The Wong reading was pretty dense and hard to get through, but it has a lot of interesting views and information. For Deborah Wong the idea of activism in the ethnomusicological study of Asian Americans making music is essential. The fact that there is a lot history and misunderstanding behind the identity of Asian Americans in addition to the already difficult to describe field of ethnomusicology and the problems that naturally arise in gathering an ethnography, necessitates the article's complexity.
I think that there is a lot that can be taken from this reading, one of the things that really struck me, though, was in the difficulty that Wong said that there was in defining Asian American music, because of the misconceptions and lack of understanding as to what the Asian American identity is. The problem that presents itself here is something that I think can be taken account into much of the writing we do in the context of each of the musical cultures we study. Deborah Wong says that she wants to steer away from asking if there is Asian American music because it raises the question of if there is an Asian American identity and diverts attention away from actually showing what it is and how it functions (pg 13). I think that this is important to note, because in some sense we all have to define the culture and the identities of the people within the culture we are studying. While it might not be so difficult for us, as I don't think any of us are taking on such a big issue as Deborah Wong is, I think it is good to realize that we can't use the assumption that others know what we mean when we say something, like in my case, the average bluegrass musician. I realize I might have been rather lax in actually defining what a bluegrass musician is, assuming that others had a similar picture to the one in my head, without thinking about the possible stereotypes that may or may not be accurate to the bluegrass culture. I believe we also have discussed in class that implying and making assumptions are very dangerous when we are dealing with subjects and material that can be heavily loaded with stereotypes and misconceptions.
I agree with you on the note that assuming universal implication can be very dangerous - particularly when dealing with a peoples and culture ... one can never really "define" who or what a "kind" of person is. To do so would automatically be assuming the identity of another. In a way, i suppose the question of how much we can truly take on another's music, writings, actions, or (even) words, digest them, and "regurgitate" them in our own practice and study comes into play. Because in my mind (correct me if i'm wrong) that is essentially what we are doing when we study anything outside of ourselves really ... we often mistake personal ideas and "visions" of truth as truth and fact in themselves. We then spread our ideas and back them up with our own evidence and experience in the hopes that others will "validate" them through acceptance. Good and bad can come out of this. But in the end I think its more about the constant deconstruction of these "set" ideas and functions that brings us closer to the truth rather than the ideas themselves ... i.e. the deconstruction of "popular" stereotypes ...
ReplyDeleteYou make a really good point about making assumptions based on our group especially considering how poorly defined the group in question can be. Wong struggles to isolate the ethnic identity of her group because she is cautious about assigning an identity that they do not take ownership of themselves. I find myself assuming that the target of the music I am studying for my project are middle class housewives but I could be way off base. Perhaps they are already going to make purchases and therefore do not need the extra influence, and the target group could really be a less likely consumer.
ReplyDeleteI was particularly interested in Wong's idea of performance as "constructive rather than reflective of social realities" which goes along with the idea of identifying the function of music (versus the existence of a particular type of music, in this case music performance in Asian America). This idea of construction versus reflection also implies that music of a particular culture is dynamic & constantly changing in the process of constructing society. Willis is referenced in DeNora's reading saying something similar in that "music is active and dynamic [...] of trajectories and styles of conduct in real time" (7). It is heartening to me that Asian American performative practices are being more deeply analyzed as I have noticed (particularly in recent years) that this musical style/practice is on the rise. As a Korean American, the idea that musical practice (my own as well as those of other fellow Asian Americans) constructs my identity is a fascinating one and something that I will be looking into in more detail.
ReplyDeleteI think you made a really valid point when bringing up bluegrass music. I personally don't listen to bluegrass music often, so I'm sure my image of it differs greatly from yours. By the same token, I may have assumed everyone pictured the blues the way I did. I also assumed that they view it in a similar light but didn't take into account their possibly differing perspectives. For that reason, it might be important to "define" the topic (i.e. bluegrass, blues) using your own definition in a discussion setting and listening to the varying opinions of the subject matter. It might give you a new perspective, provide further insight, or even on the other end of the spectrum, a teaching opportunity so that you may bestow your knowledge on those who are unfamiliar but eager to learn.
ReplyDeleteWong's points actually relate to my project in some sense. When I first started my project, I was under the assumption that there were a handful of different jazz cultures in which most jazz musicians fit into. I was completely wrong; as i mentioned in my presentation, jazz culture is a different thing at different times. It all depends on who is listening to it, who is presenting it, where and how it's being made, etc. This difficulty in defining what jazz culture is made it fairly difficult for me to examine how jazz improvisation is a cultural practice.
ReplyDeleteI think Wong was very intelligent when she decided to not talk about the Asian American culture. Both Asia and America are so large that there is no way to accurately said that the culture is just one thing. At the same time, I can see the frustration of trying to talk about something and finding out someone else's stereotypes that are in their head destroy what one is saying. This is definitely something that has stood out to me as more of my friends are not from the USA. In many cases, I have to explain some of the stereotypes they have heard which definitely makes me understand why people see Americans the way they do.
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