East-West Culture Learning institute Report, May …...maulud [songs celebratingthe ProphetMohammad]in the southern Philippines, andgagaku [courtmusic] ofJapan.The traditions vary

East-West Culture arning Institute

East-West Center L Honolulu, Hawaii

May 1983

Volume 9 Number 1/2

THE FORMALIZED TRANSMISSION OFCULTURESelectivity in Traditional Teaching/LearningSystems in Four High Skill Music Traditions

By Ricardo D. Triniillos

In this essay, I wish to

consider the processes of cultural

continuity as reflected in teachingand learning in the performingarts, specifically in music. Four

systems of formalized

transmission, one each from

Hawai'i, India, the southern

Philippines, andJapan, serve as

data and as illustration.Formalized systems of

transmission occupy a specialplace in studies of cultural

continuity because they are

selective in the aspects of atradition they emphasize, handle,and ignore. Analysis of these

systems, therefore, provides

This issue of the East-West Culture

Learning institute Report is devoted

to articles describing activities of the

institute's Culture and the Arts

Program, one of the several

programs that provide the focus for

the work of CLI staff researchers and

participants The program includes a

performing arts series, an

international film festival, and

research into cross-cultural

01 00)

insight into characteristics of an

art deemed by the culture to be

significant. At the same time,

such systems include

teaching/learning strategies a

society has developed for itself

and, in many cases, those it

prefers to employ in thetransmission of culture.

Therefore, the examinationof transmission systems for an art

not only illuminates the art

expression itself, but also carries

important implications for

cross-cultural learning, forrevitalization of traditional arts,

and for developing (or in somecases, rebuilding) educational

systems that contain a high

degree of cultural relevance.

Introduction

For the purpose of thediscussion, tradition denotes a

specific body of knowledge or a

complex of skills associated with a

genre of performance. Althoughthe title of the discussion suggeststhat the field includes fourcultures, there is in fact a fifth

the format and the categories of

information employed belong to

the cultural milieu of the United

States, whose cultural identity is

often described in the more

general term of Western.

Viewed in a multicultural

setting, each society exhibits a

distinctive, hierarchical

configuration of individual

aspects within an art tradition.Further, such aspects are

evaluated differently by each

society; some are seen as critical

to the identity of a tradition,

some are considered desirable (butnot critical), and yet others are

regarded as incidental.For example, in the Western

symphonic tradition adherence to

specific pitches is critical. Eachviolinist must agree to tune his

A-string to 440 cycles per second.

On the other hand, it is onlydesirable that all the bows of the

first violin section move in the

same direction. Failure to do so

does not invalidate the

performance or compromise the

identity of the piece performed.

(Continued on page 2)

The FormalizedTransmission(From page 1)

Finally it is incidental albeit

traditional -that symphonymusicians wear tuxedos. A

symphonic work can be

acceptably performed in aloha

shirts or panama suits. Clothingin this case is not a critical aspect.

These same three aspects -

clothing, coordinated movement,

and pitch among othercultures, however, do havedifferent values. The aspect of

clothing (taking the three in

reverse order) is critical in the

gagaku (court music) tradition of

Japan. Both style and color ofdress are prescribed; further,there is a different costume used

in the performance of

compositions attributed to

Chinese sources (liigaku) fromthat used in pieces of Korean

origin (komagaku).Coordinated, uniform

movement is critical in the

ancient dance-song tradition of

Hawaii, often called hula kahiko.

Uniformity of movement in

producing musical sounds

sometimes supersedes the

purpose of the movement itself'.For example, in one form of

hula each dancer-musician holdsa short percussion stick in the

right hand and a long staff in theleft. Standing shoulder to

shoulder with the other membersof the group, the performerstrikes the short percussion stick

in his right hand against the longstaff held by his neighbor to the

right. The performer at the

extreme right end of the line hasno staff to strike against;however, he still executes the

movement. The striking motionhas musical intent, but in the case

of this performer there is nomusical rationale. Clearly,however, the close dance-music

relationship in the tradition

suggests a dance rationale is

operative.The third aspect is pitch.

Pitch in Indian classical music isnot an array of specific, codified

frequencies, such as the WesternA'440 cycles per second. Rather,

pitch is regarded as a series of

musical intervals or distances

figured from a single basic pitch(sa in Indian theory), whoseactual frequency depends uponthe preference of the artist. The

basic pitch can vary widely

(particularly among singers), but

the accuracy in reckoning theintervals from that basic pitch is

critical. To contrast, the conceptof pitch in the West is one ofabsolute pitch and is

product-oriented to be in tune

the pitch must be 440 vibrations

per second. The concept of pitchin India, however, is one of

relative pitch and is

process-oriented to be in tune

the pitch must be a prescribeddistance away from the basic

pitch previously selected.A system of transmission that

produces musicians able to

operate in an absolute pitchcontext is qualitatively different

from one that produces musiciansto operate using relative pitch.The corollary is also significant:in order to train musicians for a

music based upon absolute pitchit is necessary to develop a systemdifferent from that needed formusic based upon relative pitch.This corollary has particular

relevance at present, when

traditional musics of Asia and the

Pacific are being taught in

Western-model conservatories

and universities.

Finally, a word to explain the

term high-skill tradition: it denotes

a tradition which requires a

specialist and demands a level of

training in excess of what the

"ordinary" individual in a societycould achieve or commit himself

to. The term should not beconfused or equated with high art

tradition, an unfortunate termthat continues to be used indiscussions of world music.

High-skill tradition refers to a

genre in which superlative levels

of performance are expected and

carries none of the elitist,

status-defined connotations of theother term.

Ricardo D. Trimillos is currently aFellow in the Culture Learning Institute. An FWC alumnusfrom the1960s, he aprofessor ofmusic at the University ofHawaii at Manoa. He serves as music consultant for theMara Institute (Malaysia), theAcademy ofPerformingArts (HongKong), andthe Iligan Institute (Philip-pines).

The East-West Culture LearningInstitute Report, formerly the Culture

Learning Institute Report, is available

free of charge to individuals,

agencies, and institutions interested

in the work of the Institute. To have

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East-West Center

1777 East-West RoadHonolulu, Hawaii 96848 USA

1983 The East-West Center

The Nature of Formalized

Transmission

Broadly viewed, formalizedtransmission includes any processin which a mutuallyacknowledged transactional

relationship has been established

between teacher and learner. It

may be all-encompassing in

content and permanent in

duration as exemplified by the

guru-shishya (teacher-disciple)relationship of India; or it maybe limited in subject and

short-lived in duration, as

reflected in the teacher-student

relationship of a typical music

appreciation course in an

American university.The guru of India teaches his

shishya the skills of music and howto conduct his entire life; the

superordinate-subordinate

relationship extends throughoutthe lifetime of both parties. TheAmerican university teacher, on

the other hand, is responsibleonly for the topic of the courseand can be open to criticism for

handling content beyond that

purview. The contractual

relationship is documented by aclass syllabus; it is expected toend after the final examination iswritten by the student and the

grade is assigned by the teacher.

4 roSe-VV rsi uwLure 1.earulng lusutule Report

Formalized transmission as a

system varies from culture toculture and often among genreswithin the same culture. Thevariables includefocus the

perceived goals for each aspect ofthe tradition handled in thetransmission process; scope thenumber and the specific aspectshandled; degree the amount of

attention given one aspect relativeto the others; and efficiency - theamount of effort and time

required to achieve the goals.As an example of difference

in focus, teaching song text as

language in the ancient mdc

[chant] tradition of Hawai'i

highlights different aspects of

language than does the classical

singing tradition of India. In

Hawai'i the focus is upon the

ability to control and accuratelyreplicate the sounded word, the

text, to which all other elements

melody, rhythm, and dance-

are subservient. The sounded

word implies cosmological power,an implication that demands of

the performer absolute accuracyin memorization and error-free

replication of that text.

