2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 42,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 10 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

HK Reader Lecture October 21: The Hanfu Movement of the 21st Century: The System of Objects

The small bookshop was stuffed with listeners from all kinds of Hong Kong folk.

Facebook event page (Lecture 1): http://www.facebook.com/events/275976325853756/
Facebook event page (Lecture 2): http://www.facebook.com/events/106699626157875/

Powerpoint download here: HKReaders – Lecture 1

Recording: First hour :
Second Hour (Cantonese)

A great thanks to the Hanfu groups in Hong Kong, including hanfu.hk and PropLuxurians for their recommendation to  host this Cantonese talk series at HK Reader, a Mong Kok bookshop specializing in sociology, anthropology, and political science topics. We had an excellent turnout and the small bookshop was filled up and downstage with listeners, where we shared insights and opinions from 8PM to 10PM on the causes of the hanfu movement, ethnic identity, and the importance of developing a taxonomy and vocabulary of describing things. We hope to see you all, as well as new friends, in our next lecture, to be held on November 4 (two weeks from now), at HK Reader bookshop in Mong Kok, from 8PM to 10PM (HKT)!

The original Chinese notice is as follows: 漢服/運動系列講座「快樂鬥爭」模式、透過「正能量」文藝與耍樂方式，跟傳統示威方式別樹一格，香港人從保衛菜園村運動中記憶猶新。同樣，中國大陸的「80、90後」早已在互聯網策劃以及著手以穿著漢民族傳統衣裝的方式向中國的民族及文化政策和平異議。
奈何，他們卻遇媒體與大眾冷嘲熱諷為「做戲穿越」，甚至幾乎年年都遭到群體暴力逼害。但當華人留學生在他邦穿上華夏衣冠時，卻獲當地人熱烈歡迎及鼓勵。在一連串似乎無甚麼政治急切性的事件中，蘊藏著多少玄機？香港人對此事無動於衷，但是為甚麼本土化思想卻一定要參考此事呢？
多倫多大學東亞研究系、香港中文大學比較及公眾歷史系碩士生楊儁立為大家由淺入深、一起探討中國乃至全球華人的自我認同焦慮及一些「說不出的問題」。第一講﹕廿一世紀漢文化復興運動: 物質的系統

日期：10月21日(星期日)
時間：晚上8時至10時
地點：序言書室（旺角西洋菜南街68號7字樓）
講者：Juni L. Yeung 楊儁立 (雪亭)-多倫多大學東亞研究系學士/香港中文大學比較與公眾歷史系碩士生/多倫多古琴社社長(創辦人)/前多倫多漢服復興協會成員

第二講﹕漢服運動現今的挑戰﹑盲點﹑與爭議

日期：11月4日(星期日)
時間：晚上8時至10時
地點：序言書室（旺角西洋菜南街68號7字樓）
講者：Juni L. Yeung 楊儁立 (雪亭)-多倫多大學東亞研究系學士/香港中文大學比較與公眾歷史系碩士生/多倫多古琴社社長(創辦人)/前多倫多漢服復興協會成員

Toronto guqin class hiatus until 2013

To Chinese University Hong Kong!

Dear zhiyin, friends, and students at TorGuqin;

 

Allow me to express my gratitude for all your years of support and love for Chinese culture and the guqin. Without your enthusiasm, open ears and dedication to pick up this art, Toronto would not have become the hotbed for the revival of Chinese traditional arts as a living, youthful experience that we are now witnessing worldwide. More importantly, we would not have been as fruitful and productive to the development of guqin culture without your participation and feedback, which led to the publication of Standards of the Guqin.

It saddens me a little to think that I am leaving the city just as we are reaching new highs and pushing breakthroughs with our efforts in sharing long-lost melodies with the Toronto community, but new opportunities rise from a 1-year study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the home of many Fanchuan-school qin players and a venerable Chinese studies institution. It is my hope that by sharing insights with the masters in relevant fields, TorGuqin’s horizons will expand in profound ways for the future.

I encourage students to practice and continue to keep in touch and participate actively in music-sharing in form of yajis and gatherings. However, my personal tutorials (lessons) will not be offered from September 2012 to a projected date of May 2013. Except for Internet-based contact methods, all other contact information will be rendered defunct as of September, or next week.

This site will continue to be updated as usual in regards to TorGuqin member activity in Toronto, as well as new translations and essays. Moreover, ponderings and events on guqin and hanfu circles in Hong Kong and China will come to you from firsthand experiences, from the heart of the action.

Stay mellow.

