The Herdsman's New Melody by J. Guangyi
Nathan Y.
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This piece played on the traditional Chinese flute (dizi) is titled, “The Herdsman’s New Melody” in English and is composed by Chinese flautist and composer, Guangyi Jian in 1966. The musical style resembles closely to traditional Mongolian musicality, as seen through the mimicking of the ‘long tone’ singing and playing styles of the Morin Khuur. Each section in the song depicts the beauty of the Mongolian grasslands and the traditional Mongolian lifestyles. From the rolling grasslands that seem endless to the naked eye, to the horses galloping with thunderous hooves, each section of the piece paints a picture of one of Asia’s most breathtaking natural scenes for the audience, transporting them to the scene.
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Playing Chinese flute is my way of sharing my beautiful culture to the world. As traditional Chinese music is a rare form of art here, I believe it is my responsibility to share this musical diversity to open up a path for other POC students to do the same and share their cultural music.
