Calvin's MSP Final Project Blog Posts

As I aim to create a Chinese-inspired EP, learning about the music of China will be a crucial step in completing this project. The chapter “The Music of China”, within the book “Listening to The World” by Antoni Pizà, is a great resource that provides a brief overview of Chinese music. The chapter covers its history, genres, instruments, issues, and musical elements including pitch, timbre, and texture. As explained in the chapter, Chinese music often uses the five-note pentatonic scale; however, there are variations and modes including the Zhi mode, Yu mode, and Shang mode which have their own distinct characteristics. Chinese music also features several unique instruments such as the Guqin, Erhu, Guzheng, and Dizi just to name a few. The tone of these instruments contributes to the overall sound of the music. Heterophonic texture is also a prominent element within Chinese music. Pizà describes heterophony as “a musical texture where multiple voices sing or play the same melody but with slight variations in rhythm or phrasing” (Pizà, 2023, p. 63). This adds an element of depth, spontaneity, and improvisation to the music. Often, traditional Chinese compositions would be based on literature such as poetry, and were intended to tell stories or convey emotions.

The chapter goes into much more depth offering a lot of knowledge that can guide me in the making of this EP. The stylistic traits in traditional Chinese music such as heterophonic texture, scales, and improvisation are musical ideas I can fuse into my music in creating this project. While this resource offers a breadth of knowledge, further research is needed for me to develop a detailed understanding of Chinese music. I would like to do more research on some of the instruments played and listen to more traditional Chinese pieces.

This week I focused on making progress on research for my project. In doing so I created a literature list of related resources for me to analyze. Pizà’s article is a part of the literature list that features research on cultural identity and Chinese music. I have good sources on the topic of Chinese music, but I would like to find a few more sources on the topic of cultural Identity.

Bibliography
Pizà, A. (2023). The Music of China. In Listening to The World: A Brief Survey of World Music (pp. 60-73). CUNY Graduate Center. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_pubs/751/

One media product that inspires the project I want to create is the song “Taiwan” by Zac Zinger. The composer explains that this piece was inspired by his trip to Taiwan and is dedicated to the people he met there. The piece features traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu, guzheng, and dizi fusing them within a modern jazz composition. The usage of traditional Chinese music within jazz creates a very unique texture adding a feeling of authenticity and soul to the piece. This piece also features stylistic elements within Chinese music including the use of the pentatonic scale, glissandos, and rolled chords from the guzheng. My project is similar to this production as I aim to fuse elements of traditional Chinese music within my own music. While Zinger’s composition reflects his experiences in Taiwan, I want my project to reflect my struggles staying in touch with my heritage as a second-generation immigrant. Hearing Zinger’s composition was very inspiring and there are many elements within the piece I can draw from. If possible, I would love to get in touch with people who play these traditional instruments and record samples so that I can use them within my own project. I think collaboration will be a big part of this project. I own an Erhu that my grandmother gifted me a few years ago. Maybe I could try to learn the instrument as a part of this project.

To create this project, there are a few things I would like to research. It would be helpful to analyze stylistic elements and trends within traditional Chinese music and the instruments used within the genre. Additionally, it would be interesting to research the settings and contexts the music was played to understand the role music played culturally. Background knowledge on the topic of cultural identity will also help inform my project.

Sources:
Zinger, Z. (2019, October 12). Zac Zinger – Taiwan (ft. Min-chin Kuo, Yu-Wei Hsieh, Chia-kun Chen). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcCxCxnXcug

Introduction

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well! My name is Calvin Ton and I use he/him pronouns. I am a South Philadelphia native with a B.S. in Music Technology from Boyer College of Music and Dance. With a background in music and audio, I joined the MSP program hoping to broaden the scope of my knowledge within the realm of media and sound. This class offers me an opportunity to work on a compelling media project with support from mentors and peers. I am excited to begin working on a project that is personal but also valuable to the community. I look forward to connecting with my peers through receiving feedback and watching our projects develop. We all have interesting ideas so I am excited to see where it leads us.

MA Project Workshop: Initial Ideas and Brainstorming

As a student with a background in music and sound, I want my project to be based within the realm of audio. While my idea isn’t concrete yet, I would like to create an EP or collection of songs that draw influence from traditional Chinese music. This project’s goal is to encourage myself and others to embrace and stay in touch with our cultural backgrounds. As a second-generation immigrant, sometimes I question how Chinese I am having been exposed to American culture through living in the U.S. and Chinese culture through my family. I would like this EP to represent the melding of cultures that reflect my identity and experiences. To begin working on this project, analyzing and researching music originating in China will be crucial. This will help me identify trends, sounds, and forms used within it and allow me to apply these elements within my own creations. After I am finished with this project, I hope to release it on a platform for others to hear and use it as inspiration for future projects.

One previous MSP final project that stood out to me was The Cure by Po-Hsien Lee. Since my project is based in audio, this project in particular stood out to me. I like the idea of telling a story through a radio play and the concept of conveying visions through audio is very intriguing. Manipulating spatial placement and modulation within audio is a great idea to create depth within a mix and undoubtedly enhances the audience’s experience. If possible, I would love to listen to this!

Sources:

Lee, P.-H. (2018). The Cure.