On the other hand, the

Indian musician learns to regard

language as one of'a group of

coordinate elements - text,

melody, and rhythm- that can

be subjected to variation and

improvisation during

performance. For example, he is

taught the skill of taking a songtext (which is semantically

meaningful) and applying an

improvisational technique called

gopuca-yati [tail of a cow] to it.

The words are fragmented into

syllables, which are then used as

acoustic clusters with little or no

semantic content.

Formalized transmission

exists in a complementary

relationship to informal

transmission. Through informal

means, an individual "picks up"or absorbs aspects of a tradition.

In American commercial music

such as rock and jazz, informal

transmission is the more common

and often preferred means of

acquiring expertise. Gainingmusical skills (as artistic status)

and acceptance among peers (associal status) through informal

processes is called "paying yourdues." It traditionally enjoyshigher approval among thecommercial music communitythan does a conservatoryeducation.

In traditions with aformalized system, some aspectsare still transmitted informally.The practice of blowing into aflute to warm the internal aircolumn (which seems to be almostuniversal) is one such instance.

The nature of the

performing arts themselves

suggests there is value in

considering their transmission.The arts occupy a special positionwithin a culture as one of its

distinctive and uniqueexpressions. They can distill thevalues, the beliefs, and the spiritof a people, and thencommunicate these componentsin an attractive and accessibleform.

Further, the arts representinitiative within a society, the

ways in which it chooses to

express particular relationships tothe perceived world in such

realms as religion, politics, and

entertainment. The performingarts in particular reflect stronglythe quality of cultural initiative:

they involve a real-time process,in which the process of

performing is valued at least as

highly as the performance event.

At the level of the individual,

creativity is voluntary and

internally generated. If the

performer is not in the mood or

not inspired, the result is judgedless successful in its execution

and if appropriate -in its

esthetic effect. Thus there is an

evaluative difference between

great performances and merely

craftsmanly ones. Creativity and

its successful expression arise

from within rather than being

externally imposed, a statement

that can be applied as readily to a

society as to a single individual.

If we accept this descriptionof the arts, then systems

developed to maintain them also

represent an internally generated,

self-initiated activity within a

society. The maintenance of atradition may be held importantby specific individuals or groups,such as a priestly class, aneconomic elite, or a populationsegment defined by sex. To

express it anthropomorphically, aculture through formalizedtransmission selects for survivalthose items and traditions thatare important to it. Some

significant aspects "selected forsurvival" will now be considered.

The four traditions andcultures selected for thediscussion include the mdc kahiko

[poetry-music-dance] tradition ofancient Hawai'i, the classicalmusic tradition of India, the lugumaulud [songs celebrating the

Prophet Mohammad] in thesouthern Philippines, and gagaku[court music] of Japan. Thetraditions vary in extent,

complexity and history as well as

in musical style. Their treatmenthere is necessarily incomplete,but particular attention is giventhose aspects that have

implications for cross-cultural

transmission, either into the

culture or out from it.

Ancient Hawai'i

Mele kahiko refers to the

Hawaiian performing art

traditions known to be extant

prior to European contact. The

term is a collective one,

embracing poetry, song or chant,

instrumental music, and dance.

At the present time it is more

often discussed in terms of its two

major components -oh [chant]and hula [dance]. Mdc kahiko in

its historical context is a clear

example of complementaritybetween one component of a

culture and the larger entity of

the general, collective culture.

Chant and dance served as the

principal means for passing on

knowledge and preservingculture. Religious belief was

articulated, historical events

commemorated, genealogiesdocumented, social and politicaltaxonomies reinforced, and


Last-west Culture Learning Ijisiltuic epor

The Formalized

Transmission(From page 3)

geographical sites described

through mele. The often

intangible facts of culture were

made perceivable through soundand sight, through the chant and

the hula. The tradition of mdccontinues to be a major mediumfor preservation, documentation,and dissemination of Hawaiianculture.

Thus the tradition providesan important service to the

general culture. In return the

general society devised a

transmission system that isextensive in scope and efficient inexecution. The system is based

upon the halau [school], which inearlier times was associated with a

temporal or spiritual leader. Itincludes a prescribed progressionof earned statuses, a focus upon

language-related aspects of

performance, and a series ofritual/ceremonial activities specificto the learning process.

The primacy of the word inthe tradition determines the

progression of training, which

begins with the dance. Dance, the

aspect of movement, is the leastinvolved with the word. The olapa[dancer] interprets the word butdoes not manipulate it. After the

training as a dancer, the student

may be allowed to begin trainingto become ho'opa'a[chanter-musician]. At this stagethe individual has the

responsibility of handling thesounded word. The word as idea

possesses mana [nascent

cosmological power], whichbecomes active (and potentiallydangerous) in the sounded,

energized form of the chant.

After considerable training,the status of ho'opa'a is conferred

upon the student. He mayeventually be given the status ofkumu hula [teacher] and be

empowered to teach others withinthe formalized transmission

system. From the ranks of thekumu hula are selected olohe [elderadvisors], who examine a studentbefore any new status is

conferred. The kumu hula canalso function as haku mdc [chant

composer]. Thus the creation ofnew chants is the purview ofthose with the greatest amount of

training.Performance aspects related

to the production of the word are

given great attention. To developclear and effortless diction, the

neophyte chants while holdingpebbles in his mouth. To increasevolume, the student matches hisvoice against the sound of the

crashing surf. To enlarge breath

capacity and control the air

supply, the chanter prolongs theword nk'ü, starting as the settingsun first touches the horizon and

trying to prolong the sound untilthe sun disappears completelybelow the horizon.

The vocal techniques taughtare avenues for individual

expression and style, since thetexts are prescribed and

incontrovertible. Vocal

ornamentation ['i'i] reveals the

Hawaiian appreciation for

subtlety of timbre and pitch,which are used as musicalmaterial and for esthetic effect.The creativity of the individual atthe moment of performance ischanneled through 'i'i. When the

performer is inspired, theduration and intensity of the

ornamentation increases.

Conversely if the performer is

not inspired (or has been forcedto chant), the words will becorrect, but the creativity andaloha [warm feeling] for thelistener communicated throughthe ornamentation are minimal.

The correct formation of the

sounded word is so importantthat there exists a negativereinforcement of it a style of

delivery called kake, in which thewords are deliberately garbled or

mispronounced. This practiceserves to further distance theactual meaning of the text fromthose not qualified to hear it orto protect the chanter from theawesome consequences of aninadvertent mistake.

The formalized transmission

system includes rituals andceremonies to mark stages of the

training process. For example, to

gain physical entry to the school,

a student performs a mdc hâhea

[hailing chant]. At the end of

each period of training an 'ünikz

[graduation ceremony],sometimes preceded by privaterituals, announces the newlyconferred status of the student to

the public.This transmission could be

considered archetypical for

traditions closely tied to belief

systems. Its concern is

perpetuating the whole of theculture and at the same time

bringing the individual safely into

close proximity and involvement

with that culture's essence and itslocus of cosmological powerthe word.