Juni L. Yeung
Chairman, Toronto Guqin Society

Find us & talk on Facebook Guqin International: http://www.facebook.com/groups/guqinguqin/

Standards of the Guqin 2nd edition: Relaunch on August 10!

Musideum: A World of Musical Instruments features Standards of the Guqin on its shelves!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/389786531088646/

Come for an intimate evening of transcendent music and talk on the guqin, the Chinese 7-stringed zither, hosted by Musideum and Juni Yeung of the Toronto Guqin Society, as “Standards of the Guqin”, the first and only (to-date) English instruction book on the instrument, is relaunching into its second and expanded edition!

2 years and over 30 new pages later, the book features clear digital-type tablature for all sheet music, as well as a new section on tablature interpretation process, known as dapu.

The talk/concert will take place on Friday, August 10, 2012,
from 8PM at Musideum.

Standards of the Guqin Second Edition now out in stores! Go get your copy today!

Please RSVP with Donald Quan for tickets and/or preorder of the book, at (416) 599-7323 or info@musideum.com.
Admission to the event is $20,
while the book is sold for CAD$45, along with a personalized dedication autograph by the author on the site.

Standards of the Guqin to see Second Edition!

Standards of the Guqin score “Xianweng Cao” Section 1, as seen in the First edition and the upcoming Second edition.

== This is an important announcement to those who would like to purchase this book. ==

Standards of the Guqin will be publishing an expanded Second Edition within the month on Lulu.com. Many previous errors, minor and major, have been corrected, as well as additional essays and expanded technical details on various matters from how to calculate the positions of the hui markers to tying the fly knot more effectively.

Most importantly, however, is the expansion of 6 new lessons and an entirely new chapter of the book, as well as a total update on all the music scores in the book into a digitally-printed from the previous handwritten scans! A look at the image to the right and you will see that the improvement is a dramatic one.

The only thing that will not change, is the retail price. With nearly 40 pages of new content, Standards of the Guqin Second Edition will be available on Lulu.com at US$30.00.

Please stay tuned for the book launch information, and the related launch event in Toronto when it’s out!

Addendum: For those who are looking for lessons, please read the curriculum prior to contacting the instructor.

TorGuqin Events for May 2012

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and TorGuqin is happy to announce a series of public events in celebration of Chinese and Asian heritage for the appreciation of its fine cultural arts. Be sure to follow us and our exciting programming all around Toronto and the GTA!

All events are Free of admission.

1. (TorGuqin internal) Reception yaji for Liu Fang, Pipa Soloist

Toronto musicians welcome Montreal Pipa virtuoso Liu Fang to the city, where she will be performing in the George Ignatieff Theatre at UofT St. George Campus on Saturday, May 19th. As a friend of Chinese music, Liu has long appreciated the profound sounds of the qin, and we are eagerly looking forward a friendly evening to in sharing music and stories.

Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012
Location: Esther Zhang’s home/study
RSVP: Closed event

2. History of Chinese Clothing Seminar @ Agincourt Public Library

Why do ancient Chinese dress look so different with the modern ones? How do the Chinese use their clothing to represent the world? Are they always made of big silk sleeves?

Come learn about Hanfu, the REAL Chinese traditional clothing, at a special Asian Heritage Month seminar at Agincourt Public Library, presented by Juni Yeung of the Toronto Guqin Society! From its history to its different design types, you will also learn basics on how to make some of its most representative styles!

Date: Friday, May 25, 2012
Time: 11:30AM – 12 Noon (Please be on time)
Location: Agincourt Public Library, 15 Bonis Ave., Toronto, ON (Near Birchmount/Sheppard)
RSVP: Feel free to drop by!

** Addendum: Be sure to also check out Esther Zhang and the Toronto Ya-Yue Centre’s performances from 12-1PM as well! **

3. Guqin, Qin Song, and Kunqu Performance @ Carassauga 2012 China Pavilion

Carassauga Festival is the annual largest showcase of cultures which make up the diversity in the city of Mississauga. Experience 3 days and nights of exquisite cuisine, dance, and ethnic arts and crafts.

Toronto Guqin Society and the newly-formed Toronto Ya-Yue Art Center will be showcasing a 2-hour panel on various musical forms, taking everyone on an unforgettable cruise of the Chinese scene, from the ceremonial music of Imperial Courts and Confucius Temples, to the qin music in the gardens of literati scholars, to the pavilions of opera theatres and folk music in tea-houses!

Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012
Time: 10:00 PM to 11:30PM
Location: Franck McKechnie Community Centre, 310 Bristol Road East (Between Hurontario St. and Kennedy Rd.)
(Carassauga Shuttle Buses stop at this pavilion)
RSVP: Feel free to drop by, be on time!
Cost: Our show is free to the public. Costs may apply for shuttle buses, food etc.

