| A new musical fusion has arisen in New York and | | | | This system has its roots in Taoism, which |
| it's not the kind you can catch for ten dollars at a | | | | teaches that all matter is formed from the five |
| club in the West Village. For the many thousands | | | | basic elements of metal, earth, wood, fire, and |
| of Chinese immigrants trying to stay afloat in a | | | | water. It teaches that in order for a being to be |
| new world and for those westerners who have | | | | healthy, it must have all of these elements in |
| always wanted to understand the Chinese but | | | | balance. So, from the Chinese perspective, a song |
| have shied away for lack of a way in--for anyone | | | | or piece of music must also contain a uniquely |
| who has wondered where the two civilizations | | | | crafted balance of these elements. There are also |
| connect, the answer may lie not in words, but in | | | | eight note scales that relate to the Taoist symbol |
| music. | | | | called the bagua, which is most commonly known |
| Lisa Li is a master of the pipa (Chinese lute) and a | | | | in the West as part of the practice of fengshui, |
| graduate of the Chinese Conservatory of China. | | | | or geomancy. |
| She has composed and performed across Europe, | | | | An example of this is the piece she wrote for the |
| Asia and the United States, and her playing was | | | | dance “A Dunhuang Dream.” The dance is |
| featured in the Academy Award-winning movie | | | | set against a backdrop of thousands of caves |
| The Last Emperor. Now, as one of the lead | | | | carved into the sides of cliffs as they are in the |
| composers for New Tang Dynasty Television's | | | | Moago Grottoes in the Dunhuang region of China. |
| Chinese New Year Spectacular, a grand scale | | | | Seated at the mouth of each cave is a Buddhist |
| performance of traditional Chinese dance and | | | | or Taoist deity. As the dancers emerge, one can |
| song, Lisa has created what she believes to be a | | | | hear from the orchestra pit the voices of the |
| new kind of sound--based on ancient Chinese folk | | | | erhu (Chinese violin) and guzhen (zither), but these |
| and religious music, but going beyond either of | | | | are soon joined by the more recognizable |
| them. | | | | resonance of cello, bass, oboe, and brass. The |
| “Music is alive, because in the view of the | | | | result strikes the ear as achingly otherworldly and |
| Chinese ancients, every single object in the world | | | | yet also solidly familiar. |
| has life. In fact, in Chinese, when we refer to a | | | | In fact, the specific ya yue used in the score is |
| musical note we call it a ‘live note,’” | | | | the same as that found in the ancient pipa music |
| she explains. But according to Lisa, it must be | | | | written on scrolls that were discovered by |
| composed and played from the | | | | archeologists in the actual Dunhuang caves years |
| heart—sometimes in ways that sound foreign | | | | ago. |
| to the western ear. | | | | “I feel very deeply that music is a heavenly |
| But the melodies are far from random. Lisa’s | | | | language, a divine language,” Lisa says. “It |
| music, like all traditionally composed Chinese music, | | | | is able to uplift people’s hearts and minds. It is |
| is based on a series of pentatonic (5-note) scales. | | | | good for the soul. |