India

Although the traditions of

India and of Hawai'i might seem

at first glance to be quiteseparate, they have a number ofsimilarities. In common are a

beginning in religious belief, a

degree of secularization at the

present time, a vocal as

opposed to instrumental

orientation, and a major focus

upon text. In the consideration ofIndia, the significant features of

the transmission system to bediscussed include its vocal basis,

its kinetic interaction, its

preference for rote

memorization, and the resultant

stylistic consensus.The vocal basis of

transmission is apparent in the

study of instrumental music. For

example, the student of SouthIndian vina [lute] first learns to

sing the compositions, which all

have texts. The drummer learns

the many rhythmic patterns andtheir combinations by vocal

recitation of syllablesrepresenting drum strokes. Thisvocal mnemonic, called bol, is anefficient method of imprintingrhythmic patterns; it directlyinvolves the body of the student

through voice and breath. The

rhythmic pattern as concept isthus internalized and

subsequently transferred to the

4 East-West Culture Learning Institute Report

instrument, an object external to

the body. The use of bols has

implications for a gestaltist view

of Indian rhythm and for

drawing structural parallelsbetween music and other

domains of culture.

There is also a kinetic

dimension to formalizedtransmission in India. First, the

bols as spoken syllables constitute

a kinetic reinforcement of a

musical element. Secondly,

rhythmic accuracy - particularlyin perceiving the tale (a rhythmic

cycle with primary and secondaryaccents) - is kineticallyreinforced through a pattern ofhand claps and waves. This

practice, known as "keeping the

tala," is part of the learningsession and also part of the

concert setting, an instance in

which a single musical practicehas two functions.

During the lesson as the

teacher performs in

demonstration, the student keepsthe tale. For the student it

precludes any passive learningexperience; for the teacher it is

an aural and visual means of

monitoring the student's grasp of

rhythmic structure. Its secondfunction, during a concert, is tomaintain a communication link

between the artist and hisaudience. The audience keeps the

tale, which serves as an energyfeedback to the artist. Thereverse flow (which also includes

murmurs or utterances of

appreciation during the

performance) can inspire the

performer to greater creativity in

his improvisations.A third feature of formalized

transmission is the emphasis on

rote learning and memory, an

emphasis even more remarkablein the context of India's long and

great tradition as a literate

in an observance oj tc lagu man/nd in 1963 on Lanasa Island, Szasi, a 'aughter (lcjt) and ow/her

compete with asecorlpair of singers (not shown). Then, rophone is/hr battery-operated loudspeakers, which

are of/en used throughout Sulu.

civilization. The use of graphicnotation in traditional teaching is

minimal, commandingsignificantly less attention than in

Western music learning, for

example. Thus the Indian case

shows a consistency between the

medium of instruction (sound)and the medium of performance(sound). This contrasts with the

Western art tradition, which

requires a transfer from sight(written notation) to sound.

Finally, there is a consensusof musical style. The shared

elements used in transmission,

including vocal activity and

kinetic reinforcement, are majorfactors for this stylisticagreement. Not only does such

consensus enable a vine playerand a drummer who have not

previously met to play together,but it enables the artist to explorethe more subtle ways of makingthe performance interesting -

and unpredictable. This shared

body of musical skills producedby common training allows for

the great improvisational

complexity that is the hallmark of

the Indian classical tradition.

Southern Philippines

Improvisation in the vocal

music among the Tausug of the

southern Philippines also receives

attention in teaching. The

tradition lugu maulud reflectsan "indigenous" solution to

transmission, while Lowland

(Christian) cultures in the

Philippines seem to have replaced

major traditional systems with

Spanish and American colonial

models.

The lugu maulud (Arabicmaulid) is the performance of a

literary, epic account about the

Prophet Mohammad that maycontinue uninterrupted for

twelve hours- usually overnight-or for a number of days. Aseries of singers, usually in solo

or duet, set the prose and poetryof the printed Arabic text to avast number of melodies whichare (a) existing, (b) subjected to


East-West Culture Learning Institute Report 5

The FormalizedTransmission..(From page 5)

variation, or (c) completelyimprovised.

Formalized transmission is

limited to females, althoughmales perform as well. This

segregation of population in the

learning process not onlyreinforces and accommodates thesocial patterns of Islamic society,but results in a music tradition

effectively dominated by women,both in terms of artistry andnumbers. Training in lugu mauludis a positive quality for marriage;it is also one means of occupyingthe time of young girls, who are

kept away from the public eye.The features of interest in this

system include techniques for

teaching repertoire and style,establishing acceptableboundaries for variation,

development of the voice, andthe interaction betweenformalized and informal

transmission.The teaching is rote and is

distinctive in manner. The

teacher "leads" the pupil througha melody as the student follows afew notes behind. The musical

style is particularly suited to this

treatment the melody

progresses in an alternation of

melisma (clusters of florid

ornamentation sung on one

syllable) and long-held pitches.To begin, the teacher sings the

first melisma, arrives at the first

long-hold pitch, and prolongs it;

at that instant the student singsthe first melisma and then arrivesat the same long pitch being held

by the teacher, who then

proceeds to the next melisma and

subsequent long-held pitch. Thusthe learning is a process of"musical leapfrog," which resultsin a rather pleasing two-voicecanon at the unison.

This learning technique isalso a public performance

technique; a similar doublefunction was noted in India forthe practice of keeping the tala.Rather than the first singerserving as mentor to guide thesecond singer through an

unfamiliar melody, in the

performance setting the two

singers are competitors. The first

singer attempts to confuse andlose her competitor by spinningout a long, highly ornamented,

and sometimes highly improvisedversion of the melodic line. The

challenge for the second singeris to "listen ahead and singbehind." As she sings, attemptingto replicate exactly every twistand turn of the melody just sung,she is simultaneously listening tothe first singer, who continually

forges ahead into new musical

territory.The nature of melodic

variation receives attention aswell. When a student has

difficulty grasping a musical

phrase, the teacher repeats it,

expecting the student to follow.However, in the repetition the

teacher may change the melody

slightly, i.e., she varies it. In this

way the student learns not onlyits basic outlines, but also

perceives the boundaries of

acceptable variation for that

melody. The concept of makajari

[possible] reflects a tradition inwhich a number of versions of a

melody are acceptable, which

contrasts with one in which only a

single version must he replicatedin exact detail.

Attention to vocal

development is also part of the

system. A wide vocal range and

great breath control are primaryconcerns. For breath control,which intends to increase the

length of melody sung in one

breath, the student is required to

time the singing in a singlebreath against the duration of a

burning cigarette. For the uppervocal range, one exercise requiresthe student to sing in her high

range while suspending herself

by her arms from a doorjamb ora pole. The resulting added

tension on the diaphragm whenthe body weight is thus supportedsuggests a sound physiologicalbasis for this exercise. Vocal carealso includes medicinal aspects.

Kalamansig (a kind of lime) or

sugar cane juice is taken to coatthe throat, which makes the vocal

quality smooth.

The final feature of the

Tausug system to be noted is the

complementarity betweenformalized and informal

transmission. The annual seasonof all-night lugu maulud

performances and the almost

daily sounds of students' lessons

permeating the village during thewarm afternoons have made

every child aurally familiar withthe musical style and perhapseven with some of the more

popular items of repertoire.

During a performance a child

may sleep in the lap of her

singer-mother; large amounts of

musical information are

subliminally absorbed.Thus the informal

transmission has socialized everychild to the tradition. When the

young girl begins to study in a

formal setting, she refines skillsfor the execution of a musical

style and a repertoire that alreadyhave a conceptual referent in thestudent's mind and in her "ear."

This transmission essentially

brings articulation and clearer

focus to material the individual

already "culturally knows" -a

strategy of learning particularly

germane to cross-cultural

learning.

