North American Guqin Association

NAGA Guqin Events for May, 2007

 

Dear qin friends,

May is Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month. On Sunday, May 6th, NAGA will celebrate by hosting a full day of qin events. Chinese and American qin players and NAGA members will get together and promote China's intangible heritage, the guqin. The introduction to qin theory class will cover qin study, qin lore, schools, qin masters, qin masterpieces etc, and how to appreciate the guqin as a musical instrument, as a collector's item and as a work of art. Students will get hands on experience in playing different forms and levels of qins and learn how to select a qin.

At the yaji we will have presentations and demonstrations of guqin, Chinese poetry, taichi, Chinese medicine etc. We will be able to play qin, chat about qin, meet qin friends face to face instead of online, listen to qin music by different players, probably from different teachers or schools, play instruments made by various qin makers, and exchange information. Students of the NAGA Introduction to the Guqin course 2007 will demonstrate what they have learned during their 10 weeks of qin study. You will hear students from different backgrounds singing famous Chinese poems in Chinese, English, Vietnamese and other languages while they play the qin.

Agenda

1.     Introduction to Guqin Theory class, 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Places are limited, so please register now.

2.     Guqin yaji, 7:30pm to 9:30pm, Union City Library (free admission).

Guqin theory class

More and more people are becoming interested in listening to, and playing, the music of the guqin, or qin, and are collecting CDs, VCDs, books and other guqin-related items. This is very encouraging. But there is far more to the guqin than just the instrument and its music. Guqin is not merely a musical skill, it embodies the whole gamut of Chinese culture and tradition. To be sure, technique is very important, but it is not all that is required to become a complete qinren (qin person). There is also qindao (qin lore) and qinxue (qin learning). Wang Fei studied guqin under Professor Li Xiangting, one of the great qin master of this century, since 1985. She has inherited the traditions, styles, concepts and masterpieces of her ¡°grand teachers¡± Zha Fuxi, Wu Jinglue and Guan Pinghu, the three greatest qin masters of the last century, and transmits them through her guqin teaching, performance and promotion in the western world. Wang Fei is one of the few qin teachers who offer guqin lessons in traditional form, covering both qin playing and qin study. She frequently uses guqin as a vehicle to promote Chinese culture in mainstream universities.

In this introductory theory class, the topics Wang Fei will touch on include, but are not limited to, the following:

l       Qin history, tradition, theory, handbooks and repertory

l       Qin performance

l       Dapu (reconstruction of early pieces from the scores) and improvisation

l       Tips for playing and performance

l      Introduction to qin masterpieces

l       Appreciation of qins from different makers: form, construction, sound quality etc.

l       Fitting strings, tuning, how to select a qin, and qin maintenance

Every student will get hands on experience in playing qins of different forms and levels and selecting a qin. Please bring your own guqin if you want to practice or get a free evaluation. After this class you will understand why the qin itself represents Chinese high culture and you will have a sharp eye when you want to purchase qin related products.

This class will be held on Sunday, May 6th, from 2pm to 5pm. The cost is $60 for people who are not currently enrolled in Wang Fei's private class, payable either in advance online (preferably), in which case the address will be given upon receipt of your payment, or at the door (cash only). If you want to pay at the door please email info@guqin.org for the address and directions). The class will take place in the Union City area.

Please register now


These classes are open to all who are interested in finding out more about the guqin. For those currently learning to play from Wang Fei, they are an important component of the curriculum. The classes also provide necessary foundation knowledge before you learn to play from a reputable guqin teacher, as they are often very selective about which students they will teach.

Places are limited, so please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Guqin yaji

On Sunday, May. 6th, at 7:30pm there will be a guqin yaji at the Union City Library.

In this yaji, we will have rich and varied program, including a taiqi fan performance with guqin accompaniment.

The qin gathering is open to anyone interested in guqin music. Other instrumental players and singers are welcome. We can enjoy doing some experimentation.

Date: Sunday, May 6th, 2007

Time: 7:30pm

Where: Union City Library meeting room
34007 Alvarado-Niles Rd.
Union City, CA 94587

(510) 745-1464
TDD (510) 489-1655

Please click here for directions.

Entry to the yaji is free (a $10 donation to NAGA to promote the guqin is suggested) and anybody with an interest in guqin is welcome. Bring your friends along too! 

 

North American Guqin Association

http://www.guqin.org


 


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