by Dr. Wan-Hsuan (Joyce) Wu, Adjunct Professor, Department of Music

Music is a universal language and a powerful medium for self-expression. Through the magic of music, people can communicate their beliefs, stories, and emotions with one another. However, for centuries, the world of classical music has been dominated by works of white and European composers, making it less diverse and universal than we might have believed.

Classical composers and musicians of Asian descent have been deeply involved and devoted to Western classical music for decades. However, their works and contributions have remained inadequately represented and unrecognized. This inherent structural flaw has not only acted as a deterrent for aspiring Asian students pursuing their passion and dream in music but also left a palpable void within the music curriculum itself.

In recent years, professional musicians have begun programming more and more works by Asian or Asian-American composers in their concert programs. ACC Summer Music Intensive: New Asian Chamber Music Camp is one of the first summer music programs to offer high school musicians an opportunity to learn and perform musical works that are composed by contemporary Asian classical composers or inspired by Asian folk tunes.

The New Asian Chamber Music Camp took place at the Austin Community College (ACC) Highland campus from June 5 to 9, 2023. The goals for the camp were to enhance the students’ understanding of the musical techniques demonstrated in Asian music, to analyze and identify the integration of Asian music into the Western classical tradition, to collaborate with fellow musicians writing new compositions, and in the final camp concert, and to provide various Asian cultural activities facilitated by ACC faculty members from the music department and local expert artists.

Below is an example of the camp schedule. Students arrived at 9 o’clock and began their day with a music theory class, where they learned not only the basic musical elements but also the ones that are unique to Asian tunes. Students then worked with a fellow student to arrange an Asian folk tune of their choice later in the week. After a short break, students practice their assigned musical pieces in groups with a coach. The coaches helped the campers prepare for the inner competition on Thursday and a public concert on Friday, which concluded the entire camp. Campers were provided with different Asian cuisines for lunch (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese…) to experience Asian culture from a culinary perspective. Additionally, we invited two cultural experts to lead workshops on Indian Carneric and Indonesian gamelan music, offering students a hands-on experience with these musical traditions and the students had great fun.

The New Asian Chamber Music Camp provided a valuable opportunity for ACC to engage with the growing Asian community and reaffirm its unwavering commitment to serving this demographic. Our own Asian community within the College was also able to witness the college’s genuine dedication to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports success across all disciplines. Eight talented high school musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds and heritages participated in the camp and each departed with a significantly enriched appreciation of Asian music and culture.

It was disappointing that the camp was not supported and therefore not offered this summer. Music has an incredible power to break boundaries and unite different generations and cultures around the world together. We believe that young musicians benefit more from learning and performing the music themselves than simply listening to it being performed by other professional musicians in concerts. We will continue to look for an alternative venue to host the New Asian Chamber Music Camp, with the hope of making it a permanent annual event.