Japan

The final traditionconsidered here is gagaku, the

court music ofJapan. One of the

oldest extant musical traditions in

the world, it traces its origins to

ancient civilizations of the Middle

East, India, and Southeast Asia

through China and Korea. The

initial amalgamation of these

diverse musics took place duringthe Heian Period (ca. sixth

century); the next thirteencenturies saw a fairly continuous

preservation, although some

modifications in instrumentation,

rearrangements of compositions,and reclassifications of repertoirehave taken place. The system of

learning, which was maintainedin family lines, features such

aspects as the vocal basis of


UI /!(( We X' by :' traditions datingfrom thi

,r,iIO 11) a; Ii,,, to the lCast-t vt Ge,zz, sJeIlzson Hall injanuasy. Tit, concert, coordinated byCulture Learn ag institute Fellow RicardoD. Trimillos and University of i-Iawaii Professor ofMusic RogerHickman, was presented in conjunction with a con/erence on medieval studies of Assa and Europe. Pictured

aremembers oftheHawaiiGagnka Kenkyakaiand European renaissance/medieval musicologist Brad White.

Photos by James Giles.

learning, achievement of a

musical consensus, kinetic

reinforcement, the role of written

musical notation, and the

integration of the tradition into

the broader context of theculture. Some of these features

have been encountered in

foregoing discussions.

Although the major divisions

of the tradition are instrumental

kangen (instrumental music for

listening) and bugaku(instrumental music for dance- the basis for learning

repertoire and the elements of

style are vocal. Before the

neophyte plays his part on an

instrument, he must learn to singthe entire melody, using a series

of mnemonic (semantically

meaningless) syllables. This

practice, called shoga, can occupythe entire first year of study;instruction on the instrument

itself follows.This learning process,

internalizing the repertoire by

singing it, is highly efficient for

actual performance. An

intellectual routine (scanning thememorized, conceptual gestalt)

precedes any kinetic routine,

including motor memory. Thus

the actualization process for the

performer has at least three

separate phases: (1) the musician

"hears" the melody in his mind,

(2) he produces it with the

instrument, and (3) he checks the

aural product for acceptability.Both the nature of the routine

and the actualization process have

implications for norms of

performance behavior, including

sensitivity of each performer tothe ensemble and the presence or

absence of stage fright.Similar to the observations

made for the Indian tradition,

the common vocal basis of

learning -shoga - results in a

strong consensus of style. The

Indian consensus leads to a

highly refined freedom in

improvisation; the consensus in

gagaku, on the other hand,

reinforces the highly conservative

nature of the tradition. A major



The FormalizedTransmission.(Frompage 7)

cultural value forgagaku is the

unchanging continuity it

embodies, while the esthetic ideal

is the exact replication of the

original performance. The

process of teaching and of

learning reinforces theconservatism explicit in the

political-historical position andthe esthetic ideal of the music.

Kinetic considerations are

found both in the learning and in

the performance settings. One

kinetic element occurs only in the

learning and does not transfer tothe performance marking the

rhythm of'a piece. Gagaku has a

unique rhythmic feature, a"breath rhythm" in which certainbeats are held slightly longer thanothers. The difference in

duration is subtle; it must be feltrather than calculated

mathematically. The student,seated on the floor, marks the

rhythm while performing shoga(sung melody). If the rhythmic

cycle (meter) is in four, the firsttwo beats are marked by hittingthe right hand against the thighand the last two beats by strikingthe floor beside the thigh. The

prolonged beat is the fourth beat,so that there is a "breath pause"between the last beat of the cycleand the first beat of the followingcycle. Moving the hand from thefloor (having struck the fourth

beat) to above the thigh (in

preparation for the subsequentfirst beat) reinforces that

prolongation -in that

movement the hand travels a

slightly greater distance and a bit

more effort is required.Also, a kinetic focus during

performance is taught. Each

performer of one of the eightdifferent types of instruments inthe ensemble three windinstruments, three percussioninstruments, and two stringedinstruments- learns how to lift

and position the instrument for

playing in a series of movements

and positions that approacheschoreography. The timing of themovements is also prescribed.

Similarly there are movementsfor returning the instrument to a

position of rest.

The most complex kinetic

component required for

performance must be learned bythe player of the gakusö [pluckedzither]. The instrument's part is

a series of short, quasi-melodicformulae that comments uponthe principal melody. Besides

having responsibility for the

specific notes and rhythms that

constitute the musical part, the

performer must execute a

sequence of gestures with the

playing hand (the right hand)

prior to, during, and followingthe playing of each melodic

pattern. To describe it in generalterms, the fingers of the hand

extend and position themselvesover the appropriate strings, thehand gradually contracts into a

fist while playing adjacent strings,and then assumes a position of

rest (!) immediately above -butnot touching

-the strings justplayed. The zither player is as

interesting to watch as he is tolisten to.

Written notation is part ofthe tradition and consists of

partbooks for each of theinstruments. Its principal use,

however, is not in the acquisitionof information -which is by rote- but in the retention ofinformation learned. The

notation serves as a memory aidfor individual practice and forrehearsal; the performance is

traditionally played by memory(although the present

proliferation of amateur gagakugroups has changed thissomewhat). Thus the purely aural

nature of initial learning and of

performance is characteristic of

this tradition.The final feature of gagaku

to be discussed is less an elementof the formalized transmission

per se, but more a tangentialelement occurring within the

teaching/learning session. It is the

appreciation (and sometimesveneration) of the musical

instrument.The instrument is regarded

as more than just a tool for

making music; it is - as an

artifact -a work of art, whose

nature is expressed throughcareful craftsmanship, detail of

decoration, and specific namesfor its component parts.

For example, the s/to (mouth

organ) has a design or motif in

gold lacquer on its base. Becausethe base is covered by the player'shands during performance, the

decoration can only be

appreciated when the instrumentis at rest outside the playingcontext. Great attention also is

given to packaging - cases for

holding the instruments include

lacquered or beautifully grainedwoods and protective cloths are

made of silk brocades and

secured with distinctive knots.

These are never seen by the

audience.

The instrument as artifactcan also represent the continuityof the musicianly line; an

instrument is often passed onfrom teacher to student. The

continuity is both symbolic andactual. For example, as part ofinstrument maintenance, the flute

player (as a student and as a

performer) frequently wipes thebamboo flute against his face, sothat the facial oils darken thebamboo. Oils are also absorbed

from the hands, and there is acharacteristic darkening about the

fingerholes of the instrument aswell. Literally, a part of the

musician is embodied in the fluteas it passes from one generationto the next. Thus the studentcomes to appreciate theinstrument in a number ofdifferent ways

-as artifact, as

the result of craftsmanship, as anextension and conduit for his

own musical energy, and as a

tangible symbol of the continuityfrom the tradition through histeacher to himselfand to hisfuture students.

In a broader sense, themusical instrument is a personalobject attained by undergoing theformalized transmission of

gagaku. As a personal object, it isone means for the musician to

participate in and to express awide range of Japanese cultural


values, including such items as

dexterity and design in

packaging, evidence of use

(including damage and wear) as a

positive esthetic value, and the

use of an object to encapsulatesocial identity. Thus it is throughthe instrument as artifact that the

individual as a specializedmusician in an esoteric tradition

is reintegrated into the larger

society.