Recap: Some of TorGuqin’s Activities since Chinese New Year 4710

Before entering the main article, please note that there is an art exhibition and guqin demonstration by Esther Zhang, a local Chinese artist and qin player the coming Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 3PM. Please visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/303925063012798/ for more details.

***

Over the years, TorGuqin has posted many event announcements on the website regarding its activities — meetings, gatherings, demonstrations, performances…and it is only intermittently that pictures or reports are posted back. Does this mean that it didn’t take place?

Far from it.

Recently, we actually have been in more activities than described on our website (and Facebook event pages), to which thanks to Yanyan Zhu, we are now able to record our events on HD digital video in addition to our paper records of our gatherings and events. Since February 2012, TorGuqin members have performed in the Evergreen Farmer’s Market, given lectures on the qin and Chinese drama at the University of Toronto, received Dr. Keren Li from Nanjing, as well as Dr. Yip Mingmei from New York as an honoured guest to our gatherings.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the word count of the following would be beyond millions.

TQS Reading Week/Family Day Impromptu Gathering

Bummed out from the weather? Burned out in February? How about joining us for Family Day fun as we enjoy a casual afternoon of guqin playing, tea drinking, and idea-sharing with TQS and the Chinese Cultural Library of Canada?

Kudos to Ms. Sunny Sun for offering the venue for the upcoming event.

Details are as follows: (http://www.facebook.com/events/248416735241536/)

Date: Monday, February 20, 2012
Time: 2PM to 5PM
Location: Chinese Cultural Library of Canada, Suite 205, 4433 Sheppard Ave. East, M1S 1V3
3636 Steeles Ave E, Markham, ON (Suite 202) << Location changed!
Fees: FREE.

Some Pictures from the Evergreen Farmer’s Market Performance

A very big thank you to all those who came out in show of support last Saturday at Evergreen Brick Works, and a warm welcome and Happy New Year to all our new friends since then. We wish you a happy and safe Year of the Water Dragon, and without further ado, let us review the events of that day:

January 21, 2012 Evergreen Brick Works Performance Itinerary

 First Session: 30 mins

Yayue – Book of Songs – Lu Ming (8 mins) TQS
(Intro speech: New Year, about Hanfu – 3~4 mins) Juni Yeung
Guqin Solo – Pei Lan (7 mins) Juni Yeung
Suona – Hua Mulan (5 mins) – Gongyu Xu
Guqin + Group Song – Guanshan Yue (3 mins) Esther Zhang, TQS group

 Second Session: 30 mins

Yayue – Book of Songs – Si Mu (7 mins) TQS
(Welcome back speech: New Year, about Yayue – 3~4 mins) Juni Yeung
Guqin Solo – Longxiang Cao (7 mins) – Yanyan Zhu
Sheng Solo – Fenghuang Zhanchi (4 mins) Gongyu Xu
Dizi – Gusu Xing (5 mins) –   Frederick M.H. Yiu

Kudos to Yanyan Zhu and Bill Wilson for photography.

Happy New Year 4710!

This is an Official Announcement of the TQS.

願在壬辰之歲,天地定位，陰陽協和。星辰順度，日月昭明。寒暑應候，雨暘以時。山岳靖謐，河海澄清。草木蕃廡，魚鱉咸若。家和戶寧，衣食充足。禮讓興行，教化修明。風俗敦厚，刑罰不用。華夏歸仁，四夷賓服。邦國鞏固，宗社尊安。景運隆長，本支萬世。

We wish you:

In the year of Yin-shen the Yang Water Dragon, Heaven and Earth sets its place, Yin and Yang is in harmony. The stars and constellations are in order, the sun and moon shine brightly. Heat and cold reflect the seasons, rain and shine come in timely schedule. Mountains and valleys are safe and tranquil, the rivers and seas are clear and calm. Trees and foliage manifest, fish and whales are prosperous. Families are happy and clans at peace, clothing and food be abundant. Ritual and propriety take its place, and civilization enlighten us all. May human nature be honest, and not have to resort to punishment. May Huaxia return to its humane doctrine, and foreigners from the four directions be impressed. Land and country be strong, the ancestral lineage be respected and kept safe. May good fortune be everlasting, and continue like a tree into the future.

 ***
As usual, Toronto Guqin Society is involved in the production and events of Hanfu Chunwan. Be sure to go over and check out their ever more impressive lineup of shows and events on Chinese culture!

