-Background-
In recent years, under the rapid development of technology and the influence of globalization, various countries' cultures are gradually becoming more and more borderless. Therefore, fusion and cross-genre music have become a recent tendency in the development of traditional music. As a result, an increasing number of Asian traditional musicians, including myself, have devoted themselves to studying abroad, immigrating to Western countries, or being frequently invited to perform overseas. This phenomenon has undoubtedly given rise to many meaningful cross-genre collaborations.
Through my one-and-a-half year studying under the Improvisation and World music performance program, I have had many chances to collaborate with musicians in different ensemble settings. To map the field, I also put effort into analyzing and investigating existent cross-genre albums and projects produced and played by other pipa players. According to my experiences and research from other pipa players’ music, most pipa players working in an unconventional environment have achieved excellent success. However, I also found some interesting common phenomena in most projects.
First, pipa players’ roles in some projects or compositions are mainly like a leader, taking all the melodies. Only on rare occasions will they accompany others. Yet, on the opposite side, some of them lost the essence and value of pipa. This situation also happens with other traditional instruments.
The mere use of Korean instruments – how they look on stage and their timbre - is enough for most people to identify the music as ‘Korean’ or, at least, ‘Korean fusion.’ (Sutton, R. Anderson, 2011, p14).
Some projects are more tend to be like a ‘collage’ collection instead of ‘collaborating.’ They are more about collages showing different genres, traditions, etc.
I concluded three main reasons that led to those situations. First, lots of collaborations are to cater to the music market's taste for being ‘diversity, international.’They are not concerned about what the music should be like. Secondly, perhaps most pipa players’ cross-genre projects are short-term. They haven’t had a chance to be in the same environment for at least half a year or continuously develop with the same musicians. They would create more organic and exciting musical dialogues between different cultures or genres if they had more time. The other reason is that most pipa players, including me, clearly separated their playing between traditional and contemporary music. We have not considered how traditional music vocabulary and techniques should be presented in Western/contemporary ensemble settings. Perhaps the influence of globalization has also led musicians to identify less with traditional music.. (You, Ci-De, 2016)
But what can we do to break this collage-like, culturally unequal cooperation model? And how can we guide pipa players to think innovatively, harnessing a global outlook while emphasizing our strong foundations in pipa music? (Boyu Zhang & Ching-Wah Lam, 2022)
Compared to other pipa players, I am lucky to have the opportunity to have an education at Western music college. That is to say, I got more chances to dig into the topic and further discuss other issues, such as cross-cultural adaptation. The study of Guo Yasa’s research points out that international students need to learn more about cross-cultural adaptation to minimize unnecessary conflicts and improve intercultural exchange and interpersonal relationships with local students. Despite the fact that this research focuses on a general study, it is still relevant when it comes to musical adaptation. Adapting an instrument from outside the culture contains various kinds of problems. Therefore, it is not only about technically how to adapt but also about communication, self-identification, and acceptance from society.
For composers and musicians in Europe, turning to “cross-cultural music” is a personal decision, whereas for composers and musicians in other cultural regions it is a social necessity, in order to be able to move in the field of the institutionally established music scene. (Jin-Ah Kim, 2017, p26)
Kim has pointed out one situation regarding self-identification. Some of the traditional players who have been residing in foreign countries often have to face the problem of identification. Adapting traditional music from outside Europe into society is unnecessary, but it becomes necessary if musicians want to set up a career there. From my experience, I found it hard to play or use traditional musical elements when I am in a Western music ensemble. Since others have no reference to the music, and if I insist on doing it traditionally, I will never be able to work further with European musicians. It is all about adaptation and compromise. Yet, how much should we compromise without losing our identity as a traditional musician?
Even with all the problems waiting to be solved, cross-cultural music making is still a great concept for musicians, for cross-cultural dialogue and for society. This is why, therefore, intercultural music remains one of the most popular concepts when it comes to musical productions.
“Cross-cultural music making” is not only characterized by overcoming boundaries according to the standards of hybridity, creolization and hyper-textuality. Rather, it generates both the overcoming and the drawing of musical boundaries, due to its deconstructive and constructive potential, brought about by actors through social practices that can be expressed clearly, through a wide array of knowledge, techniques, approaches and facets, on a mental and level. It is to be understood as a creative process in and of itself and not just a mélange of two entities. (Jin-Ah Kim, 2017, p29)
According to Kim's research, it is clear is why cross-cultural music is still one of the most popular concepts when it comes to musical products.