Summary

The consideration of these

few elements in a limited number

of music cultures indicates that a

wealth of data is contained within

this general topic. There are

obvious implications for

transmission in areas outside the

performing arts. At least six

general observations can be noted

as summary; each addresses the

interests of cultural continuityand cross-cultural dissemination:

1. Each transmission systemis culture- or genre-specific in

terms of the aspects it selects to

handle. The choices suggest (andin some cases, indicate) direct

referencing to an esthetic, values,

or religious belief complex of the

culture.

2. There are different but

well-defined status relationships,modes of behavior, and goal

expectations in each transmission

system.3. The content treated in

transmission may extend past the

boundaries of music learning, in

which case the system has

relevance both for the continuityof the musical tradition and for

the enculturation of the

individual.4. The process of

transmission delimits the areas

and degrees of initiative available

to the student. In some instances

the boundaries parallel those that

apply to the mature musician (asin gagaku), while in others theycontrast with the options available

to the full-fledged artist (as in the

lugu maulud).

5. All four examples show

close interaction and dependence

upon kinetic elements in

learning.6. Learning involves a

second performing medium; for

example, the medium of vocal

performance is used to developskills specific to instrumental

performance.At present the technology

and materialism of the West

become increasingly attractive to

the Pacific and Asian areas, and

simultaneously the cultural

aspects of these areas, particularly

philosophical thought and artistic

expression, become interesting to

the West. In these circumstances

an educated and informed

understanding of traditional

transmission would enhance and

perhaps expedite the inevitable

cross-cultural exchange.

Conclusion

Three concluding statements

are addressed to the area of

education, and they reflect the

conviction that scholarlyreflection has an eventual

responsibility to practical

application.For those who use traditional

(read "ethnic") performing arts in

teaching cross-cultural awareness

and appreciation, the discussion

suggests that the traditional

process of learning is as importantas the performance, i.e., the

product. The performance is a

single manifestation of an entire

cultural complex; the aspectsinvolved in the preparation of the

performance are part of the"window to the culture" as well.

The product without

understanding (or in the case of

cross-cultural performance,

experiencing) the processesinvolved is an incomplete

understanding. In some cases it

may lead to misunderstandingand misrepresentation of the

item, shortchanging both the

presentor and the viewer.

For those designing new

approaches for teachingtraditional arts, a reliance upon

product-oriented transmission

structures (such as conservatories,

leaving examinations, etc.) should

be reevaluated. Using such

strategies to teach traditions with

a significant process orientation

weakens both the conceptualframe and the rationale of the

tradition. Further, it often

adversely affects the product.

Finally, for those addressing

larger problems of contemporaryeducation, the examination of

traditional systems of

transmission could be fruitful.

Each system arises from a

"mental set" operating within the

society and often reflects

preferred modes for achieving

goals. Thus an innovative

educational strategy would seem

to have greater potential for

success if it had some resonance

with this "mental set" and with

these preferred modes of

learning. Such resonance

undeniably has significance for

concerns of cultural relevance. In

addition (and perhaps more

importantly for the East-West

Center), it clearly establishes the

spirit of mutual exchange and the

acknowledgement of paritybetween the two parties.

Supplementary Reading

The social context and

repertoires of ancient Hawai'i can be

found in Nathaniel B. Emerson,Unwritten Literature ofHawaii

(Washington, D.C.: SmithsonianInstitution, 1909; subsequent editions

by Tuttle, 1965, 1972 and byScholarly Press, 1977), and in the

booklet by Dorothy Kahananui, Music

ofAncient Hawaii: A BriefSurvey (Hilo,Hawaii: Petroglyph Press, 1962). ForIndia, a highly personal account of

master-disciple relationship is foundin Ravi Shankar, My Music, My Life(New York: Simon and Schuster,

1968); an overview is provided forboth Karnatic and Hindustanitraditions by Bonnie Wade, Music inIndia: The Classical Tradition

(Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:Prentice-Hall, 1979). A detaileddiscussion of Tausug music appearsin the author's doctoral dissertation,"Tradition and Practice in the Music

among the Tausug of Sulu,

Philippines" (University of California,Los Angeles, 1972). The gagakutradition ofJapan is treated in

William Maim,Japanese Music andMusical Instruments (Rutland, Vt.:Tuttle, 1959).

Last-West Culture teaming institute Report 9

International Film Festival Success; Plans Underway for Third

The Hawaii InternationalFilm Festival was inaugurated two

years ago as a cooperativeprogram of the Culture LearningInstitute and the East-West

Center Office of Public Affairs. It

has proved to be a film festivalunlike any other. Not oriented

just toward film buffs, thisfestival is designed to attract andinvolve the community as a

whole. It is also special in that ituses feature films -drawn

particularly from the Asian andPacific region

-as stimuli for

reflection and discussion. Rarelyhas there been such recognitionof the potential of films to raiseissues of social and humanitarian

importance and to communicate

graphically across culturalboundaries.

Films can forcefully place usin contexts that we would not

normally encounter in our

everyday lives. They can lead usto participate vicariously in thelives of people vastly different

from ourselves - not from theoutside, but from the point ofview of the protagonists, lettingus literally see the world throughanother's eyes. Literature also has

this potential, but the primarilyvisual nature of the film mediummakes its meanings immediatelymore communicable across

language barriers. This festival is

designed to explore the

cross-cultural potential of film

and to build upon it in

discussions following the

screenings.The 1982 festival

incorporated a week of events on

four islands in Hawaii. On Oahu,

fifteen major films were shown in

matinee and evening screeningsat commercial theatres owned byConsolidated Amusement. Inaddition, various videotapes and

16mm films were shown at theEast-West Center. Ten majorfilms travelled to Kauai, Maui,and the Big Island for generalexhibition, and throughoutHawaii special screenings of the

films were held for secondaryschool students. In all, audiencestotaled more than 20,000.

"When Strangers Meet"

The aim of the festival wasnot simply to provide a chance to

see films from other cultures.Rather, its main focus was the

consideration of the issues andconcerns raised in the films. In

general, the movies were selected

with reference to the theme,

"When Strangers Meet." Some of

the films addressed the problemsfaced by ethnic or cultural

minorities. In these cases (Chan Is

Missing, 36 Chowringhee Lane,

Gajin, Bread and Chocolate,Chariots of Fire), the strangers

meeting were of two separatecultures. In other cases, peoplefrom the same culture were

alienated from each other. In

Ikiru, for example, the

protagonist is isolated by his

private knowledge that he is

dying; in Sandakan 8, the two

main characters are divided by a

vast gulf between their ages and

experiences; in intimate Friends,the hero and heroine are initiallykept apart by the differentintensities of their personalpolitical commitments; in A Touch

of Zen, the protagonist's lack ofself-awareness makes him a

stranger to the ideas embodied bythe image of the Buddhist

monastery. In all these cases, the

strangers eventually meet: the

themes of human reconciliation

and the transcendence of

boundaries parallel and

complement the other themes in

the films. The concerns of the

filmmakers are expressed in the

films with varying degrees of

explicitness.

The challenge presented to

the organizers of the festival wasto use the issues raised in the

films as points of departure forfurther discussion, at which

members of the public could

exchange their own perspectives

on the films' themes. To this end,discussion venues were arranged

following the evening films, andaudience members were invitedto participate in informalconversations based on the films

they hadjust viewed. On Oahu,an added incentive for theaudience to participate was ethnicfood and drink, kindly providedby various community, university,and East-West Center groups.About 150 people attended each

evening discussion.An important aspect of these

discussions was the participationby scholars, film critics, andfilmmakers. Four film directors-

Aparna Sen (36 ChowringheeLane), Wayne Wang (Chan IsMissing), Lino Brocka (PX), and

King Hu (A Touch of Zen) were

present to discuss their work.The public could direct their

questions to those most closelyinvolved with creating the films,while the academic participantscould lend their more detachedand critical perspectives. One

benefit was the opportunity forthose in the film industry to

exchange ideas with philosophers,historians, and scholars fromother humanities fields and from

other nations. On the other hand,all members of the audience were

encouraged to participate in the

discussions.

