Love for traditional musical instruments

Amidst the modern pace of life, the sounds of the zither, bamboo flute, and two-stringed fiddle are being revived with passion by young people.

Members of the TIA Traditional Instrument Club at a traditional instrument performance on the banks of the Han River. Photo: KN

From university lecture halls to Hoi An ancient town, love for traditional musical instruments is gradually spreading in the pride of preserving national cultural identity.

Inspire love of musical instruments

In the bustling atmosphere of the 80 Years of National Achievements Exhibition (A80) held in Hanoi on the occasion of National Day, the clear sound of the zither combined with the rhythm made many people stop and listen.

On stage, student Le Minh Quan, class K18 majoring in Software Engineering,FPT University, enthusiastically performed. Quan's fingers glided lightly over the strings, his eyes shining with pride and emotion: "I never thought that a technology student like me would have the opportunity to represent the young generation to perform traditional music at a national event like this."

In his early days at FPT, Quan was passionate about technology, spending most of his time in the programming room. But then one afternoon, when he passed by the school’s traditional music club, the sound of the monochord seemed to be calling his name.

Quan said: “At that time, I found that sound different from everything around me, soft, deep and very Vietnamese. I thought, if technology can connect people with the future, then traditional music helps us connect with our roots.”

So, from a person who was musically illiterate, Quan started to learn notes, learned how to keep the beat, practiced his fingers until his hands were calloused. Thanks to his perseverance, he can now play the zither and bamboo flute proficiently and regularly performs at school events. For Quan, every time he touches a traditional musical instrument, he feels closer to his homeland, to the memories of the evenings listening to his grandmother lull him to sleep with melodies and songs.

Not only Quan, many FPT Da Nang students also found their passion when traditional musical instruments were included in the official curriculum since 2014. Each student must choose a traditional musical instrument to learn and perform at the end of the semester. This is a creative approach to help the younger generation understand and feel Vietnamese music through direct experience.

Dan tranh lecturer Dinh Thi Thu Dung, FPT University Da Nang shared: “When students play dan tranh or lute, I see national pride in their eyes. That is also what we aim for when arousing love for traditional musical instruments among young people.”

From the love for traditional musical instruments, nearly 100 students of FPT University Danang have practiced and lived together in a common space called TIA Traditional Musical Instruments Club.

Under the guidance of local instructors and artisans, young people learn how to play five musical instruments such as the zither, moon lute, pipa, two-stringed fiddle, bamboo flute, etc. Performances and workshops on traditional musical instruments take place almost every month, attracting many young people to come and experience.

Student Ha Tuyen, Head of the TIA Traditional Musical Instrument Club, hopes that every young person who comes here can master a musical instrument.

According to Tuyen, the special feature of the club is the harmonious combination of tradition and creativity. In addition to basic practice hours with instructors, members also experiment with arranging and playing traditional instruments with modern instruments such as guitar, violin or keyboard. "We want listeners to feel that traditional music is not far away, but can be integrated into today's life, close and full of emotions," Tuyen shared.

Spread to young people

If a few years ago, the melodies from the zither, the two-stringed fiddle, and the pipa were still quite unfamiliar to the Gen Z generation, now, more and more young people are actively seeking out classes and clubs to get their hands on traditional musical instruments. This return is a welcome sign in a time when musical tastes are being influenced by many more modern and diverse factors.

In Hoi An ancient town, each Street Music Exchange program has the appearance of young artists performing traditional musical instruments. Amidst the bustling crowd, the sound of the zither and the gentle sound of the bamboo flute blend with the drum beat, creating a space that is both ancient and fresh.

Many foreign audiences not only stopped to listen but also enthusiastically recorded clips and posted them on social networks with emotional captions: “Vietnamese music is so beautiful!”, “I didn’t expect the monochord to be so good!”. Such videos quickly spread, contributing to bringing traditional music closer to the public, especially the youth.

Regularly performing at the show, artist Quach Thanh Cong said he has been playing the two-stringed fiddle (dan co) for nearly 10 years. According to him, the sound of the two-stringed fiddle is sad but beautiful. The melodious sound, sometimes long, sometimes choked, of the instrument seems to touch a deep corner of each person's soul.

At first, he only learned to play the instrument because he loved it, then gradually he was drawn into the world of sounds of traditional instruments. Every evening, he diligently practiced. From old folk songs, he tried to arrange them, then creatively combined them with Western instruments, creating new and unique melodies that still retained the Vietnamese soul.

Up to now, Quach Thanh Cong is not only a familiar face in performances in Hoi An, but also a person who inspires many young people who love traditional music. He shared: “Young people today approach traditional music very quickly, but the important thing is how to make them truly “feel” the subtlety in each sound of the instrument and flute. When they feel it, they will come and stick with it.”

It can be said that traditional music, through the hands and hearts of young people, is renewed, closer and more vivid. Thanks to that, the sounds of the strings and flutes are no longer a distant memory, but become a bridge between the past and the present and a place where young people can both learn and create to extend the flow of national culture.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/tinh-yeu-voi-nhac-cu-truyen-thong-3308288.html