Music Bridge

The CIPSU International Music Summer School

2017 Report

For this first time, as a result of the collaboration between the Confucius Institute at

Portland State University and Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), PSU School of

Music students participated in the International Summer Music School at CCOM held in

July 2017 in Beijing, China,

The program was sponsored by Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban.

Nine students (six PSU students and three Oregon high school students), and two faculty

chaperones spent two weeks attending Chinese instrument workshops, academic music

lectures, art classes, advanced seminars, experiencing local music and folk cultures, and

enjoying authentic tasty Chinese food.

The students participated in fifty academic activities, and enjoyed nine top cultural tours

in Beijing.

They were joined by fifty other international students from around the world including

South Africa, Denmark, and Canada.

On July 15, at the end of the summer school, all of the students performed at the closing

concert, featuring classical Chinese musical works.

Feedback from our students …

"There are so many facets of this trip that beneficially impacted me. I made

friends from all over the world. I got to study with amazing teachers. I learned so

much of not only the Chinese culture, but of other countries’ cultures. I drew

close to people from Portland that I would have otherwise not known. I look

forward to exploring in my compositions the expressiveness I learned from

Chinese pitch bending. I am excited to try composing with an appreciation of

melody that is woven throughout the Chinese music we heard. I can’t wait to try

writing music that expresses the elegance and grace of the Chinese culture.

Where subtle melodic variation, tempo changes, and a return to the melody sculpt

a fully realized landscape that sweeps the listener away on a steady, fresh

breeze." – Julia K

“I felt I benefitted from this trip as a person and a musician. On top of memorizing a

traditional Chinese percussion piece and performing it, I got to spend some quality time

with my private teachers who are both from China and similar in age. It was a good thing

for me to meet people who are pursuing similar careers on the other side of the world. In

whole, I'm glad I was able to be a part of this eye opening summer school.” – Micah H

2017 International Summer Music School Students

CLOSING CONCERT HELD ON JULY 15, 2017

The concert featured eleven pieces for one large ensemble, nine smaller instrumental ensembles,

and one chorus. The PSU students were the leads of their respective ensembles.

The first piece: Colorful Summer Clouds. Damon Flick was the Concert Master of the large

ensemble.

Guzheng Ensemble performance: A Flowery Moonlight Night on the Spring River. Julia Kinzler

was one of the ensemble leads. She started the performance a recitation of Chinese poetry.

Sheng Ensemble performance: Joyful Chatter. Lisa Lipton was the ensemble lead and conductor.

Pipa Ensemble performance. Damon Flick was the lead of the Pipa ensemble.

Yangqin, Chinese dulcimer Ensemble performance: The Good News. Amanda Chan (first on the

right of the front row) and Jing Lu (second on the right of the front row).

Guqin Ensemble performance: Autumn Wind Tune and Drunkard. Anna Russell is the second on

the left.

Zhong Ruan Ensemble performance: Reminiscences of Yunnan, Third Movement (Abridged).

Julia Lee is the first on the right.

Dizi Ensemble performance: Full of Joy. Amanda Chan is the second on the left.

Erhu Ensemble performance: A Beautiful Night. Christina IM and Nicole McCabe are in the

black dresses.

Percussion ensemble performance: A Bull Fighting a Tiger. Micah Hummel is on the right,

performing as the tiger.

Post-concert joy: music students joined by the CI Director, Jian Wang and two chaperones Jing

Lu, and Julia Lee

OPENING CONCERT HELD ON JULY 3, 2017

Pictured are eight famous Chinese musicians of eight different instruments from Central

Conservatory of Music. They played the first piece of music of the concert called Dunhuang (a

place in Gansu province of China; also a very important place in Silk Road history).

A group picture of our students and all the musicians from CCOM at the opening concert.

DEMONSTRATION CONCERTS

The demonstration concerts took place from 12:30pm to 1:30PM every day. Two or three

Chinese instruments were introduced to students each day, including Erhu, Zhonghu, Sheng,

Ruan, Konghou (Chinese harp), Guzheng, Banhu, Jinghu, Liuqin, Sanxian, Yangqin (Chinese

dulcimer), Gaohu, Pipa, Guqin, Dizi (Chinese flute) and Suona (Chinese trumpet). In total, 16 of

the most popular Chinese instruments were presented.

Damon Flick plays the Konghou, Chinese harp, after the Konghou Demonstration.

Above is Damon Flick drawing the Guzheng artist, Meng Li, when she gave her demo. He drew

a series of the artists from the Music Summer School and wrote their name and instruments in

Chinese. These illustrations were showcased during the beginning of the closing concert.

Damon Flick’s series of illustrations of artists from the summer music school.