Essays giving a wide varietyof personal perspectives on the

films' themes were prepared and

distributed to the audiences, thus

providing them with further

impetus to reflect, both privatelyand communally, on thosethemes. Further, formal seminars

were scheduled with filmmakersin the mornings following the

film screenings.

Film Conference

A significant development inthe 1982 film festival was the

inauguration of a three-dayacademic film conference held atthe conclusion of the festival

tO East-West Culture Learning Institute Report

week. Scholars and filmmakersfrom throughout Asia, thePacific, and the United States metto discuss the relationship of filmto the humanities and to considerthe ways in which feature filmscan serve as a medium ofcross-cultural communication.

Visiting participants includedTadao Sato and Donald Richie

(Japan), Chidananda Dasguptaand Aparna Sen (India), ArifinNoer (Indonesia), Lino Brocka

(Philippines), and Robert

Rosenstone, Gerald Mast, BruceKawin, Jesse Kahn, AlfredGnzzetti, and Peter Duns

(U.S.A.). Also participating were

James Brandon and HardjaSusilo of the University of Hawaiiand Allan Grapard, Paul Brennan,

Frank Tillman, Thomas Jackson,and other members of CLI. The

conference gave rise to a numberof original and challengingquestions, which are discussedelsewhere in this issue.

Judging from manycomments received, the filmfestival has promoted a greaterawareness and understanding offilm in the community. Inaddition to the film screeningsthemselves, workshops andlectures on screenplay writing,animation, film criticism, and

super-8 filmmaking were held

during the festival. There wasalso a screenplay contest to

encourage the production of

scripts set in a Hawaiian context,with prizes awarded by the StateFoundation on Culture and theArts. 1982 recipients were ChuckAnderson and Virginia Staley in

the screenplay division; Jay Day

and Ron Ishoy for teleplays; andMichael Schmicker for histreatment of "Song for myFather."

East-West Center participantCarl Hefner received a specialscholarship provided by DominicOrsatti of Hawaii Film

Productions, Inc. It is anticipatedthat the competition will be held

every second year.The film festival is supported

by many individuals and

organizations. The festival

organizers are particularlygrateful to ConsolidatedAmusement, Eastman Kodak, the

Hawaii Committee for theHumanities, Hyatt RegencyWaikiki Hotel, International

Savings and Loan, the StateFoundation on Culture and the

Arts, and World Airways.

International Film Conference: A Summary

By Victor Kobayashi The conference was not for us to explore further the

Immediatelyfollowing the Secondintended to focus upon the different cultural conventions

Hawaii International Film Festival,formal and artistic properties of that underlie the content and

sponsored by the East-West Center inthe film medium, nor was it structure of films of different

November, 1982, a three-dayintended to disregard these. societies. When are cultural

conference was held on the topic,Rather, it was designed to conventions used artistically?

"International Understandingconsider the relationship between When do they become clichés?

Through Film." Victor Kobayashi,feature films and their cultural When films of one country are

one of the principal humanitiescontexts -both in their countries shown in another, what may be a

scholars on the steering committee ofof origin and abroad. To what cliché may instead appear to be

both theJestival and the conference,extent do films mirror the values a novelty to the foreign viewer.

Professor of Educational Foundationsof their societies, and, conversely, What does the concept of a cliché

at the University of Hawaii atto what extent can they influence then mean from a cross-culturalthese values? What kinds of perspective? What constitutes an

Manoa.cultural and social information artistic use of a cultural

This conference was a are implicit in a film, and how convention as opposed to a

ground-breaking experiment in successfully is such information convention that is a cliché? We

many ways. It was certainly not transmitted across cultural need to explore these questions.the usual kind of film conference boundaries? A second area of

where film scholars debate The idea of examining investigation suggested was the

questions of structure and theory. feature films from different question of what makes certain

Many of the participants were cultural perspectives raises films exportable from one societydrawn from areas outside film possibilities for research into a to another, welcomed by their

scholarship, including history, number of new areas. The new audiences, while other films

philosophy, music, anthropology, conference served to identify are appreciated only by members

and theatre; even the presence of some of these areas and in the of their home country. What

film practitioners constituted a process raised numerous characteristics encourage

departure from the narrow questions, some of which I will acceptance of a film in another

academic bounds of traditional outline here, culture? It was suggested that a

conferences. First, a need was expressed (Continued on page 12)


International Film

Conference.,,(From page 11)

trait of internationally fluentfilms includes a degree ofconsciousness of the society's own

cultural conventions. Some of usalso proposed that the aestheticmerit of a film included a degreeof self-consciousness of its owncultural conventions so as to beable to transcend them. AsChidananda Dasgupta so aptlyput it, "films become universal

through the exploration of thedistinctiveness of a cultural

identity."But Lino Brocka pointed out

that there is also a faddish aspectto some international films. For

example, kungfu fads in theUnited States may have permittedthe commercially successful

importation of this film genrefrom Hong Kong. There are also

political factors at work. The

political, economic, and

technological prestige of theUnited States, for example, mayhave facilitated the acceptance of

Hollywood films in manycountries.

Humor

Another aspect involving

exportability of cinema across

cultures, brought out by Mrs.

Noer, concerned humor. How

exportable is humor in film? Is it

true that humor is generally not

as easily exportable across

cultures? It was interesting that

Mrs. Noer, an Indonesian,

expressed enjoyment of Japanesecomic "Tora-san" films. Are someforms of visual humor or some

comic situations or structures

universally funny? Charlie

Chaplin films come to mind here.How exportable is humor in film,

and what makes for exportablehumor? Perhaps at times theentire world needs a good laugh,and a film can help bring thisabout; the pursuit ofinternational understanding neednot always be so serious.

Another area involvingexportability of films

internationally that might be

explored is that of considering

Hollywood films more seriouslyand looking for artistic strengthsin Hollywood rather than onlythe commercial and those aspectsthat pander to the lowest tastes.Some scholars need to overcometheir snobbery about Hollywoodfilms. We need to look at some

Hollywood film conventions more

seriously and to consider their

possible artistic merits. Theformal structure of Astaire'sdance films was proposed, for

example, as having aestheticfeatures, and related to its

analogue, the formal structure of

popular songs (which coexist inthe Hollywood musical); bothseem to have been well-received

throughout the world.We need also to study how

Hollywood conventions areborrowed by developing countriesand then transformed into

something more indigenous.Japan and India, for example,seem to have followed a patternfirst of imitation, then oftransmutation of film forms into

vehicles that fuse indigenoustraditions with contemporaryrealities.

History through Film

There is also a need to

explore popular films dealingwith historical events in terms oftheir historical accuracy

-Shogun

and Reds, for example. Sincemore and more peoplethroughout the world are

building their image of the past

through film, some historians

ought to attend to the problem ofhistorical accuracy in film.

Present-day historians, at least inthe United States, have lost much

of their popular readingaudience. Some historians needto explore films more seriously interms of their potential as

vehicles for communicatinghistory, since films often do

attract mass audiences. The

question of the meaning ofhistorical accuracy in filmbecomes especially important inthis context. Anthropologists,

philosophers, and other scholarsof the humanities might also wantto explore narrative film as avehicle for sharing their insightswith a wider public.

