Rediscovering traditional music

Bach Dang night street - there's a small corner where the melodious sounds of the zither, bamboo flute, and pipa resonate. It's as if the music of the young members of the TIA club tells a timeless story.

TIA - "the common home" for young people who love traditional musical instruments.

"Going in the opposite direction"

TIA, short for Traditional Instrument Association, is the traditional musical instrument club ofFPT University Da Nang. Founded in 2020, it started with just a few instruments, a few friends who shared the same passion, and the simple belief that traditional music never goes out of style.

After five years, TIA has nearly 70 members, proficient in five main instruments: the zither, the pipa, the bamboo flute, the two-stringed fiddle, and the moon lute. From small performances in the schoolyard, TIA gradually expanded to the streets, bringing the sounds of traditional Vietnamese music to street performances along the Han River and even to international cultural events and festivals.

The project "Bringing traditional musical instruments to high schools" involves members of TIA.

What makes TIA special isn't the stage "glamour" of a famous club, but the way they live with traditional music through love, respect, and the perseverance of youth.

Ha Thi Tuyen, the club's leader and a third-year student majoring in Multimedia Communication Management, still vividly remembers her first day at TIA: "I've loved music since I was little, especially traditional Vietnamese music. The sounds of the zither, bamboo flute, and lute always made me feel close and proud. When I entered university, amidst the vibrant clubs like dance and guitar, I was drawn to TIA, where everything was simple, authentic, and full of life."

Initially, Tuyen was the lead vocalist of the group, then gradually took on additional roles in organizing and connecting the members. For Tuyen, TIA is not just a place to perform, but a collective that "ignites passion," a place that nurtures love and pride for traditional Vietnamese music.

“A traditional musical instrument club in the digital age is like a flame in a strong wind. But as long as there is one person listening, that music will live on. And we remain steadfast in our choice, with that very belief,” Tuyen shared with a smile.

Unlike Tuyen's lively personality, Truong Hoang Vu, the person in charge of staging TIA's performances, is a rather quiet young man. His connection with TIA came about by chance; this final-year student majoring in Media Intelligence, who used to play the guitar, was captivated by the sound of the pipa during an art class.

For Vu, each performance is an opportunity to spread Vietnamese culture through the language of sound. Vu still remembers the surprised looks of young audience members when they exclaimed, "Oh, traditional instruments can play modern music too?" That moment brought Vu true happiness, as the sounds of his ethnic group transcended familiar boundaries, touching the hearts of today's generation.

Keeping pace with the future.

Choosing a difficult path: preservation through innovation, TIA offers a new approach to traditional music. At TIA, traditional instruments are "awakened" in a contemporary musical space: the zither's melody blends with the gentle piano, the bamboo flute resonates against a backdrop of fiery electric guitar…

TIA on stage at the Vietnam-US Friendship Exchange Festival.

Traditional sounds no longer stand alone, but blend into the rhythms of pop, lo-fi, R&B, or EDM, creating a sound that is both unfamiliar and familiar.

TIA's arrangements always surprise and delight listeners. Songs like "Cut the Sorrow in Half," "There's You Here," "Don't Break My Heart," and "North Bling" are given a new lease of life by the pipa, erhu, and bamboo flute, becoming rustic yet captivating.

When they need to connect with the world , they bring songs like Despacito, Flower, and Señorita to the stage using traditional Vietnamese instruments, as a subtle introduction to their national cultural identity.

However, whenever the stage lights come on during folk-themed performances, TIA returns to "Ly Ngua O," "Trong Com," "Ly Keo Chai," "Viet Nam Oi," "Mot Vong Viet Nam," and other melodies that flow through the stream of her memories.

"We're not breaking the mold to be different, but to prove that traditional music can live on through all ages," Vu shared.

Beyond just performances, TIA also chooses to bring traditional music out of the stage and into community life through meaningful projects such as "Community Music" and "Bringing Traditional Musical Instruments to High Schools".

They opened free music instrument classes, brought their flutes to Bach Dang pedestrian street, interacted with international students, and went to schools to sow the "seeds" of love for traditional music in the hearts of the younger generation.

On the TikTok platform @tiaxinchao, behind-the-scenes videos of the group's rehearsals and performances attract tens of thousands of views. Traditional Vietnamese music, once considered "outdated" and "hard to access," now appears relatable, youthful, and full of energy.

Amidst the dazzling city lights, the members of TIA are busily preparing for their familiar performance. For them, every note from their instruments is not just the sound of art, but also the heartbeat of Vietnamese culture being preserved and passed on.

And as long as young hands continue to touch traditional musical instruments with all their hearts, those age-old melodies will continue to resonate, enduring and full of hope.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/tim-ve-am-nhac-truyen-thong-3308804.html