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Post by Blue on Dec 30, 2012 0:33:57 GMT
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Post by Blue on Dec 30, 2012 17:17:09 GMT
Didn't make long recordings because I didn't want it to distract me from enjoying the music. I was sitting near the front, and sometimes my ear drums wanted to burst, especially from the sheng and suona or from a duo from two dizi players like this: picasaweb.google.com/116012681068034827655/WindInstrumentConcert?authkey=Gv1sRgCNiV8e3rmo7nwQE#5827411495325192162The host remarked at one point that it was too bad the performance room was a bit too small for the loud wind instruments. The host also bemoaned the fact that the Taiwan government hasn't been funding as much on traditional Chinese music clubs in pre-university level schools as before. After each performance, the host would provide tidbits about the musician's performance. For instance, there was one dizi player who wore a facemask when not performing, and the host praised the fact that the player's performance was not compromised by the cold. The host suggested the facility manager should raise the room temperature a bit because we're having cold snaps in Taiwan right now. Then there was a solo xiao performance, and the host remarked that the blowing hole was cut in the shakuhachi style even though the finger holes follow the modern 8-hole design. The xiao musician happened to sit at my back when not peforming, so I glanced back and looked at the xiao and the musician grinned and held up the instrument for me to see. There was also a xiao and guqin duo performance by an older person and a younger person; the host remarked that their age differences had an effect on their tempo, but they were able to practice enough to overcome this difference. There was one Chinese Malaysian and a Hong Konger who participated in the mini-concert. The Chinese orchestra group's female pipa player (with that long dramatic bohemian wavy hair) was there helping to take pictures of the event. In this mini-concert (actually referred by the host as a 沙龍 (salong) or salon), the only non-wind instruments performed were the piano, guzheng, and guqin, and they were generally used to complement the wind instruments. At the end of the concert, food was served at the other end of the room. The host asked for a group photo with the audience included, but I quickly escaped from that. |
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Post by Blue on Dec 30, 2012 17:40:46 GMT
Other observations:
1) With the exception of the guqin player, everyone else does not wear "Han Chinese clothing." Most people wore black/dark clothing. It was interesting that later on the guqin player who wore a qipao ended up playing the piano to accompany the suona. And the piano sheet music wasn't in jianpu.
2) People perform better with their wind instrument if they don't have to read the sheet music and perform from memory. In a way, having the sheet music and music stand is physically distracting. For one xiao player, his instrument would probably hit the sheet music stand.
3) Tight robot-like embouchure throughout the performance no matter how challenging the piece is. Still I caught certain performers with slightly raspy notes, especially when they transition from the highest to lowest octave.
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Post by edcat7 on Dec 31, 2012 1:38:34 GMT
I love the stage. You're lucky to be surrounded by Chinese music. There is little in the way of Chinese concerts in London and the audience to the ones I've been to, seem to be students, friends and family of the performers.
When I worked in HK many years ago there used to be Chinese operatic street performers in Kowloon park. I didn't appreciate it then.
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Post by Blue on Dec 31, 2012 14:40:22 GMT
I guess I am lucky in spotting Chinese music even in a non Sinosphere country. A dizi player in Brisbane and an erhu player in central Sydney. Having lived both in the East and West, I've noticed that sometimes people outside the Sinosphere are more "Chinese" than the people who live within the Sinosphere. Take the discussion about "Han Chinese clothing" for instance. Sometimes people inside the Sinosphere seem to dress more like Final Fantasy clothing (like Squall for instance).
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Post by Blue on Jan 2, 2013 15:37:16 GMT
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Post by Blue on Jan 2, 2013 16:13:12 GMT
Somehow this cold weather is making me deeply depressed and unhappy . . . . . . even if one is supposed to be happy for a new year . . . . . been sleeping too much trying to cope.
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 2, 2013 18:07:55 GMT
When the holidays are over and Winter really kicks in, that is when the days really drag for me. February has the fewest days numerically, but it seems much longer than any other month. My family does not share my enjoyment of erhu or other Asian music, so I can understand your frustration, Allen.
