Collaboration Globalism and Music

Recently, I have had the good fortune to work on music with Wesley Ueunten, who is a singer and performer on the sanshin (3 string Okinawan lute). Wesley is also a scholar, starting recently as a Professor in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. He is providing a wonderful perspective on Okinawan music and how it has been traveling through our global culture. In recent performances together at State and Mt. Edea Tea Garden (for the National Japanese American Historical Society), Wesley has talked about the journey of the song Shima-uta, which became a hit song in Argentina, and the need to retain the meaning of the song. An interesting challenge on the issue of cultural preservation in our global society. In any case, come check him out on Thursday, Sept 27 at ODC Theater in SF, Wesley, me, bassist John Carlos Perea and percussionist Dohee Lee will be performing some of this music.

Composition/Improvisation and Living Memory

Compositions are vehicles for memory – improvisation keeps these memories alive, vital and everchanging.

As a composer and a performer in the creative music tradition, I see integrating composition and improvisation in my works as a means to contribute to collective memory in our communities. So, for example my versions of "Great Wall" or "Autumn Moon Reflected on the Lake" retain the root of where these songs come from in their sound but represent the telling or Re: Telling of these stories in a NOW or moment to moment context. My original works, such as the components of my recent Shanghai 1948 (parts of which my ensemble will perform on September 29) or Diaspora Tale #1, are efforts to make vessels for my family's history as part of the greater collective memory of a community's experience in diaspora.

Traditions Transformations

Our theme of Traditions Transformations reflects Asian Improv's desire to respect traditions, to root ourselves while exploring innovation as a means to make our traditions a living culture. And as a living culture, continue to have a vital impact on the life of our communities. That why it is really exciting to work with artists Melody Takata, Tatsu Aoki, Dohee Lee and Sabrina Hou - artists who grew up in their respective traditions and are seeking to preserve the core value of these traditions through the integration of contemporary perspectives into the work.

For example in Melody's upcoming work, "Shimenawa", she explores how the practice of classical Japanese dance, taiko drumming and shamisen music can serve the need for greater cultural cohesion and creativity in San Francisco Japantown, which faces an uncertain future due to the recent purchase of large chunks Japantown real estate by outside developers. Moreover, "Shimenawa", as a new work, represents an extension of tradition.

As such, Asian Improv's involvement in communities today is to facilitate new ways to utilize our intangible cultural assets to build stronger, healthier communities.