All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the demo concerts. They heartily applauded the artists.

Prof. Changfu Liu demonstrated the Erhu, Zhonghu (upper left)

Prof. Yang Xu and her Ruan ensemble played the Zhongruan (upper right)

Prof. Meng Li showed off the Guzheng (bottom left)

Prof. Junzhi Cui showed Konghou, Chinese harp (bottom right)

Hu Master, Kemei Jiang, demonstrated the Jinghu, Banhu (upper left)

Prof. Junmiao Cui played the Liuqin (upper right)

Prof. Longjian Tan showed off the Sanxian (bottom left)

Suona Master, Bo Hu, played the Suona, Chinese trumpet (bottom right)

Prof. Zaili Tia demonstrated the Gaohu (upper left)

Prof. Yuening Liu played the Yangqin, Chinese dulcimer (upper right)

Guqin master, Prof. Xiangting Li showed off the Guqin (bottom left)

Di artist, Lian Long, played the Dizi, Chinese Flute and Xiao, vertical Chinese flute (bottom

right)

Prof. Shoucheng Yang plays the Sheng.

Pipa master, Prof. Zemin Chen played the Pipa by himself. He is 86 years old.

ART CLASSES

The students also experienced other art forms of Chinese culture, including Calligraphy, Peking

Opera, and Ancient Chinese painting.

At the calligraphy workshop, the Calligraphy Prof. Chenzhen Zong taught students to write

different styles of the word Fu, which means blessing people to have a happy life. At the request

of students, the teacher also taught the words Yin Yue, which means music for all.

Lisa Lipton (left) and Micah Hummel (right)’s Chinese excellent calligraphy of the word Fu.

Amanda Chan’s Chinese calligraphy of the word Yin, which means music.

Damon Flick tried the sword, spear, and knife with the Peking Opera master, Suosen Lv, during

the Peking Opera experience class. He is mimicking what the teacher just taught him with the

sword.

EXPERT LECTURES OF MUSIC

There were in total 26 Expert Lectures on Music. All lecturers were professors of CCOM or

experts of Chinese music. They gave lectures on multiple topics of Chinese music, world music,

classic music in China, Singing in China and so on, such as The Universality of Music, Going

into the World of “Chinese Art Songs”, Classic Music, Returning from Career to Devotion, The

Aesthetic Interest of Contemporary Chinese National Chamber Music, Free Talk on Bassoon,

Improvisation in China-A Western Perspective (by Randy Raine-Reusch, Canadian Musician,

Visiting Scholar of “Confucius Institute China Studies Program” at CCOM), The Flowers

Garden of World Folk Music and so on.

Prof. Boyu Zhang, The History

and Category of Traditional

Chinese Music (upper left)

Prof. Kuanzhao He, The Aesthetic

Interest of Contemporary

Chinese National Chamber

Music (upper right)

Prof. Huiwen Song, The Chinese

Guqin Culture in “The Lore of

the Chinese Lute (middle left)

Prof. Lansong Li, Free Talk on

Bassoon (middle right)

Prof. Yunfeng He, Who is

Singing There? (bottom left)

Prof. Ruilin Zhao, The Glorius

Sound in the Orchestra – Brass

Instruments (bottom right)

Visiting Scholar “Confucius Institute China Studies Program”, Randy Raine-Reusch,

Improvisation in China-A Western Perspective (upper left)

Prof. Shuting Li, The Chinese Instrumental Music without Chinese Instruments (upper right)

Prof. Xiaoting Gong, The Chinese Cultural Character in the Composition of Piano Works

(middle left)

Prof. Dong Liu, The Charm of Singing (middle right)

Prof. Ziming Chen, The Flowers Garden of World Folk Music (bottom left)

Prof. Cizhao Wang, Chinese Style of “Allegro” (bottom right)

CCOM Researcher, Jianhua Miao, Chinese Guqin Music (upper left)

Associate Researcher of CCOM, Fuxiao Gao, The Expressive Force of Music and Its Evaluation

(upper right)

Prof. Qiong Tang, Chinese Violin Music (middle left)

Doctor of CCOM, Lexin Zhang, Beethoven in 20th

Century China – How a Western Known and

Understood by Chinese Audience (middle right)

Prof. Jin Song, Seeking for Tao through Playing Guqin: The Behavioral Pattern of Self-

Cultivation (bottom left)

Prof. Hongyan Zhang, The Art of Pipa (bottom right)

The students listening to the lecture on the Universality of Music by Prof. Ping An where they

enjoyed learning the Tala rhythm of Indian music.

Julia Lee playing the Caribbean musical instrument, the Steel drum, after the lecture entitled:

The Flowers Garden of the World Folk Music.

