yourself in meditation." Upon hearing these words I proceeded to center everything within me and forget about the sound I desired to make. As my soul centered I took a deep breath and let the air that was in my chest escape through the bamboo I held in my hands. The sound was exactly the same so I gave up and kept blowing into the damn thing until it made a sweet sound.  It was lots of fun,  even the lightheadedness. 

He then said I can make my own for only 1,000 yen (about 10 bucks).  How could I say no to that?

Moral of the story: I'm not a very good Zen meditator or musician