One suggestion made was theneed to expose people to thedifferent versions of the same

historical event presented byfilms from other countries. For

example, wars between nationsare presented differently in films

by different peoples involved in

the same war. We need more

exposure to such films to gainmultiple perspectives; we need tofacilitate the exchange of suchhistorical films.

There is a need, in general,to improve on the variety of filmswe see from other nations. Onlycertain kinds of films are

normally exported from Japan or

India to America, for example.We need to be exposed to abroader range of internationalfilms so that we can improve our

conceptions of how films mirror

society.It was also pointed out that

we need to look at historical filmsnot only in terms of factual

accuracy but also in terms of the

authenticity of the patternsunderlying how events are

portrayed. We need to learn toconsider the "metaphoricaltruths" about societycommunicated through its films.Are some "metaphorical truths"

unique to particular cultures? Are

some of them somehow universalin that they refer to the basic

human condition, or basic human

thought patterns, or humanity's

relationship to the earth's

ecological system of which we all

are a part?There was also a need

expressed for Western humanisticscholars to learn more about the

great literary traditions of the

East. Eastern representatives,partly due to their formal

education, generally seemed to

know more about Western

literary traditions than Americansknew about the Eastern classics.All humanities scholars todayneed to know more about the

great literary works of the entire


world that have provided the

guiding metaphors or patternsthat still shape themes in

contemporary cinema. The

"amaYanaand the Tale of Genji

are examples. We need tounderstand better the traditional

symbol systems of different

cultures and see how they relate

to modern society, how well theyfit or do not fit, and how they are

being transformed or transmuted

into new forms in the contexts of

todays' world, including its

politics. Art may play an

important role in the

transformation of symbol systemsto generate a better fit with the

changing conditions of reality; we

need to explore film also in terms

of this function of art.

What's an Art Film?

Another area to be exploredis that of viewing films in terms

of the relationship between

consciousness and

I--

self-consciousness. Film can be

studied as an analogue of

literature as well as a uniquemedium that explores its own

limits. What is it that makes an

art film an art film? Is the answer

to this question related to the

consciousness question, that of

whether a degree ofself-consciousness is a necessarycondition for cross-cultural art?

An anthropologist, Paul

Brennan, briefly commented on

a possible connection between

self-consciousness and literacy.The nonliterate peoples he

worked with in Papua New

Guinea did not seem to

understand the idea of

self-identity, a concept that seems

to be very important in American

films. This important observation

raises questions as to the nature

of the connection between

literacy and the development of

consciousness; it also proposesthe possibility that the effect of

film on nonliterate people might

be different from that on a

literate group.Also related to the subject of

consciousness was the criticism

voiced that our presentationswere overly analytical, overlyintellectual, and that we needed

to pay attention to the intuitive

aspects of film, both as film

makers and as scholars of film.

We need some degree of

reflection and thought, but we

also need to have some degree of

belief that the flickering shadows

on the screen do transform into a

reality. A degree of analyticreflection is necessary, especiallyin this world of large-scale

propaganda, mass advertising,and manipulation of the media.

Conference participants also

were exposed to a purely visual

film that had no spoken word as

an offering that might help us to

determine which images convey

meanings that are understood

cross-culturally and which ones

do not. Guzetti's showing of


A thr -day confrencejollowing the Esi- lest Center's Second Hasil ItirriatnalFilm Festival, held in November 1982, delved into the relationship betweenJilms

and their cultural contexLs. Thc participants, with an vosual variety of backgrounds and interests, included (front row, from left) Paul Brennan, Ruth Vasey,Jajang

NoeC Victor Kobayashi, Tadao Sato, Kumiko Makihara, ThomasJar/nan, (middle row) Peter Duns, Gerald Most, Sandra Sturdevant, Frank Tillman, Brace Kowin,

Arifin Noer, Merry Lee Comm. Gregory Trlfinovitch, (back row) Robert Rosenstone, Hardja Sasilo, WimolDusanayake, Alfred Gwszetti, Chidananda Dasgn/ita,

Donald Richie, and Jesse Kahn.


Center's Outreach Program Includes Performances

The January 1975 issue of intention has been to introduce us to capitalize on the unusual

this newsletter carried a photo East-West Center participants to a number of artists who need or

essay and an article announcing variety of cultural "artifacts" - desire a stopover enroute to or

the inauguration of the Cultural plays, instrumental and vocal from Asia.Manifestations Series. Now styles, dances, poetry

-and to During the 1970s, East-Westknown in the Hawaii community assist viewers to understand what Center programs becameas the East-West Center's they were witnessing through increasingly problem-oriented,Performing Arts Series, these explanation, demonstration, and that is, they sought to identifyconcerts and lecture- program notes. We have been and to help "solve" problems ofdemonstrations in the arts successful in this partly because the region through research,have grown from modest of the wealth of talent education, and training. In line

beginnings into a real success representing many countries with this emphasis, the Culture

story. right here in Hawaii. Hawaii's Learning Institute began to lookFrom the beginning, one strategic location also has allowed at problems associated with

International Film

Festival...(From page 13)

Asparagus, by Susan Pitts, could

bring forth questions about whatideas of such thinkers as Freudand Jung, who claimed a degreeof universality of their ideas, areindeed universal, which are

idiosyncratic, and which reflectWestern viewpoints. Which

patterns and metaphor systems

suggested visually in film seem tobe universal? Which ones onlylocal? Which represent specificcultures?

There was also a brief

discussion of the role of art in

modernization, apart from itsrole in the transmutation of

traditional metaphors to fit

contemporary realities. The

separation of art from the rest oflife is part of being "modern"and such a separation hasoccurred in the world of film.

For example, art in traditionalcultures is also an integral part of

religion; but in modern societies,

particularly in the West, art has

been separated from religion andhas been secularized. There isneed to look at this kind of

process in international film.

Film Distribution and

Censorship

Another area explored wasthe need to understand thehistorical, sociological, political,

and economic aspects of a societyand their relationship to thedistribution structure of

commercial and noncommercialcinema in different nations. Whatis the significance of cinema inthe social and political life ofdifferent nations? In India, it was

pointed out that the cinema wasof great influence in the sociallife of the people; we need tounderstand how cinema is

changing folk culture. Dasgupta'sdiscussion of the government'srole in the support of the Indianfilm industry raised several

questions: What is the role, and

what ought to be the role, of

government in the film industry,and what are the different

approaches used to support the

film industry in differentcountries? What are the

approaches to censorship in

different countries? We need to

understand how censorship

systems operate in differentcountries so that we may obtain a

better understanding of what we

are able to see and not see about

different societies from films thatcome from abroad.

A need for continuinginterdisciplinary perspectives with

regard to the study of film wasindicated throughout the

conference. A need also was

expressed for films that reveal

the deep concerns and problemsof people of the Third Worldand other parts of the world to

be distributed more widely

throughout the world. These

films should be selected on the

basis of artistic merit as well as of

having the ability to reach

popular audiences.There are films that blend

the characteristics of the art filmwith those aspects that appeal toa mass audience; they not onlyentertain, but also raise questionsand invite the audience to a

higher level of reflection and

awareness of the world around

them. (Dasgupta called such films

"Shakespearean cinema.") Some

of Kurosawa's, Ozu's, and Ray'sfilms are examples. Many films

involving women as central

characters reveal some of theconflicts and problems of

contemporary society because in

many societies women are

bearing much of the burden of

the drastic changes that are

occurring. The personal life of

women, as portrayed in film, can

give us more profound insightsinto these conflicts than the usual

large-scale sociological studies

that offer only a kind ofreductionism.

