Looking for traditional music

Bach Dang night street - there is a small corner where the sounds of zither, bamboo flute, and pipa play warm rhythms. All seem to tell a timeless story through music from the young people of TIA club.

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

"Going the wrong way"

TIA - abbreviation of Traditional Instrument Association, is the traditional musical instrument club ofFPT University, Da Nang. Founded in 2020, with just a few instruments, a few friends with the same passion and the simple belief that traditional music never gets old.

After 5 years, TIA has nearly 70 members, proficient in five main musical instruments including zither, pipa, bamboo flute, erhu and moon lute. From small performances in the school yard, TIA gradually stepped out into the streets, bringing the sound of traditional instruments to street music nights on the banks of the Han River and even to cultural events and international festivals.

Project "Bringing traditional musical instruments to high schools" with the participation of TIA members.

What makes TIA special is not the "halo" of a famous club's stage, but the way they live with traditional music with love, respect and perseverance of youth.

Ha Thi Tuyen - club leader, 3rd year student of Multimedia Management still clearly remembers the first time she came to TIA: “I have loved music since I was little, especially traditional music. The sounds of the zither, bamboo flute, monochord… always make me feel close and proud. When I entered university, among the vibrant clubs such as dance and guitar, I was drawn to TIA where everything is rustic, genuine and full of life”.

Initially, Tuyen was the group’s main vocalist, then gradually took on the role of organizer and connecting the members. For Tuyen, TIA is not just a place to perform, but a “fire-spreading” collective, a place to nurture love and pride for traditional music.

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

Unlike Tuyen's enthusiasm, Truong Hoang Vu, the person in charge of organizing TIA's program, is a rather quiet guy. He got involved with TIA by chance. The final year student of Media Intelligence used to play the guitar, but was attracted 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 eyes of young audiences when they exclaimed: "Oh, traditional musical instruments can also play modern music?". That moment brought Vu true happiness when traditional sounds went beyond familiar limits, touching the hearts of today's generation.

Keep the beat for the future

Choosing the difficult path of preserving through creativity, TIA brings a new approach to traditional music. At TIA, traditional instruments are “awakened” in the contemporary music space: the sound of the zither resonates with the gentle rhythm of the piano, the bamboo flute resonates with the fiery electric guitar…

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

Traditional sounds no longer stand alone, but melt into the rhythms of pop, lo-fi, R&B or EDM, both strange and familiar.

TIA’s arrangements always make listeners go from surprise to delight. “Cut in half the sadness”, “Noi nay co anh”, “Dung lam trai tim anh”, “Bac Bling”… are dressed in a new coat of pipa, erhu, bamboo flute, becoming rustic but also full of interest.

When they need to blend in with the world , they bring Despacito, Flower, Señorita with traditional Vietnamese instruments as a subtle introduction to national cultural identity.

However, every time 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”…, melodies flowing in the source of memories.

“We don’t innovate to be different, but to prove that folk music can live in any era,” Vu shared.

Not only stopping at performing, TIA also chooses to bring traditional music out of the stage, into community life through meaningful projects such as "Community Music" or "Bringing traditional musical instruments to high schools".

They open free musical instrument classes, bring flutes to Bach Dang walking street, interact with international students, and go to schools to sow the “seeds” of love for traditional music in the hearts of the young generation.

On the TikTok platform @tiaxinchao, the group’s behind-the-scenes videos of their practices and performances attract tens of thousands of views. Traditional music, once considered “outdated” and “unapproachable”, has now become familiar, youthful and full of energy.

In the middle of the city full of bright lights, TIA members are busy preparing for their familiar performance. For them, each sound of the instrument or flute is not only the sound of art, but also the heartbeat of Vietnamese culture that is being preserved and continued.

And as long as young hands still touch traditional musical instruments with all their hearts, those thousand-year-old sounds will still resonate, enduring and full of hope.

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