Other Work

喝茶聊天 is a radio show through St. Olaf's student radio station, KSTO. Each week, I discuss a different topic in Chinese and play Chinese music on air. I also have guests on the show who come and chat with me. A folder with a couple of episodes is coming soon as there have been technical difficulties with complying with copyright law. 

Tales from Taiwan is my blog chronicling my study abroad journey in Taiwan. It has photographs, stories, and reflections from my daily life and travels. Take a look here.

Program notes: Sicong Ma was a monumental violinist, composer, and music educator in 20th century China. After receiving his musical education in Paris, he became the first internationally-recognized violinist from China. In 1949, he was appointed president of the Central Conservatory of Music, established by the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. Throughout the 1950s, Mao Zedong led a series of anti-western cultural campaigns that culminated in the Cultural Revolution in 1966. During this period, Ma periodically suspended classes at the conservatory and faced scrutiny for his involvement with the Western classical music world and refusal to officially join the Chinese Communist Party. Most notably, Ma was detained and humiliated with other Chinese composers in 1963 for "thought reform." He fled to the United States in 1967. Despite performing in Taiwan later in his career (a high-profile and controversial move), never returned to mainland China before his death in 1987. 

Ma's compositions masterfully incorporate Chinese elements into Western classical music forms. Many of Ma's works are rooted in themes from ancient Chinese literature and folk tunes, especially from Guangdong province in southeastern China. His Dragon Lantern Dance (跳龙灯) was composed in 1953. The rhythmic motifs in the piece capture the festive essence of dragon dance music, an essential component to many festivals in China. 

Performed at my senior violin recital on 4/12/2024

Part of my interdisciplinary Chinese work was in the field of musicology. During my introduction to musicology class, I conducted three different projects related to Chinese music. My assignments were: a primary source analysis, a musicological ethnography with a reflection, and an extensive final research proposal. For each project, I examined a different aspect of Chinese musical performance and cultural influence.