Musical references
As I mentioned in the background, many existent cross-genre albums and projects are produced and played by pipa players. However, I found two albums very interesting and strongly influenced by them.
In the album Dim Sum, Ming shows the listener how to play pipa in a contemporary/ innovative way. Besides, the album is the modern side of pipa and various kinds of traditional pipa elements and concepts. Through Ming’s music, it is clear that she has been influenced by Blues and Jazz music, which is an impressive result of cultural adaptation since she moved to the USA in 1992. Weaving and switching between traditional and contemporary, Ming has successfully fused all the elements.
In the album Pendulum, Chung shows the possibilities of integrating pipa with music from the world. I am inspired by her way of composing for musicians from different genres. Her music shows that she has done much research to understand different cultures’ music. She utilized the concepts of the genre she worked with, which later translated into her musical language. By doing so, she has deepened her cross-cultural music-making process, which makes the music more organic and meaningful.
Besides those two albums, I am influenced and inspired by cross-genre albums from traditional musicians from Japan and Korea: Karin Nakagawa, Hans Tutzer, Paolino Dalla Porta, TAMAYURA, Losen Records, 2020. Duo Bud, Starlight Consolation, SP Label, 2017.
Rehearsal recording of Impression (2021)
Pipa:Fan-Qi Wu, Piano: Karl Eriksson, Mandolin:Erik Hallén , Saxophone : Gustav Andrén
Results/Process/Analysis
In the upcoming paragraphs, I will analyze and evaluate my playing in projects I created or was involved in by asking three questions: What is the starting point of this project? How did I adapt, and why did I adapt this way? What did I develop from the process?
In Mindset & Graphics, I have shown that I divided my mindset into three different periods. As I mentioned, my music and how I play pipa in the musical context strongly relate to those three periods. Therefore, in this part, I will divide my projects into three periods: Project based on Folk music elements, Mykorhiza(Fusion band), and Experimental Sounds.
I Project based on Folk music elements
I have written two pieces that are strongly influenced by Swedish folk music in my first period Drowning. I was really into folk music and wished to become a folk musician. Or perhaps also because that’s the only reference/experience besides traditional pipa music I had before I came to Sweden. Therefore, I decided to base on the most common folk music structure and scale to compose – Impression & Time Zones.
It was my first initiative project - from a non-creative soloist to a creative needed ensemble leader- I was a newbie for ensemble music. Being a soloist for almost my entire life, I don’t know how to work with others—not saying I don’t know how to communicate, but indicating that I don’t know how to communicate effectively and efficiently. We can also hear how new I was in the field from the music I composed then. From the playing perspective, I did not think about how to adapt pipa in these two settings, mainly just followed my instinct. Playing out the safest thing I could play instead of thinking about how can I play pipa without losing the essence of it. From the composing perspective, those two pieces were both composed from a very soloist perspective. First, all the instruments were playing the same melody; only very few parts we can hear that there is a second melody.
Besides, the harmony I used in pieces is all based on pipa’s open strings. Thus, we can’t hear too many differences. Furthermore, those pieces are the product of my trying to fit into a world I am unfamiliar with. The structure, motive, and musicians I worked with are an example of trying to mimic what I imagine Western music sounds like, rather than being myself or integrating with my background as a traditional player.
From this experience, I have understood that, I should never try to play safe. I need to develop and find a new route to explore. Moreover, I need to think more deeply about how I play pipa in a western musical context. When collaborating with musicians, I have the duty to let musicians to understand what we are doing, not just collaborate on the surface. I have an obligation to explain to them not only about the music but also about pipa and how to maximize our collaboration. Besides, I also need to be more aware of what I am doing. From this experience, it is very clear that I wasn't quite sure what I was doing. I found a group of folk musicians to work with me just because performing with folk musicians is my only experience besides being a soloist.
That is what I learned the most from this experience and will continue to develop in the future.
II Mykorhiza (Pipa, Voice, and Piano)
Mykorhiza is a trio I have been working with for a while. This trio consists of three distinct musical voices, Swedish jazz pianist August Björn, Spanish singer Alicia Lázaro Arteaga, Taiwanese pipa player Fan-Qi Wu. The name Mykorhiza comes from the symbiotic relationship that exists between the mycelium of fungi and the roots of plants. In a similar way, the group creates its own musical fabric, an ecosystem where the members' different backgrounds are brought together in the creation of a new musical organism.