Damon Flick tried to play the panpipe from Romania after the lecture: The Flowers Garden of

the World Folk Music.

EXPERIENCING CULTURAL EXCURSIONS IN BEJING

The students visited many of the top tourist attractions in Beijing. In addition to the six

sightseeing trips originally planned for the summer school, CCOM managed to add three more

trips for the students, including the Bird Nest (2008 Beijing Olympic Stadium), Houhai (Old

Beijing street area), and Hongqiao Market (shopping mall for gifts) during the second week.

A group picture of all the students at the bottom of the Great Wall.

The three high school students were very excited to visit the Great Wall.

A group picture of all of the camp students at the Summer Palace.

Middle photo: Christian IM, Anna Russell, Nicole McCabe, Libby Michel and Amanda Chan

(from left to right)

We rode the lake boat at the Summer Palace. Students were very happy that they had this

opportunity to take the boat and experience how the ancient Chinese royal family lived in the

Summer Palace.

Flying into the sky at the Temple of Heaven

Top photo: Micah Hummel, Lisa Lipton, Julia Lee, Jing Lu, Amanda Chan, Nicole Mc Cabe,

Damon Flick, Anna Russell, Libby Michel and Christina IM (from left to right)

In front of Tian’anmen Square

Julia Kinzler (pink top) visited the Opera House and the exhibit of the NCPA’s repertories at

National Center for the Performing Arts.

At Houhai, the old Beijing street area

Damon Flick’s family came to Beijing to visit him. We took his family to Houhai, the Old

Beijing Street Area trip together. Here they are happily shopping in one of the store there.

Amanda Chan mailing a post card to her family at the Post Office in Beijing. This photo was

taken in front of the post office. She was mimicking the bronze statue.

Students found this t-shirt in the Hong Qiao market. They all got to do some haggling there, one

part of the unique experience of shopping there.

On the first Saturday evening, Ms. Jing Lu took the Portland group to Hai Di Lao, the most

famous hotpot restaurant in Beijing. Students were all fascinated with the restaurant. Not only

did the hotpot taste delicious, the service was excellent as well. When we waited in the line for

our table, they offered drinks and food to us. Then they offered to do our nails while we are

waiting for the table. When we sat at our table, we ordered food by using a digital tablet with

beautiful pictures. They distributed aprons to everyone to protect our clothes, small zipper bags

to protect our phones, and gave hair bands to the women to keep their hair up while eating. There

were phone chargers for each seat and they gave us a big bottle of complimentary home-made

berry juice to quench our thirst. When we left, they gave us a big box of complimentary Danish

cookies. We all had an unforgettable hotpot experience at Hai Di Lao.

A group picture at Hai Di Lao, the hotpot restaurant.

Besides all of the outdoor sightseeing, CCOM also arranged some indoor activities for all

students, including watching the rehearsal of the China Youth Symphony Orchestra and visiting

the Chinese Instrument exhibition. Amanda Chan recorded the entire rehearsal and was surprised

by how wonderful they played. Nicole McCabe said she was amazed by their professionalism.

Damon Flick was obsessed with the Tibetan trumpet. He got permission to play it, and was able

to play it quite well. He didn’t want to leave the exhibition hall.

A group picture of the China Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Music Summer School

students in the rehearsal hall.

Nicole McCabe playing the

Bian Zhong (upper)

Julia Kinzler playing the

Bian Zhong (middle)

Damon Flick playing the

Tibetan trumpet (bottom)

CHINESE INSTRUMENTS WORKSHOPS

There were nine Chinese instrument workshops during the summer music school. 53 teachers

gave lessons to all students, with the student-to-teacher ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. Many of our students,

including Lisa Lipton, Micah Hummel, Damon Flick, Julia Kinzler and Amanda Chan, not only

quickly learned how to play each instrument, but also spent a lot of time concentrating on

practicing their own designated instruments. Julia Kinzler learned the Guzheng. She was very

dedicated to her instrument. She went to school earlier in the morning than the others to practice.

Damon Flick learned the Pipa, which he brought back to the hotel to practice after school at night.

Three of the high students and Nicole McCabe usually stayed in the practice rooms until the last

minute of the instrument workshop. Julia Lee learned the Zhongruan and she was also the piano

accompanist for the large ensemble piece, Colorful Summer Clouds. Amanda Chan impressively

learned two instruments in ten days. She was assigned to learn the Dizi, the Chinese flute and her

teacher said she was a very fast learner. Her teacher only had to show her something once and

then she could continue to learn on her own. Then she asked Jing Lu to learn one more

instrument. She decided to learn the Yangqin, Chinese Dulcimer. Jing Lu is not only the

chaperone of our Portland team but also a Yangqin teacher. In addition to Amanda Jing Lu

taught the Yangqin to Libby Michel.

