Thursday, May 30, 1996
Free concert series aims to promote musical diversityBy
Stephanie Sheh
Daily Bruin Contributor
The world is shrinking. Increasing exposure to different
cultures is bringing countries closer together. We still, however,
have not heard all their music.
"There’s a lot more interest in world music and cultures," says
visiting ethnomusicology lecturer, Ikuko Yuge. "As our world
becomes smaller, our neighbors are not so far away anymore. I think
it is important to learn about the music and different aspects of
different people."
UCLA students will have their chance to learn more about world
music at this year’s Ethnomusicology Spring Festival. The festival,
which takes place in Schoenberg Hall, is a series of free concerts
that started last night and ends on Sunday. The 10 groups involved
cover musical styles from African-American to Japanese to
Balkan.
Combining music, dance, authentic instruments and colorful
costumes, these groups, consisting mainly of students, will share
traditional repertories taught in various performance courses. The
classes meet throughout the year, and the festival is a
presentation of what they have done.
"It is a chance for them to show what they’ve learned," says
coordinator Robert Savage. "The primary function of the class is to
familiarize students with the instruments and music, and provide
them with the opportunity to develop a facility for performing in
these different world musics."
Although the festival functions as an opportunity for the
performance students, it also serves the general public. The
concerts introduce the audience to different kinds of music and
present a taste of UCLA’s ethnomusicology curriculum. Yuge, who
also directs the Japan section of the festival, says that it is
important for the audience to hear and appreciate different
sounds.
"I think what tends to happen is that people listen to music
that they are familiar with and it becomes difficult to become
aware of music from other cultures and other traditions," adds
Savage.
The festival’s purpose is to remedy this lack of awareness with
exposure. Yuge understands how listeners may not embrace all of the
music that they hear at the concerts, but she’s not worried.
"It’s hard to say if the audience really appreciates the music,"
Yuge says. "It’s hard to know. We may enjoy the music and somebody
else may not, but at least they are exposed to it. I think that
it’s important that there is different music like that. Some people
find an attraction to it, although their culture may be different.
You never know."
People may not have had much contact with ethnomusicology, but
according to Savage, the festival is the perfect place to
start.
"It’s a wonderful opportunity to attend some very good concerts
and listen to some very fine music," says Savage. "There are some
world-class performers leading these ensembles. I think it is a
wonderful opportunity for people to avail themselves to some
musical experiences and have a chance to hear music that they might
not otherwise hear."
CONCERT: "Ethnomusicology Spring Festival" tonight through
Sunday in Schoenberg Hall. Admission is free. For more info., call
(310) 206-3033.