Coming from different backgrounds and genres, we have faced numerous challenges of integrating our music without simply assembling but by accommodating instrumental techniques and cultural essences in a congenial manner. (Boyu Zhang & Ching-Wah Lam, 2022)
Working continuously with them allows me to experiment, explore and analyze how the pipa can integrate into a fusion setting. Since we three are all kinds of solo instruments, when it comes to balancing the sound, structures, and roles, it becomes a little bit hard. Everyone needs to compromise. From my perspective, I have been thinking a lot about how I can play my instrument. I need to find the role of the pipa in each piece of music, and when to take the space for pipa? when to fill the gaps? when to shape the background atmosphere? etc. This is not only a task for the pipa, but also a very important issue for a non-western instrument to integrate into a western ensemble.
Here are two methods of my way of collaboration within an ensemble.
Have a sketch - My motivation usually starts from one of the techniques of pipa and then develops the whole song based on the motive.
Think of the instrumentation - I usually think about not having an instrument that is not having a similar function as the pipa, which will be easier to think about instrumentation.
Ideas of how to blend pipa with others - even though the initial idea is more from a solo perspective, but I will translate the idea into different instrument, also talk with musicians to see how can they maximize their instrument capacity and think about how can pipa fill the gap/ support them/lead the music.
Rehearsals - try out the ideas, record and reflect on the result afterward
Discussions -discuss with fellow musicians about the first result. To see if there is any part needs to be rearranged.
Final version
Read the score - have a comprehensive understanding of the music.
Instrumentation - ask about the instrumentation, so I have the whole picture of what kind of role is pipa playing in certain ensemble.
Ideas of having pipa - ask about the idea of having pipa, for most of the composers have clear idea of what they are looking for from pipa. By knowing this, I am able to think about how to maximize pipa's sound in a specific way.
Rehearsals - rehearse with others, record and reflect on the result afterward.
Reflections -discuss with composer about the first result, and ask if the way I play is what he/she has been thinking of.
Adjustment - adjust my playing based on composer's ideas/opinions.
Final Version
Reflection on my methods
In my own composition, I do have enough space to think about how I should play? In what state can I not lose the essence or identity of pipa, but elaborate more on it. But in this condition, I often fall into the mud, infinitely spinning in place, thinking too much, too obsessive, and these too-extreme parts have become my task while composing.
When I play other people's pieces, most of the composers have already given me clear instructions or have an obvious role. In such a situation, it is a little more challenging to fine-tune what I can do because it is necessary to extend and develop on the general surface they provide.
Pipa is a diverse instrument, so as long as the composer writes in the range, most of us can play it, but only pipa players themselves know that the most suitable range for pipa are those few notes. We know which note can be used for special traditional phrasing techniques, which range can show the best tone, and so on. So for composers who don't know all aspects of pipa, the melodies or accompaniments they write may sound different than they do in reality, or they may write pipa like a guitar because that is the closest reference they have in their mind. For me, if I have enough time to figure out how to rework the original score, I will first consult with the composer and then talk about what works for pipa and what doesn't, and then discuss the composition with the composer to see how I can add to the music.
However, not all collaborations have time for us to rethink and rework. In most cases, having two weeks to collaborate is already luxurious. This is one of the most important issues in cross-cultural collaborations today – a lack of understanding of each other due to the length of working time.
Of course, this involves funding, venues, musicians' itineraries, etc. But in cross-cultural collaborations, when each musician comes from a different background, we musicians should be obligated to let others without the same background understand our genre quickly. Even in each collaboration, if we use only one musical element, focus on that element to explain it and then bring it to the musical background. It makes the whole collaboration more meaningful. In addition to the main speaker, the collaborator should also be open-minded to accept and learn from each other.
I am now addressing about those projects under "cross-cultural interaction/ collaboration." If they are other projects that focus more on different perspectives rather than cultural issues, they are out of the scope of this discussion.
Understanding each other, respecting each other, and being willing to be sensitive to the sound are the three most important values I consider after many collaborations.
After experiences working here in Sweden, I concluded three directions of my playing besides acting as a leading role in this ensemble- creating a soundscape, accompanying, and percussive sounds.
*This strategy will mainly present within Mykorhiza, the trio I mentioned in the last paragraph, yet, I will also show the example in other settings, so that the example will be not only my composition but also others' composition.
Ideas of blending, the role of pipa
(1) Creating soundscapes/atmosphere
Sometimes, piano and voice already sound great together, Then I will think about two solutions. First is to listen carefully and imagine the sound of pipa in this piece, and at the same time, to discuss with the musicians whether the pipa is necessary. If we agree to have pipa, I will play it in a direction that creates more atmosphere and embellishment, rather than pursuing an obvious presence. The second way is Active Silence, where sometimes keeping quiet gives the music a different dimension.