I don't have any great suggestions for lifting your funk, other than to say, you are not alone. It does help me though to get out and be with people. It does not help our social lives to choose activities and interests that no one else shares, so it is better to cultivate interests that we can share with others in addition to our private passions.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 2, 2013 21:25:14 GMT
Somehow this cold weather is making me deeply depressed and unhappy . . . . . . even if one is supposed to be happy for a new year . . . . . been sleeping too much trying to cope. Seems to be a description of the UK...all the year round. We all have our pros and cons; I would love to have a job that paid enough for two foreign holidays a year. Skydiving and flying and now martial arts I had to give up over the years. Now I get my satisfaction from my music and watching my girls grow up. It doesn't matter where I am as long as I have both. Then I consider myself very fortunate. |
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 2, 2013 21:31:03 GMT
When the holidays are over and Winter really kicks in, that is when the days really drag for me. February has the fewest days numerically, but it seems much longer than any other month. My family does not share my enjoyment of erhu or other Asian music, so I can understand your frustration, Allen. I don't have any great suggestions for lifting your funk, other than to say, you are not alone. It does help me though to get out and be with people. It does not help our social lives to choose activities and interests that no one else shares, so it is better to cultivate interests that we can share with others in addition to our private passions. Best wishes, David David, perhaps in a previous life you were a Vietnamese/Chinese musician. |
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 3, 2013 0:52:37 GMT
David, perhaps in a previous life you were a Vietnamese/Chinese musician. LOL, well you never know. Playing Vietnamese tunes has earned me hugs from grateful grandmothers. The younger set has not been nearly so impressed. <g> Considering I am a middle-aged married man, that is just as well. |
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Post by lbowen on Jan 3, 2013 8:05:44 GMT
Damn I'm jealous, I sure wish there was more interest in traditional instruments over here!
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 3, 2013 9:47:22 GMT
Yes I know, there must be a sizable amount of 'enlightened' Chinese and Vietnamese population in a little known place such as Portland  In London the main pastime for the Chinese is the 24hour 'sporting club'. |
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Post by lbowen on Jan 3, 2013 11:30:21 GMT
Over here it seems to be croquet! What a weird sport... there are lots croquet areas in public parks here
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Post by Blue on Jan 3, 2013 14:44:59 GMT
In a company of 30,000+ people, there are only 2 people actively learning the dizi and 15 people learning the erhu. What could I say? Chinese is not my first language, even if my Chinese is way much better than the typical American born Chinese.  I don't expect you to understand, so I'll just keep my mouth shut. On facebook I maintain a dizi forum (became an administrator by a freak of chance when the original administrator decided to disappear from facebook and suddenly delegated me the role without explanation). Very curious that a considerable number of members are European (and quite a few active Vietnamese participants as well). |
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 3, 2013 15:26:29 GMT
Flo asked me to join Facebook, which I declined, partly because I'm so computer illiterate, partly because I can't be bothered and partly because I don't want old ghosts contacting me again.
I (and my parents and wife ) wonder how on earth, with a university degree, I've done one menial job after another.
Music for me has the added benefit that I no longer feel the need to chase that 'happiness' illusion.
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Post by ziman on Jan 4, 2013 7:12:59 GMT
In a company of 30,000+ people, there are only 2 people actively learning the dizi and 15 people learning the erhu. What could I say? In Taiwan? Really? This is surprising to me. In Malaysia it is indeed the case that the popularity of Chinese traditional music is disappearing (not that many here care about this, I'm afraid...) but if this is the case even in Taiwan, that's scary.  The Malaysian Chinese journalist/ radio host Zhang Ji An (张吉安) has a blog about this (disappearing Chinese music in Malaysia): jiankaogudidai.blogspot.com |
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Post by Blue on Jan 4, 2013 18:48:40 GMT
Yep: this is how one should protest:  |
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Post by Blue on Jan 4, 2013 18:52:43 GMT
I think I'll go a purchase a UV queen's tear's dongxiao to try to cheer me up for the moment . . . . . . . . .
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 5, 2013 0:22:00 GMT
I think I'll go a purchase a UV queen's tear's dongxiao to try to cheer me up for the moment . . . . . . . . . I used to meditate alot, then I found that playing music was also meditative. I keep telling myself to meditate. |
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 5, 2013 0:31:11 GMT
David, perhaps in a previous life you were a Vietnamese/Chinese musician. LOL, well you never know. Playing Vietnamese tunes has earned me hugs from grateful grandmothers. The younger set has not been nearly so impressed. <g> Considering I am a middle-aged married man, that is just as well. Actually they are impressed but don't want to show it. And because you seem to know more about Vietnamese culture than the younger ones, they may hate you for it (in a nice way). Speaking their own language to them will really make their jaws drop. I once met an English lad in London who spoke perfect Cantonese. Not only did he live in Hong Kong but went to a local school instead of an international one. Was I green with envy. |
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Post by lbowen on Jan 5, 2013 9:46:40 GMT
Yeah it's hard to stay cheerful sometimes! I'm living by myself with my family in a different country. But hey, the bright sound of my dizi always cheers me up, playing it is such a good way to relax!
I've also found meditating to be great! Paul Horn has made some great relaxing flute music, to get back on the topic of music! Haha
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Post by ziman on Jan 6, 2013 16:57:54 GMT
Yep: this is how one should protest: Hah! Good one! I was, in fact, in one such protest last year (shh, don't tell the Malaysian Government...[g] ) but without my xiao, as it was raining at the time. |
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