UNCSA is primarily a conservatory of Western art, so opportunities to experience the music, dance, drama, film, and visual art of non-Western cultures are rare here. We had one such opportunity on May 11 when two accomplished Montagnard musicians visited our school to speak and give a demonstration of the use of traditional instruments.
NC Heritage Award recipient Dock Ramah (standing in the picture on the right) and Y Suk Bukrong (sitting) played a variety of hand-made instruments and spoke about a variety of cultural contexts, including courtship, informal evening entertainment, etc., in which traditional music plays a vital role on Montagnard culture.
Students and others were able to ask questions of the musicians on a wide variety of topics, including questions on the attitude of young people in Montagnard culture towards traditional music and culture. Dock Ramah indicated that it was an uphill battle to interest the young in making and/or learning to play traditional music, or in being involved in other traditional forms.
This is a particularly intriguing problem to present in the context of UNCSA because, as noted above, our school is a conservatory of traditional art forms/genres in Western art and culture. Students clearly appreciate and learn traditional forms, but it is also abundantly clear --for example by looking at the number of students who are members of contemporary-music bands, who write and perform their own hip hop pieces and so forth-- that respect for tradition is balanced with contemporary concerns and involvements.
We haven't heard yet from Montagnard youth themselves on this topic of traditional vs. contemporary culture, but I think we will very soon. Andrew Young is hooking us up to talk with a young Montagnard writer in NYC and a young Montagnard rapper who lives in Raleigh NC. We are also looking to welcome a contingent of young Montagnards from the Greensboro NC area to talk with us and take a tour of our campus.
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