(2) Fulfill the harmony
When the unusual combination of pipa, vocals and piano comes into play, most people expect the vocals to be the main character, pipa to be the sub-melody with some comping, and the piano to be mostly responsible for the accompaniment and harmonic direction. However, from the very beginning, we wanted to go beyond the stereotypes of what people think, we wanted to achieve an equal and flat ensemble. Thus, based on this mindset, I had more opportunities to explore different forms of accompaniment.
Although the pipa is a solo instrument, in a Chinese orchestra it is mostly played as a dotted accompaniment, such as the playing upbeat accompaniment in Allegro, playing broken chords accompaniment in Andante, and so on. However, this kind of accompaniment is a bit a waste of use for pipa, so I began to explore ways to use different playing techniques as a support for the harmonic accompaniment.
Example of fufilling harmony
The spesific part will start in the video from 5:08
Sanne Huijbregts : Nothing Will Remain (2022)
(3) Groovy, percussive
Since pipa is a so-called “dotted” instrument, we pipa players are good at providing some riffs or groovy melodies. And in our band, there’s no percussion, so then I have thought about how to fill the gap. In pipa repertoire, there are already few songs using pipa as s percussive instrument. Therefore, based on the existing techniques, I found many other sounds that could be used as percussive elements on pipa or to create the same atmosphere that percussionist could provide. In addition, I also used the sound between the right hand's fake nails, tapes and strings, to create a composition that would maximize the possibilities of pipa in an acoustic situation.
In addition to the above, there is another way to cover these in general, or I would say to combine them with each of the three above, to reveal the unique vocabulary of the pipa: bending notes, tempo rubato.
So, when I combine these two pipa-only musical vocabularies with the roles of soundscape, harmony, and percussive, it creates a pipa-only way of playing, and when blending pipa with other instruments, I can know what I'm doing more clearly, and gradually expand the possibilities of pipa, and This is how I consciously integrate pipa in a western ensemble.
Example of playing tempo rubato with Sǎo xián (strumming) and fullfiling harmony
August Björn: Context I(2022)
Examples of groovy,dotted pattern
Dancing Leaves (2022)
III Experimental Sounds
I started thinking more about extending more sounds on pipa after playing different projects and listening to different kinds of music. Suppose I compare this period with two previous periods. In that case, this period of my music and how I play pipa in an ensemble becomes more experimental and focuses more on improvisation.
In the past paragraph, I keep mentioning that I need to be aware of not losing the essence of pipa when I play it. Then, however, I changed my mind. The development during this period was no longer limited to how I should play but how I should think. Not because I don’t care anymore, is because I have bare that core value in my mind for a long time, and it naturally becomes a part of me, like a habit. Therefore, I started to think. If I already carry this core value, why not explore this more musically and technically with this concept? After all, I cannot just only dig deeper to the topic like the role of pipa, playing style, etc. Such a question should become a belief, and I should carry this question throughout my life.
When I was no longer obsessed with how to play pipa without losing my identity, I started to explore the different sounds of my instrument and the combinations with other instruments.
In one of the seminars, I had the chance to read about Magda Maya’s research, Creating with Timbre (2019), where she documents all the sounds she found in/on the piano. Later, she creates a vast sound map to present her research. As a pipa player, I thought that the unique sound of pipa was already adequate until I saw Magda’s mind map. Then, I started to think about creating new sounds from the perspective of pipa player. How can I utilize the maximum of both instruments and my fingers? How can I expand the sounds which still based on traditional aesthetics?
Brainstorming by myself isn’t the best way to explore the sounds. So instead, I initiated to have jam sessions with different musicians. Through the jam session, I can imitate the sounds others create, and those imitations lead me to invent a new way of playing. I would say that, by doing so, I did expand more possibilities on pipa. Besides creating, exploring new sounds also enables me to have my vocabularies, which is helpful when practicing improvisations and collaborating with others.
I'm sure that this sound map will be an ongoing project, and it will eventually become an organic cycle if I keep documenting all the sounds I have discovered. Not only for my playing but it will also benefit other Pipa players and composers. Furthermore, from this sound map, it could be a great example of how Western musical context affect and allow me to extend my muscial language.
The exploration of sound comes from the process of improvising with different musicians. Therefore, improvisational experiences play an essential role in the adaptation process, gradually leading me to integrate pipa into the Western music world.