As you can see, thisconference raised numerous

questions, only a few of which I

have included in this summary. I

sincerely hope that these items

will be useful in building an

agenda for future meetings of

international scholars and artistsin the area of film.


presenting performances of one

culture to audiences of othercultures. This is a long-range

experiment with the hope that

ventua1ly guidelines and

methods will be developed that

will help the artists themselvesand others involved in presentingsuch performances.

Experiencing an exotic

performance can be extremely

rewarding for members of the

audience, but there are

frequently problems that differ in

nature and severity when art is

presented across cultures. Wehave discovered (and in mostcases, overcome) problems in

negotiating the details of the

performance, length of

presentation, advertising, and

logistics.Perhaps the two most

significant problems involve

language (even when allconcerned are using English) and

differing assumptions.Frequently, the vocabulary is

understood, but the main

thought is missed. One visiting

troupe interpreted the East-West

Center's offer of "housing" to

include meals, whereas Center

officials meant only lodging in

the residence facilities!Since the series began eight

years ago, 110 artists and groupshave been featured in a total of

150 events. During our first few

years, audiences ranged from

twenty to one hundred people -

a very modest beginning. Word

has gotten out into the Hawaii

community concerning the

quality of performances at the

Center, and recent concert

audiences have been in the300-1000 range. Most recently,

audiences filled the 650-seat

Kennedy Theatre for three

nights to enjoy the impressivebunraku theatre from Japan.

To date, total audience

numbers for the series have

climbed to more than 46,000.

This is all the more impressivewhen we realize that audiences

and performers have representedmore than forty nations of Asia,

the Pacific, and the United States.

It would be cumbersome to

list all the performances in the

series so far, but some of the

most outstanding have included

American folk singer Elizabeth

Cotten; the Puk Puppet Theatre

ofJapan; the University of the

Philippines Concert Choir; the

1981 Maori Festival; the FujianHand Puppets of the People's

Republic of China; Silk and

Bamboo: Classic Music of Japan;a dance troupe from the Cook

Islands; gospel music from the

Trinity Missionary BaptistChurch; and our very own

American bluegrass group, the

Old Pali Highway Ramblers.

The arts are powerfulcommunicators and if chosen and

presented well can be a most

appropriate introduction to an

unfamiliar culture. Increased

exposure to and appreciation of

the arts of other cultures is

certain to contribute to carryingout the East-West Centermandate to promote better

relations and understandingbetween the United States and

the nations of Asia and the

Pacific.The former director of the

U.S. InternationalCommunications Agency,JohnReinhardt, might well have had

our East-West Center type of

activity in mind when he wrote in

the August-September 1979 issue

of USICA World:The arts address directly thelimited perceptions and

misperceptions we and other

societies have of each other.

With the simplicity and

integrity born of the fact that

they constitute a society's vision

of itselffor itself, they are a


Members of thefamous Bunraku Puppet Troupe ofJapan perform at Kennedy Theatre in the Culture

Learning Institute PerformingArts Series. Ten members of the group played to capacity audiences on three

days in April. Bunraku scholar Barbara Adachi provided audiences with helpful background prior to each

puppet play. Theprogramswere cosponsored by the University ofHawaiiandtheJapanSociety. Photo byK.P.

Chin.

Center's Outreach

Program...(From page 15)

form of communication that

arises from the experience of acommon humanity and identityof interests, which occurs in the

sharing of an artistic

experience. They are the

"human face" of a nation.Whatever the specific bilateral

political, military, or economictensions and concerns betweenthe United States and anyother country, culturalcommunications among peoplesis essential in achieving the

goals of this nation.

MonographPublished

The latest addition to theEast-West Culture LearningInstitute monograph series is anexamination of language issues inIndia, published in March by the

University of Hawaii Press.

THE EAST-WEST CENTER is an

educational institution established inHawaii in 1960 by the United States

Congress. The Center's mandate is "to

promote better relations and

understanding among the nations of Asia,the Pacific, and the United States throughcooperative study, training, and research."Each year nearly 2,000 graduate students,scholars, professionals in business and

government, and visiting specialistsengage in research with the Center'sinternational staff on major issues and

problems facing the Asian and Pacific

region. Since 1960, more than 30,000men and women from the region have

participated in the Center's cooperativeprograms.The Center's research and educationalactivities are conducted in five institutes

Communication, Culture Learning,Environment and Policy, Population, andResource Systems

- and in its PacificIslands Development Program, OpenGrants, and Centerwide Programs.Although principal funding continues tocome from the U.S. Congress, more than20 Asian and Pacific governments, as wellas private agencies and corporations, haveprovided contributions for programsupport. The East-West Center is a public,nonprofit corporation with auinternational hoard of governors.

The book, Plural Languages,Plural Cultures by Lachman M.

Khubchandani, explores thetribulations experienced by theIndian polity in dealing withvarious issues pertaining to

language in the context ofcultural pluralism .during the lastthree decades.

The first part of the bookstresses the organic features of

communication and identity in

plurilingual societies, and thesecond probes certain specificissues that speech communitiesface in meeting the demands of

contemporary ideologies,institutions, and technology.

Khubchandani is director ofthe Centre for CommunicationStudies in Poona and holds a

doctorate in linguistics from the

University of Pennsylvania.Plural Languages, Plural

Cultures is available from

booksellers or from the

University of Hawaii Press, 2840Kolowalu Street, Honolulu,

Hawaii 96822, for $15.

Cuita ' La; a

1'MichaelEwing holds amaskused in Seni TopengCirebon, an exciting masked dance form fromWin/Java, Indonesia. This ar/form was the sub-

ject of a CLI seminar presented by Ewing itsMarch. The presentation Jeatured live perfor-mance, as well as numerous slides taken in Java.Ewing n active in both the CLI arts team andthelanguage program area. Photo by Laurence Fal-luwem.

Mailing List

ReminderIn the last issue of CLI

Report, we included a mailing list

reply card. This card is beingused to update our mailing listand confirm your current address

and continuing interest. If youhave not returned the card,

please do so soon to insure that

your name is not removed fromthe mailing list for the next issue.

There will be no furtherreminders. If possible, pleaseinclude your address label.

If you have not yetresponded, but have lost thecard, please write to:

Publication OrdersEast-West Center1777 East-West Road

Honolulu, Hawaii 96848

USAIf you have already returned

your update card, there is no

need to reply again. We thank

you for your continuing interestand will continue sending CLI

Report.

CULTURE AND THE ARTS

Staff and Participants

Spring, 1983

William Fcltz,

Educational SpecialistRichard Via,

Educational SpecialistThomas Jackson, Fellow

Ricardo D, Ttimillos, FellowRichard Brislin,

Research Associate*

Gregory Trifonovitch,

Acting Director, CL!*

Roger Long,Adjttncl Research Associate

Grace Yst-Jo Chou,

Degree Participant, Taiwan

Michael Ewing,Degree Participant, USA

Kurniko Makihara,

Degree Participant, JapanJanet Pillai,

Degree Participant, MalaysiaChristine Yano,

Degree Participant, USA

Sherry Cox,Research Intern, USA

Ruth Vasey,Research Intern, Australia

Byrun Moon,

Professional Associate, USA

*ex officio,16 East-West Culture Learning Institute Report

Documents

East-West Culture Learning institute Report, May …...maulud [songs celebratingthe ProphetMohammad]in the southern Philippines, andgagaku [courtmusic] ofJapan.The traditions vary