Taiwan Band Brings History and Tradition to Life Through Music

TaiwanPlus News

A Taiwanese band called A Moving Sound introduces university students to Taiwan's traditional instruments. And they're preparing to bring Taiwan's stories to the U.S. Midwest.

Transcript

00:00From the heart of the Black Water Valley

00:05I left my hometown and came to a new home

00:12Mia is singing about her father's migration to Taiwan

00:15across the Black Ditch

00:16or what is known today as the Taiwan Strait

00:19It's a common past for many Taiwanese families

00:22and she's bringing that history to life

00:24on stage for college students

00:26starting their first day of university

00:29We bring a lot of connections to Taiwan's past history

00:33and modern culture

00:35When I found out that this Katakana

00:37was originally from the Black Ditch

00:39I opened up my heart

00:41Katakana

00:45I think it's a way to make up for the gap

00:53That's a gap Mia herself felt growing up

00:57When she was preparing to go to the U.S. to study

01:00she was only interested in Western art

01:02It was only after she landed in New York

01:04that she began wondering about

01:06her own cultural identity from Taiwan

01:13That's when she started a band with her husband Scott

01:16over 20 years ago

01:18It's called A Moving Sound

01:19and they incorporate instruments from around the world

01:22There's a bass guitar

01:26paired with the Chinese mandolin or liuqin

01:32a drum from the Middle East

01:37as well as an erhu

01:39typically heard in traditional Taiwanese operas

01:45Part of their performance at universities

01:47is to share with students

01:48about Taiwan's own musical traditions

01:50Happy New Year

01:52Really?

01:54Are you really happy?

01:56And what these classical instruments

01:58are capable of when they break out of old conventions

02:05Scott says their experimental approach to music

02:07reflects Taiwan's democratic multicultural environment

02:11I kind of feel like our music

02:13could only have been made in Taiwan

02:15Not just because

02:17all the ethnic references

02:19are Taiwanese

02:21Not only that though

02:23just the climate of creativity

02:25and openness and freedom

02:27I feel it's in the music

02:29and I feel like that's what we deliver

02:31Scott says for their latest pieces

02:33they worked with a string quartet

02:35called Ethel from New York

02:37and they hope these international collaborations

02:39will bring Taiwan to new audiences

02:41who may not know much about the country

02:43In a couple of weeks

02:45A Moving Sound will set off to live among

02:47and perform for underserved communities

02:49in the U.S. states of North Dakota

02:51South Dakota, and Minnesota

02:53as part of a residency program

02:55funded by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts

02:57Their U.S. trip will also bring them

02:59to university campuses

03:01as well as the Smithsonian Institution

03:03After watching the live performances

03:05a lot of people will come to us

03:07even kids

03:09They say they want to travel to Taiwan

03:11when they grow up

03:13I think this is

03:15I think this music

03:17is a way for us to

03:19do national diplomacy

03:21I think it's our honor

03:31A Moving Sound wants to paint a picture

03:33of Taiwan in the mind of their listeners

03:35and they hope their music

03:37carries not just Taiwan's culture and history

03:39but also the diversity and openness

03:41that made their creativity possible

03:46Ethan Pan, Kama Xu, and Yuchen Lai

03:48for Taiwan Plus

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