A Taiwanese band called A Moving Sound introduces university students to Taiwan's traditional instruments. And they're preparing to bring Taiwan's stories to the U.S. Midwest.
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00:00From the heart of the Black Water Valley
00:05I left my hometown and came to a new home
00:12Mia is singing about her father's migration to Taiwan
00:15across the Black Ditch
00:16or what is known today as the Taiwan Strait
00:19It's a common past for many Taiwanese families
00:22and she's bringing that history to life
00:24on stage for college students
00:26starting their first day of university
00:29We bring a lot of connections to Taiwan's past history
00:33and modern culture
00:35When I found out that this Katakana
00:37was originally from the Black Ditch
00:39I opened up my heart
00:41Katakana
00:45I think it's a way to make up for the gap
00:53That's a gap Mia herself felt growing up
00:57When she was preparing to go to the U.S. to study
01:00she was only interested in Western art
01:02It was only after she landed in New York
01:04that she began wondering about
01:06her own cultural identity from Taiwan
01:13That's when she started a band with her husband Scott
01:16over 20 years ago
01:18It's called A Moving Sound
01:19and they incorporate instruments from around the world
01:22There's a bass guitar
01:26paired with the Chinese mandolin or liuqin
01:32a drum from the Middle East
01:37as well as an erhu
01:39typically heard in traditional Taiwanese operas
01:45Part of their performance at universities
01:47is to share with students
01:48about Taiwan's own musical traditions
01:50Happy New Year
01:52Really?
01:54Are you really happy?
01:56And what these classical instruments
01:58are capable of when they break out of old conventions
02:05Scott says their experimental approach to music
02:07reflects Taiwan's democratic multicultural environment
02:11I kind of feel like our music
02:13could only have been made in Taiwan
02:15Not just because
02:17all the ethnic references
02:19are Taiwanese
02:21Not only that though
02:23just the climate of creativity
02:25and openness and freedom
02:27I feel it's in the music
02:29and I feel like that's what we deliver
02:31Scott says for their latest pieces
02:33they worked with a string quartet
02:35called Ethel from New York
02:37and they hope these international collaborations
02:39will bring Taiwan to new audiences
02:41who may not know much about the country
02:43In a couple of weeks
02:45A Moving Sound will set off to live among
02:47and perform for underserved communities
02:49in the U.S. states of North Dakota
02:51South Dakota, and Minnesota
02:53as part of a residency program
02:55funded by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts
02:57Their U.S. trip will also bring them
02:59to university campuses
03:01as well as the Smithsonian Institution
03:03After watching the live performances
03:05a lot of people will come to us
03:07even kids
03:09They say they want to travel to Taiwan
03:11when they grow up
03:13I think this is
03:15I think this music
03:17is a way for us to
03:19do national diplomacy
03:21I think it's our honor
03:31A Moving Sound wants to paint a picture
03:33of Taiwan in the mind of their listeners
03:35and they hope their music
03:37carries not just Taiwan's culture and history
03:39but also the diversity and openness
03:41that made their creativity possible
03:46Ethan Pan, Kama Xu, and Yuchen Lai
03:48for Taiwan Plus