Damon Flick learning the Pipa with his teacher Jiaqing Lin.

Lisa Lipton learning the Sheng with her teacher Yang Zheng.

Libby Michel learning the Yangqin, Chinese dulcimer, with Jing Lu.

Anna Russell practicing the Guqin with her roommate. As a high school student, she did an

amazing job learning an instrument that has over 3000 years of history. She learned two pieces

of music and can play them perfectly.

Micah Hummel learning Chinese drum with his teacher Shuai Qu.

Julia Kinzler in the rehearsal of the Guzheng ensemble, an instrument she is fascinated with. The

picture shows her listening to her teacher count the beat.

The large ensemble rehearsal for the closing concert on July 15th

.

Zhong Ruan ensemble rehearsal. Julia Lee is on the right.

Dizi ensemble rehearsal. Amanda Chan is the second on the left.

Erhu ensemble rehearsal. Christina IM is on the first row. Nicole McCabe is the second row.

DELICIOUS CHINESE FOOD

Celebration of Christina IM’s 17th

birthday in a famous Chinese bakery, Holiland, everyone was

fascinated by the yummy pastries. Many of our students bought Holiland pastries as gifts to bring

home before they left. The students ate a wonderful buffet lunch and dinner. Middle left picture

is the buffet. Besides the buffet, Jing Lu also introduced some other local classic dishes:

Thousand-layer Tofu in Pot (middle right), Candied sweet potato (bottom left), Chinese pancake

with egg (bottom middle), Kung Pao Chicken (bottom right). The ice pops are from the old

Beijing street area and cakes are from the Chinese bakery shop. Everyone loved the food.

Also pictured is the delicious food in Hai Di Lao, the most famous hotpot restaurant in Beijing.

We ordered four different broths, tomato broth, multiple mushroom broth, seafood broth and

spicy broth. The tomato broth was the favorite of them all. We ordered mostly vegetable, some

beef, lamb and some shrimp, dishes. Both veggie and non-veggie eaters enjoyed the delicious

food.

VISIT FROM DIRECTORS OF CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE AT PORTLAND STATE

UNIVERSITY

On July 7th

, Director, Jian Wang and Deputy Director, Jian Zhang, from CIPSU visited the PSU

students at CCOM. They also met with the secretary of the party committee, Shulan Guo, from

CCOM (中央音乐学院党委书记) and the director of the Exchange and Experience of Chinese

and Foreign Music Cultures & Music Confucius Institute, Dr. Yuening Liu. The two parties

discussed their collaboration and future plans. The CIPSU directors invited Mrs. Shulan Guo and

Dr. Yuening Liu to attend the CIPSU’s 10th

Anniversary Celebration.

Upper photo: Ms. Shulan Guo

(first on the right), Dr. Yuening

Liu (second on the right),

Director Jian Wang (first on the

left), Director Jian Zhang

(second on the left)

Middle photo: a group photo of

the meeting

Bottom photo: Director Jian

Wang visited our students

DEPARTING BEIJING AND RETURNING HOME

Amanda Chan’s Yangqin packed at the airport

Some mixed traditional Beijing

pastries to share with families

(upper left)

Sichuan Face Changing to show

families (upper right)

Pu-er tea to taste with families

(bottom).

Before leaving Beijing, everyone purchased their favorite musical instruments to take home.

Damon Flick bought a Pipa, a Guzheng and a Xiao. Amanda Chan purchased a Yangqin and two

Dizis. Julia Lee bought an Erhu. Lisa Lipton acquired a Sheng and Julia Kinzler a Guzheng.

Amanda Chan has decided that she will take Yangqin lessons from Jing Lu next fall at CIPSU.

The students also bought a lot of small gifts for their families. Jing Lu, a native of Beijing, also

kindly prepared some small gifts for each one to take home. In the student cafeteria, we all tried

pu-er tea. Because so many of them expressed a real love for this type of tea, it was included in

the group of small gifts to take home. The hope is that they will still remember the taste back

home.

Although the summer music school is over, the wonderful memories and friendships made

during the camp will last forever. Julia Kinzler told Jing Lu that she is still practicing Guzheng

every day, and has started composing a song for it.

Both Damon and Amanda have expressed that they would like to come back next summer for the

music school. Next year’s summer music school is tentatively scheduled to take place in Guilin -

- a city that “has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography and is one of China's

most popular tourist destinations” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilin).

Written by Jing Lu and Jian Wang

Confucius Institute at PSU

August 5, 2017