Also, we have completely uploaded the 3 pieces of the Shijing Yuepu performed series onto Youtube. You can see them by reading more below.

Thank you for your support and participation with Toronto Guqin Society, and stay in touch for further event updates. If you have any requests for when/where to hold gatherings, please also feel free to leave a reply or send an email to Juni Yeung at jt_revolution@hotmail.com.

Remember to subscribe!

 

This is an Official Announcement of the TQS.

A few members have expressed that they have not received detailed information about the yaji (such as address and time). I would like to remind all that despite the EMAIL updates by the subscribe button, it does NOT update itself by sending you a new email when the post gets EDITED for new information.

Since TQS also operates by Facebook, be sure to join the Guqin – 古琴 (Guqin International) group, as all TQS events are posted there, and the system DOES give updates to whatever changes that are being made to that said page. Also, it helps us to tally who is going, so we can arrange the proper amenities.

In the future, we will look into making more posts to notify everyone of these smaller changes, so that you don’t miss out on the action!

TQS/TCO Joint Performance @ Evergreen Farmer’s Market, January 21, 2012

What are we up to?

 In celebration of the 2012/4710 Chinese New Year of the Water Dragon, the Toronto Guqin Society (TQS) has partnered up with the Toronto Chinese Orchestra (TCO) and Mr. William Ho of The ONE Gallery in Unionville, to bring you authentic traditional ritual music used in the Guanli coming-of-age ceremony. Recorded in High-Definition, this is the first time since TQS performed the piece in partnership with the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations of Ontario Universities (CSSAOU) in the 60th anniversary of the PRC in 2009.

The three stages of the coming-of-age ceremony are reflected by the three pieces of music used – consecutive pieces “Lu Ming”, “Si Mu” and “Huanghuang Zhe Hua” from the “Small Elegant Airs” section of the Book of Poetry. The score used is the Imperial Commissioned Score of the Book of Poetry, titled by Qianlong of the Qing period (in the 18th century). The score was part of a larger cultural reform at the time, and the republication of the work in the Republican era (early 20th century) did not make any amendments. Juni Yeung from TQS has spent two years in studying the system, in attempt to revert the changes from the 14-pitch scale back to the 12-pitch one, and strike a balance with contemporary instrumental and performance contexts.

 TQS and TCO will be publically performing these pieces on Saturday, January 21, 2012, from 10AM to 11:30am, at Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave., Toronto, ON, M4W 3X8. Music lovers, families, and curious minds are encouraged to attend and experience this rare opportunity in celebration of the year of the dragon! This celebration will take place during the weekly Farmers’ Market. For more information, see:

Toronto Guqin Society: http://torguqin.wordpress.com
Evergreen Brick Works Farmers’ Market: http://ebw.evergreen.ca/whats-on/farmers-market#jan21

 ***

為迎接公元2012年﹑黃帝4710壬辰龍年之際﹐多倫多古琴社以高清高質視聽錄像模式﹐與多倫多中樂團在和萬錦於人村歷史Main街區『壹藝軒』何靖恆老師再度合作 , 為全球華人送上傳統成人冠笄禮的禮樂。這是繼2009年多倫多古琴社與安省高校中國學生學者聯誼會(CSSAOU) 協辦『中國風﹐海外情』國慶60周年暨中秋晚會中『成人禮』(冠禮笈禮)表演之后﹐再度隆重推出傳統雅樂演奏節目.

冠禮笈禮三加所用之音樂為《詩經﹕小雅》的連續三首《鹿鳴》﹑《四牡》﹑《皇皇者華》。使用的樂譜為清代《乾隆欽定詩經樂譜》﹐為當時禮樂制度改革的一部份。民國年間這本《詩經樂譜》公開出版, 並無對清代版本作任何改動。多倫多古琴社社長楊雪亭耗時兩年對古代樂制潜心研究﹐並且嘗試把十四律制音樂轉換回現代十二律制﹑並且找尋現代民族樂器律制之間的平衡。

 多倫多古琴社將於2012年1月21日(周六)上午10:00時至11時30分﹐在Evergreen Brick Works國家常青自然文化社區中心(550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4W 3X8 Canada)向公眾推出中國傳統雅樂和古琴音樂演奏活動﹐歡迎愛好音樂的家庭来參與﹐齊接喜慶水龍年﹗屆時本節目將與當地每週農夫市場(Farmers’ Market)同時進行。

詳情請瀏覽以下網站﹕多倫多古琴社http://torguqin.wordpress.com, 常青會農夫市場http://ebw.evergreen.ca/whats-on/farmers-market#jan21

Below is a sneak preview of what’s to come: