Overtone Singing

Autumn Workshops Taiwan

About sound, Audio/Video, concerts, Overtone Singing, People, Projects, Workshops, 中文, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Check out all the workshops for the coming months and scroll down for details.

Shruti Nights XII/XIII/XIV: Starts again every month with a new theme

Kaohsiung Catch the Spirit of the Moment (4 full days)
Saturday/Sunday 17-20 October / 9:30 AM – 5 PM

Dulan Voice Yoga Retreat
Saturday December 19  / 10AM – Tuesday December 22 / 1 PM

Shruti Days (2 full days) in Taipei, t.b.a. soon

As always, there are ongoing weekly Voice Yoga classes you can always join. Please check with us first as some weeks are cancelled or in another location.

 

THE DETAILS PER EVENT

 

 

Shruti Nights XII

Starts again soon with a new theme

*************************************

SHRUTI NIGHTS (# XII)
Singing and shaping techniques for melodic improvisations

**************************************
Learn to free your voice using a simple drone instrument.
A series of four classes, starting the first or second Tuesday of the month.

The aim of these four sessions is to learn to improvise melodies with the shruti box. Every month we will take a close look at something else. In most classes there will be all kinds of structural vocal exercises to build up your skills, some structural improvising and some free explorations of your very own musicality.

This month we go back once more to all the basic tools to shape your sound: making your voice more ‘yours’ and more expressive; and looking at how to shape phrases (starting them, ending them, rhythmic variation etc.).

Watch a video of Mark playing shruti box here:
https://youtu.be/BhiMamcPuMw?t=1519

FOR WHOM:
– people who recently bought a shruti box from Mark
– others who already have a shruti box and want to learn more
– others who want to learn to sing better with a drone instrument
– since the aim is to sing melodies, it is preferable if you can keep a tone. If you cannot hold tones (or you are ‘tone-deaf’, to use a terrible expression), you can still join in most of the program, but for some exercises as a passive participant.

WHAT YOU NEED
You can bring your own shruti box but it is not absolutely necessary, we always have several pieces on hand.
If you consider to buy an instrument but not sure what you need, and you join four classes, you can try one out at home between two consecutive classes.

DATES & TIMES
Four Tuesday evenings from 19:00 – 21:15.

REGISTER & INFO
In English: mark@fusica.nl / Facebook / Phone 09 103 827 49

 

 

 

2020 聲音旅程: 唱入當下

(4天的歌唱靈感工作坊)

在這個週末，你可以讓自己沉浸在音樂即興的藝術和遊戲之中—玩耍、創造、發展創意。你會(重新)發現在自己之內的詩人、舞者、編曲家，以及音樂家：時而優雅，時而瘋狂。除此之外，我們也會在活動空檔時檢視即興作為一個開放心態以及無所畏懼生活的隱喻。我們也會喚醒活在我們之內的內在小孩，但喚醒內在小孩的同時，我們也會更向前跨出一步，成為更成熟、有覺知的存在。

「唱入當下」/ 捕捉當下精神(catching the spirit of the moment)的意思是你回到「當下」以及「此地」: 你會做出當下感覺最自然，最適當的回應。這個時候「你」會比一般行動中的「自己」更敏銳、不一樣，因為你會感到「自己」不是那個執行動作的人，而動作(想法、創意、音樂、動作、行動)好像在未經「自己」意識之下就發生了。藝術家、發明家，跟科學家都很珍惜這樣的時刻。它可能在我們用從未試過的方式組合剩菜做晚餐時發生。又或是我們熱情的跳舞、歌唱、繪畫，或是說故事的時候發生。

這個工作坊是關於突破慣性並與自己內在的創造力及想像力展開連結，通常工作坊會提供結構跟氣氛讓靈感能夠湧現。靈感可能以聲音、音樂、動作或舞蹈、詩句或亂語的形式顯現。同時，會有很多冒險的機會及不確定性。會有很多失敗或是不討喜的聲音(還有尷尬的沉默)。不過，或許也會有滌淨人心的時刻/真實又富創造性的時刻─共同的或單獨的─體驗未曾體驗過的情感交流。

我們的目標是嚴肅的玩樂: 打破我們的焦慮以及(通常為內心的)限制來找到創意和表達的自由。你可能會有所猶豫、經歷掙扎，然後完全迷失，不知道要做什麼。但在某個時刻你會完全沉浸在創意的河流中，經歷一連串富張力的時刻，而你將會開啟與內在創作泉源的連結；又或是說你會走出「自我」表向之外。

帶著你的樂器，或是可以發出很大聲響的物品: 可以先試試廚房用品的聲量！不要只帶一隻筆跟一個杯子來喔，除非你很確定它發出的聲音在團體中可以被聽的很清楚。上課前要好好實驗/準備一番喔: 在家裡試音的時候，忽略其他家人，試試鍋、瓢、盆、鐵鎚等其他物品。

受課語言為英文，並有中文翻譯。

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
【報名表】
https://forms.gle/pf3LuMj4grqJCXAt6

【日期】: 10/ 17(六)~10/20 (二)
【時間】: 9:30-17:00 (午休12:00-13:30)
【人數】:最少10人，最多20人。

【學費】
1. 原價: 15,600 NT$
2. 舊生價: 請聯繫Sunny.

【地點】: 普那生活空間
800高雄市新興區民生一路201號
https://goo.gl/maps/6xkyKRxu4vuFArAS8

【關於Mark】
Mark van Tongeren，來自荷蘭的聲音探索者，對藝術、科學及冥想傳統的融合有著深厚的興趣與經驗。Mark在劇場、音樂、舞蹈製作等領域有30年的資歷，並自荷蘭萊登大學的創意與表演藝術學院取得博士學位。

【好奇嗎？請來電或來信了解詳情】
中文： m10531001@gmcc.tnua.edu.tw /
lineID: soleilc77 陳亮伃
英文： info@fusica.nl Mark van Tongeren

【匯款帳號 】
請完成匯款後填寫報名表，
我們會在幾日內確認細節並與您聯繫。

銀行: 中國信託敦南分行(代號:822)
帳號: 163540306745
戶名:MARK CHRISTIAAN VAN TONGEREN

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Sound Journey: Catch the spirit of the moment

(4 day workshop, Kaoshiung)

During this weekend, you immerse yourself in improvisational performance as a way to play, to invent and to be creative. You will (re)discover the poet, the dancer, the composer and the musician in you: sometimes refined, sometimes crazy. In between, we will look at improvising as a metaphor for open-minded and fearless living. We will bring back to life the child in us, but also move ahead to the more mature, self-conscious person that we want to be.

Catching the spirit of the moment means you get in the ‘now’ and also in the ‘here’: you do something that feels completely natural and appropriate for that moment or occasion. In this case ’you’ is often more than (or different from) the ‘I’ that usually acts: there is a sense that it is not ‘I’ who acts, but that the actions (thoughts, creative processes, music-making, moving, acting) are happening almost without the ‘I’ being present. Artists, inventors and scientists all cherish these moments. It can also happen when we create a lovely diner with some left-over ingredients that we never combined in this way before, or when we passionately tell a story.

This workshop is about getting in touch with your creative imagination in unplanned ways, often with the help of little structured ideas to create a setting. The outcome may be new sounds or music, movements or dance, talk or jibberish. There will be some risk-taking and many uncertanties. There will be some failure or undesired sounds (and awkard silences, too). Maybe there will be a great moment of catharsis and truth, of creating things – together or alone – that you have never experienced before.

We aim for some serious fun: to break through our anxieties and (often mental) limitations and find creative, expressive freedom. You may hesitate, struggle, and feel absolutely uncertain where to go or what to do. But at some point you will get immersed in a creative flow, a series of dynamic moments in which you connect with creative sources residing deep within you – or rather outside the ego-bound ‘I’.

You must bring an instrument or some object that makes a lot of noise: try out your kitchen to start with . Do not show up with only a pen and a cup, unless you are certain they are so clear and sharp that they still stand out when everyboyd makes sounds. . Take this seriously and be prepared, already at home: ignore others in your household when you try out utensils, hammers, or whatever.

DATE/TIME:
17-20 October ，9:30-17:00 (lunch: 1.5 hour)

PLACE:
OSHO CENTER KAOHSIUNG
https://goo.gl/maps/6xkyKRxu4vuFArAS8

PRICE:
Regular: 15600 NT$
RES student: contact sunny (m10531001@gmcc.tnua.edu.tw)

YOUR TEACHER
Mark van Tongeren is a Dutch sound explorer with a deep interest in the synergy of arts, sciences and contemplative traditions. Mark has 30 years of experience in theatre, music and dance productions and holds a PhD from Leiden University’s Academy of Creative of Performing Arts.
More info: www.fusica.nl

REGISTER & INFO
In English: mark@fusica.nl / Facebook / Phone 09 103 827 49

【PAYMENT】
Payment upon registration by bank.
Make sure to provide the payment details in registration form. We will confirm reception in a few days time.

Bank code: 822.
Name of bank: China Trust
Beneficiary: Mark Christiaan van Tongeren
Account number: 163540306745

REGISTRATION LINK
https://forms.gle/eStue2RyA2jPDwHP6

CANCELLATION:
If for some reason you cannot join after registration, we urge you to try to find a replacement. The administration cost is 10%. With 30 days or less before the workshop, we keep the right to return only 60% of your fee. Within 14 days to the starting date, we keep the right to return only 30% of your fee, within 7 days no refund.

 

 

 

Dulan: Voice Yoga Winter Solstice Retreat
Saturday December 19 – Tuesday December 22

Once again the succesful Voice Yoga Retreat. Read more about it by clicking on the link below:

First Voice Yoga Retreat (full report)

 

In Voice Yoga’s dynamic group process, students go beyond their own habits and expectations. Often, something larger than ourselves emerges: a flow of hidden creative potential. We work with all kinds of sounds without meaning, without emphasizing a beautiful voice. They help us to get beyond common subject-object and mind-body dualities, and bring our unconscious selves and irrational emotions to the surface. The group process becomes a mirror for the self and allows us to ‘see’ ourselves more clearly, to hear what’s living deep inside.

“this is better than sex” (comment by one student)

Designed and taught by Mark van Tongeren, a Dutch sound explorer with a deep interest in the synergy of arts, sciences and contemplative traditions. Mark has 25 years of experience in theatre, music and dance productions and holds a PhD from Leiden University’s Academy of Creative of Performing Arts.

 

 

**************************************
VOICE YOGA WINTER SOLSTICE RETREAT
**************************************

Three and a half days of intense explorations of voice and movement for body-mind balance and creative, vibrant well-being.

**************************************

In Voice Yoga’s dynamic group process, you go beyond your habits and expectations. Something larger than yourself emerges: a flow of hidden creative potential.

Grounded in physical exercise such as yoga, we work with all kinds of sounds without meaning, without emphasizing a beautiful voice. They help us to get beyond common subject-object and mind-body dualities, and bring our unconscious selves and irrational emotions to the surface. The group process becomes a mirror for the self and allows us to ‘see’ ourselves more clearly, to hear what’s living deep inside.

BACKGROUNDS
Mark’s Voice Yoga runs for over 8 years and brings together three decades of creative, vocal expression, yogic discipline and contemplative traditions.
Voice Yoga is neither yoga as you see all around you, or music as you hear it every day. It is a personal, artistic synthesis of a wide range of musical, resonant, theatrical, contemplative and physical arts. What binds them together is Mark’s unique synthesis and his vision to create a strong sense of flow, no matter what the activity is. Serious workouts smoothly blend with unforgettable (and unrepeatable!) musical creations, deep breath work morphs into contact improv and vocal exercises into absurdistic theatre.

This retreat will give you a big boost, whether you are a musician, dancer, yoga teacher, actor, or just interested in working on your personal growth through the connections between sound, body and mind. No problem if you’ve never done yoga before!

*********************
**** WEEKLY VOICE YOGA
**** For a taste of this retreat,
**** come to one of the weekly Voice Yoga
**** classes in Taipei for a 2-hour session.
**** Thursdays 10:15-12:15 AM
**** https://www.facebook.com/events/2197109717082246/
*********************

GUEST TEACHERS: SHAUN AND HUI-HUNG

We will have one or more sessions with two great Contact Improvisation guest teachers. Shaun and Hui-Hung are the creators of an art and dance education center called Teal Studios. The center was founded in 2015 in Taipei, but has since moved to the east coast of Taiwan. Through out the year, they hold a variety of workshops based on the traditions of Thai Yoga Massage and Contact Improvisation. Their teachings are also influenced by the practices of Tai Chi, Yoga and Mindfulness Mediation. When leading a class, they bring over 15 years of experience in training, developing and teaching in the arts of C.I. and T.Y.M.

VOICE YOGA RETREAT: FOR WHOM?
Anyone can attend, no experience with yoga or music is necessary. Making sounds and learning about the connections between sound and movement, tones and physical vibrations, and not yoga per se, are the main purpose of this retreat. We are working to create an atmosphere of inclusion and acceptance. We make sure people of different levels of physical, mental, musical and other development feel supported and encouraged to grow and explore. We do our best to accommodate the program to the different levels of the participants and let you decide to skip or tone down certain exercises when you feel they are too demanding.

DATES & TIMES
We start Saturday December 19 at 9 AM and suggest you arrive the evening before.
We finish after lunch on Tuesday 22th, around 1:30 PM.

The schedule is an early version, still open to changes at the moment.

Day 1:
9:00-12:00 introduction to the program. Light exercising, breathing exercises start moving toning, improvising. Deep sleep session included!
12:00-15:30 lunch & siësta
15:30-18:30 Guided movement and sound practices, walking meditations, improvisations and more.
18:30-20:00 diner & rest
20:00-21:30 evening program: active sound meditation.

Day 2, 3, 4 (half day):
9:00-12:00 Slow meditative warm up, mild to vigorous exercising, toning, noise making. Once again: restorative (half-)sleep/dream.
12:00-15:30 lunch & siësta
15:30-18:30 Guided movement and sound practices, walking meditations, improvisations and more.
18:30-20:00 diner & rest
20:00-21:30 Moongazing. Sound searching. Mark’s concert. Yours?! Ours!

On the 21st we will hold a somewhat longer evening session to observe the Winter Solstice with appropriate rituals.

PLACE
We hold our sessions in Shufang’s Energy Healing, a gorgeous new yoga studio in Dulan, Taidong, isolated from nearby properties. The studio has all utilities we need. There is a big lawn outside for musical workouts in fresh air, giant rocks to repose, and a few shady places.
Have a look here!:
https://www.facebook.com/shufang.energyhealing/

LODGING
Several comfortable options nearby in Dulan, different prices, some at walking distance.

OUR TEAM
This workshop is brought to you by Mark van Tongeren, Sunny Chen (translator) and Jackal Mei (general manager), and hosted by Shufang Wang.

For any questions about the contents in English ask Mark, in Chinese, ask Sunny or Jackal.
For registration, lodging and food details ask Jackal.
(contact info below)

YOUR TEACHER
Mark van Tongeren is a Dutch sound explorer with a deep interest in the synergy of arts, sciences and contemplative traditions. Mark has over 25 years of experience in theatre, music and dance productions and holds a PhD from Leiden University’s Academy of Creative of Performing Arts. He practices yoga for some twenty years and all kinds of voice/music/performance practices for 30 years. Read more details below or check out www.fusica.nl.

PRICES

T.B.A. soon

CONTACT INFO:

JACKAL MEI:
Phone: 0936596910
Mail jackallala@gmail.com
LINE: Jackallala

SUNNY CHEN
Phone: 0912024285
Mail ly.sunny.chen@gmail.com
LINE: soleilc77

Or contact Mark directly in English:
mark@fusica.nl
Phone 0910382749
LINE: 0910382749

REGISTRATION
https://forms.gle/Zn1bwfNVFWDDPn6u8

TESTIMONIALS
“I felt many sounds inside me first time and I felt there is an inner space inside my body. That was an very powerful experience for me. The body wasn’t what I knew before. I felt peace when you sang… I do have a lot of fun when you want us imitate your voice… Every time when we make sounds together I feel I am decomposing and putting every part of me in one again. ”
– Judith

” Your class shows me the magic of breath and voice. This makes my inner child very happy. ”
– Nancy

” I enjoyed the class very much today. You had everyone engaged and creatively expressed as well as discharging and recharging well. ”
– Tina

” More than ever, it brings back my childhood so I can play again. ”
– Kovida

” Your class shows me the magic of breath and voice. This makes my inner child very happy. ”
– Nancy

” Voice Yoga helps me feel lighter. ”
– Jennifer

” I enjoy a lot and feel relaxed, this is a special course for me. ”
– Judy

” This is better than sex! ”
– Tammy

 

 

 

 

Sound Journey: R E S O N A N C E R e t r e a t

News, Overtone Singing, Sound Journeys, Workshops, 中文, , , , , ,

Get into the heart of sound and voice. Four days to explore questions like:

How and what do I resonate through my voice?

How can I listen and resonate better, to others, and to myself?

How to let the overtones that are naturally present in my voice, sing?

 

For information about the teaser/interactive concert in Taipei early March, see here or click on the flyer:

 

This workshop teaches you the principles of resonance by learning the basics of overtone singing: a special way of listening to and making vocal sounds that has many useful applications for singers and non-singers alike. It requires no previous musical training.

To get an idea of what this workshop is about, listen to Mark’s TEDx talk about listening and singing overtones:

 

Mark speaking at TEDx Taipei in 2016

 

 

EXAMPLES OF THEMES:

° enrich your vocal resonance

° learn to sing overtones

° connect listening and sounding to the body

° connect body and sound to movement in new, interesting and fun ways

° dig deep into your very own creative impulses

° get personal feedback to discover what is unique about your resonance

° applications in meditation, therapy …

° … for yourself, for others

° understand and perceive the subtle sounds of resonance, timbre and overtones

 

TRADITION AND MODERNITY

The workshops is related to various old and new forms of singing and chanting

° contemporary / new / avantgarde music

° Tibetan Buddhist chanting

° Tuvan and Mongolian throat singing

° early and traditional polyphonic singing from Europe

learning from traditions where music is not commercial, not an enterprise, not a staged act, not an ‘artform’

 

 

MIND-SETTING / SOUND ECOLOGY

° break-through your habitual patterns of hearing and making sound

° explore expressions beyond words

° develop a new sound vocabularies

 

LISTENING

° hearing overtones in the colours and timbres of a voice

° listening meditations/concerts

° ‘ear cleaning’: make a new start listening to all sound instead of familiar patterns

 

RESONATING

° zooming into resonance by slowing down the movements of tongue, lips, jaw

° Tongue Rollercoaster: losening up the tongue to move freely

° get to know the basic techniques of overtone singing: NG (gong), RR (bird), LL (sygyt), vowel (ee-uu)

NEW BODY-MIND CONNECTIONS

° Ocean Exercise: unlearn the fixed patterns of the speech and music you know

° Singing while you lie down, walk, stand, sit, close your eyes

 

RESONANT ENCOUNTERS

° guided resonating with one or more voices

° giving feedback to each other’s voices

 

IS IT ART? THERAPY? SPIRITUAL EXERCISE?

° Exploring and discussing the many levels on which sound works

 

 

VOCAL STYLE

The main emphasis is on using / applying / hearing resonance with a relaxed, more occidental voice, and not on the pressed, guttural voices of throat singing, for example Tuvan khöömei. We will learn some pieces by Mark and also create our own pieces, improvisations, soundpaintings, sound choreographies, rituals, etc.

In addition we will use instruments such as singing bowls, bells, lutes and fiddles and you are encouraged to bring your own – the greater the resonant spectrum, the better!

KNOW THE THEORY

Your guide holds a PhD in the field of the voice, resonance, and overtone singing and has thirty years of experience doing performative and academic research. He has decades of experience introducing newcomers to the sometimes strange or difficult principles of sound. Even though those sounds govern our everyday communication, we are profoundly unaware how it works. After these four days you will be enriched with many new ideas about your own voice and those of others.

 

VIDEO LINK

Listen to Mark singing the first sixteen overtones:

Snippet of a throat singing workshop in Washington DC, 2002:

Taipei TEDx talk about listening and singing overtones:

FOR WHOM

No experience is necessary, all levels welcome.

We’ve had office workers, people with speech problems, poets, singing bowl players, linguists, sanyassins, professional singers, dancers, academics in previous R E S O N A N C E courses. Anyone who is curious about developing her or his voice potential, whether professional or amateur or non-singer, will benefit from these lessons.

DATES & TIMES

The course lasts four full days.

Start date and time: Saturday April 10, 9:30 AM

Finish: Tuesday April 13, 4 PM

PLACE

The Rainbow Mountain, Jianshi, Hsinchu

An isolated, quiet haven for concentrated sound work and contemplation deep in the mountains of Hsinchu. And yet easy to reach from Taipei.

Stunning landscape, spectacular floating clouds, great health food.

Stay in-house only in comfortable rooms in several separate chalets.

PRICES

Regular: 23.000 NT$

Early Bird: 10% off (20.700 NT$). Downpayment must be transmitted before 25/2

Bring a friend: 5% off (both 1.150 NT$ off). Can be combined with early bird. Both downpayments must be transmitted before 25/2.

Student/senior with ID card / poor struggling artist: 25% (cannot be combined with other discounts; )

Old students (RESONANCE, multiple Sound Journeys): check your email for extra discounts or ask us.

 

INCLUDED

– Tuition fee

– All meals (Saturday lunch diner up to and including Tuesday lunch)

(if you have special request please let us know)

– Insurance

– transport from Neiwan train station to Rainbow Mountain and back.

Not included:
Transport to Jianshi
Lodging. Lodging is on-site at The Rainbow Mountain, Jianshi, where you can stay all the time, the rooming options differ a bit and are handled separately.

 

YOUR TEACHER

Mark van Tongeren is a Dutch sound explorer with a deep interest in the synergy of arts, sciences and contemplative traditions. Mark has 25 years of experience in theatre, music and dance productions and holds a PhD from Leiden University’s Academy of Creative of Performing Arts. Full biography.

 

TEASER / CONCERT

https://www.fusica.nl/event/sound-out-resonance/ ‎

We have an event to present to you what previous students did and what you can expect at the RESONANCE retreat. Join us to listen, to start resonating and to ask questions!

Event: SOUND OUT! R E S O N A N C E

March 7, 2020, 2:30-5 PM

Place: Artalley Cafe

Weblink: Accupass (tickets)

 

REGISTER & INFO

In English: mark@fusica.nl / Facebook / Phone 09 103 827 49

 

REGISTRATION LINK

To register, fill in the google form (coming soon) and answer a few questions.

Your registration is confirmed once the downpayment (25% of total fee) is received. Book early to avoid disappointments.

 

PAYMENT

Payment upon registration by bank or Paypal.

Bank code: 822.

Name of bank: China Trust

Beneficiary: Mark Christiaan van Tongeren

Account number: 163540306745

Make sure to send an email after your payment with the last few digits of your bank account.

 

CANCELLATION

If for some reason you cannot join after registering and downpayment, we urge you to try to find a replacement. The administration cost is 10%. With 30 days or less before the workshop, we keep the right to return only 60% of your fee. Within 14 days to the starting date, we keep the right to return only 30% of your fee, within 7 days no refund.

 

ON SALE : Overtone Singing Book + CD

(ethno)musicology, About sound, Artistic Research, News, Overtone Singing, People, Publications, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 now  € 15,-  ( instead  of  € 30)

US$ 17,50  (instead of US$ 35)

 

and more than 50% off for the hardcover version

now € 20,- (instead of € 42,50)

US$ 22,50  (instead of US$ 5o)

 

a  book + CD for the price of a CD!!

 

 

There are some copies left of the second edition and we are now selling them out at half price, even though the 2004 edition is already a Collector’s Item!

 

 

TongerenOvertoneSingingCover3
BOOK SUMMARY:
In Overtone Singing, ethnomusicologist and singer Mark van Tongeren provides a fascinating insight into the timeless and universal aspects of sound and vibration. Grounded in a decade-long study of Asian music, he draws upon various fieldwork experiences, interviews with eastern and western musicians, in addition to the work of numerous scholars. He presents a multidisciplinary vision on sound that runs from World and contemporary music to the science of acoustics and perception, to music philosophy and the spiritual dimensions of music. Written in a non-technical style, this book and accompanying audio CD are indispensable guides to musicians, listeners and music specialists seeking a deeper understanding of the nature of the human voice, sound and overtones.

 

Read all about the book and the CD on this page.

 

 

How to order?

Write directly to Fusica.

1. Tell us the amount, which binding (hardcover, paperback), send details

Tell us the number of books you want (it makes a surprising present for your musical friends too!), and send your full name and address details. (of course we will not share your information with anybody.)

2. We’ll confirm with shipping fees

We’ll add the actual postage fee and send you payment instructions to a bank account in The Netherlands, Taiwan, or using Paypal,  Transferwise or Bunq, whichever is convenient for you.

Examples of shipping cost:

Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK       € 9,- for standard delivery,   add € 4,- for Track and Trace if you like (total € 13,-). You can add one or two more books at no extra shipping cost!! (remember that friend’s birthday coming up next month?)

Greece, Portugal         €12,-standard,    add € 6,50 for Track and Trace if you like (total € 18,50). You can add one or two more books at no extra shipping cost!! (remember that friend’s birthday coming up next month?).

Allow up to six days for delivery. Due to the coronavirus the term may be longer.

Netherlands / Nederland     € 6,75 standard / standaard,   € 8,75 Track and Trace / aangetekend. Meestal de volgende dag bezorgd. Bestel 1 of 2 extra boeken als cadeau zonder extra verzendkosten, bijvoorbeeld als cadeautjes!

Russia      €18,-standard,    add € 6,30 for Track and Trace if you like (total € 18,50). Or order your copy through Sketis Music in Moscow soon. Delivery 7-20 days.

Japan    $13,- standard (surface mai, 15-25 days), $16 standard (airmail 7-10 days), add $2,- for insurance (ships from Taiwan).

USA, Canada $10,- standard, add $2,- for tracking (ships from Taiwan).

Allow up to ten days for delivery.

3. Transfer your payment

Transfer the applicable fees and the book will come your way as soon as possible.

Use a bank account in The Netherlands or Taiwan, or use Paypal,  Transferwise or Bunq.

 

 

4. Your order will be sent from The Netherlands or Taiwan

Any questions, just let us know.

 

 

Below: the special hardcover edition (pictured with the CD in the back). Both paperback and hardcover are printed with high quality print (paper/binding) that will last another century.

 

 

More information?

Read all about the book and the CD on this page.

 

 

 

Late 2019 Hong Kong workshops cancelled

Overtone Singing, Workshops, 中文, , , , , , , ,

Due to all the uncertainties in Hong Kong, the Soundtherapy Hong Kong team decided it is not a good time to run my regular Hong Kong workshop Outer Voice – Inner Voice. So we cancel the workshop. Here is the original post with announcement and some photos from the workshops 2014-2018.

If you want to learn overtone singing with me but do not need a Chinese translation, then the workshops in Hong Kong may be something for you. Most workshops in Taiwan are with translation, which means we lose some time for interpretation. This November workshop in Hong Kong is the next opportunity to do an English-only workshop, other opportunities in Winter and Spring 2020 will be announced here soon.

(Link to Chinese version)

 

First workshop location in Hong Kong, 2014

I have had such fantastic experiences during the Hong Kong workshops over the past six years and would like to look back through some photos. The first workshop I did was during the Umbrella Revolution in 2014 – though the umbrellas you see in the first photo were not related to the protest. The previous visit (late 2018) was just days after a violent typhoon struck Hong Kong, locking people in their homes with the wind bashing on their windows and rains creeping in through the windowposts. On the beach (last photo) we found the remains of shops that were completely destroyed. In between you will find mostly happier moments shared with students and Jennifer and Jasmine. And at the bottom my ‘Courage!’ statement for the many friends in Hong Kong.

 

With Jasmine Hui of Soundtherapy Hong Kong at the workshop location, a comix and animation center.

 

The fantastic Soundtherapy Hong Kong team and me have revamped the annual Outer Voice ~ Inner Voice workshop to make it a bit more accessible and diverse. At the same time old students will find some new themes to progress further in their exploration of overtone singing and the endless possibilities of the colours of the human voice.

 

The general idea is for starters to come to Part One ~ Outer Voice (day one) and from there to continue with Part Two ~ Inner Voice (day two and three). Old students can directly come to Part Two ~ Inner Voice, if they wish. Within these two blocks there are still six  themes to chose from – or you can do them all.

 

PART I ~ OUTER VOICE

THE RESONATING BODY

DAY 1. SOUND IS MOVEMENT

Session 1. Breath, Prana & Movement

Breath is one process in the totality of prana / life force, and the one that drives our vocal sound too. We slowly build up our vocal practise from the breath and from movements. From relaxation we start a journey to learn new ways of sounding and moving. Familiar, everyday patterns become tools for transformation. Plenty of group chanting and toning, too.

Session 2.        Sounds and music to lose and find yourself

We continue our exploration by shaking up things a bit more. Going wild and extreme one moment, contemplating sound and self another. Focus and un-focus. By doing less than we normally do, we notice more. We return to a primary knowledge that sits at the centre of the body-mind-division: sonic phenomenology. Musical games/meditations/dances. Serious fun. Anything is possible, and nothing too!

 

Projecting vowels into the body

 

PART II. INNER VOICE

INTO THE HEART OF SOUND

 

DAY 2. THE HARMONIC UNIVERSE

Session 3. Cosmic Listening

After some energising Voice Yoga we dive into the subtler realms of vowels, resonance and overtones. You take your first steps in The Art of Listening 2.0. Break through your habitual patterns of sounding and hearing. Expand your awareness of voice physiology. Cosmic listening to overtone singing with the sruti box and hear your own harmonics. Getting back to the more vigorous shake-ups of the day before whenever needed.

Session 4. Your Voice, Your Resonance, Your life

Overtone singing is not easy and pursuing mere technique in itself can be a burden. Armed with new understandings and experiences of the hidden dimensions of the human voice, we ask ourselves where we want to go with it. How do you resonate? What makes your voice unique? Love it or hate it? Every voice and every path is different. Pushing our vocal limits, we collectively embrace failure. And return to soothing vibrant sonic meditations.

 

Holland Street

DAY 3. CREATIVE IMAGINATION as a SOURCE OF LIFE

Session 5. Mantras, Chants and Sound poems

In an age of media technologies we have silenced ourselves and forgotten our ancestors’ songs. Mantras are among the most ancient sound tools around and we can still learn from them. The repetitive vibrations of chants also awake slumbering resonances in our body-mind. Add to that 21st century Sound Poems flavored with overtones and we have a complete palette of tools to revive the lost sonic core of our selves.

Session 6. Paraphony

Paraphony means: there is no such thing as objective sounds. Sound is shaped by your ears, your awareness, your mood … always in flux. In our last session, we throw ourselves into the creative process of making music by and for ourselves and each other. The more we live by our creative impulses—be they noisy and chaotic or contemplative and balanced—the deeper we get to know ourselves and the world around is. Resonating together, we attune ourselves to ever subtler sounds of tones, overtones and elusive acoustic realms. Grasping these phenomena, we manifest our own voice, bring it out in its own unique glory.

 

PART I ~ Session 1 and 2:

Date: 22 Nov 2019 (Fri). Time: 10am – 1pm + 2:30pm – 5:30pm

PART II ~ Session 3 /4 and 5/6: 23-24 Nov 2019 (Sat – Sun), Time: 10am – 5:30pm
To register Session 3-6 (Part II), you’re required to register for either Session 1 or 2 first. Past students can directly register for Part II without taking Session 1 or 2.

Venue (All Sessions): Sound Therapy Hong Kong

For registration go to the Soundtherapy Hong Kong website here and on Facebook.

 

Awaken your potential:

  • –     >    to listen better
  • –     >    to hear and sing the natural overtones in your voice
  • –     >    to understand your inner drives better
  • –     >    to diversify your voice

After this 3 days workshop, you will go home with a renewed sense of self through a fresh look and ‘a fresh ear’ at your voice. You will have a fuller understanding of its complex vibratory mechanisms, and get many new ideas how these operate at the point where body and mind are merged in a greater whole.  You learn techniques to better hear the world around you and inside you. These tools help you to gradually increase your musical/sound awareness, to know what needs to be healed and how to do that.

For whom?

No previous musical or vocal experience is required. Just bring a healthy dosage of curiosity and willingness to explore. The starting point is your own path as a speaker, as a communicator, as a person who enjoys music. Or simply as a human being. This workshop is beneficial for musicians and artists, for healers and therapists, and for anyone looking for more direction, meaning and depth in their lives.

 

 

Improvising theatre director Ho Ying Fung and Wu Wentsui brought me to this fantastic streetperformance in January 2018

Courage, Hong Kong!

It is my sincere wish that Hong Kong remains as much as possible as it is now:

  • a relatively free space within the larger Chinese boundaries
  • a place where Cantonese people with a democratic inclination determine the political, economic, cultural course of their unique region
  • a peaceful and culturally diverse hotspot where people from around the world live and work together without an over-active state apparatus encroaching upon their lives

My prayers go out to my Hong Kong friends and everyone else suffering from the human violence and psychological pressure. I pray too for the perpretators because it is, in my point of view, them who need to find peace of mind more than anyone else.

 

After the violent typhoon of September 2018

Catching up with Tran Quang Hai

Overtone Singing, People, Publications, Throat Singing, Writings, 中文, , , , , ,

The most prolific researcher in the field of overtone singing is a man with many faces. His name is Tran Quang Hai and you can call him (and all options are correct): Vietnamese or French; a professional musician or a professional musicologist; an instrumentalist or a singer; an improviser or a composer; a traditional, a popular or an experimental musician (all three will do); an expert in Vietnamese traditional musics and an astute chronicler of its year-to-year development in the past decades.* Tran Quang Hai has a new book out celebrating his 50 years of music research in many different areas. We recently met in Paris, where he shared some interesting facts about the Vietnamese Jew’s harp (dan moi) I did not know before. On the trip back to Amsterdam I read most of the articles in his book that I had not seen before, so more on that too. Before talking about our meeting, his book and the origin of the word dan moi (Jew’s harp), some historical background. Since Hai is Tran Quang Hai’s first name I will refer to him as Hai.

I learned of Hai’s work on overtone singing in the early 1990s. When I got to know him personally, I was astounded and (I will admit) a bit intimidated by his unbridled energy. He loves to share what he does, and he is in fact overflowing with enthusiasm: for overtone singing, for Vietnamese music, for playing the Jew’s harp and spoons, for ethnomusicology, for his constant travels as a performer and teacher. After my visits I was usually exhilirated (about all the new things I had learned or shared with him) and at the same time exhausted (feeling my life was a mess with no progress at all).

 

In fact, going to Paris has been almost synonymous with visiting Hai and his lovely wife Bach Yen (whose singing carreer goes way way back). And these visits became almost synonymous with absolutely great Vietnamese food. Bach Yen often spent hours and hours to buy fine ingredients like all kinds of fresh leaves, vegetables, seafood and meat and prepare them the Vietnamese way. We would have excellent diners, drank nice wine, as the couple made an annual ‘pilgrimage’ to different regions in France to stock up on boxes of quality wine to share with friends at home.

After moving to Taiwan, my encounters with Tran Quang Hai were scarce, and visits to both of them even more. In 2019, it has been around ten years since we last met in Paris. So I was delighted to see them again some weeks ago. Tran Quang Hai retired a decade ago from the ethnomusicology department at the Musée de L’Homme in Paris, but has remained an active performer and workshop leader for all these years. Bach Yen is a famous singer of popular songs and entertainment music, as well as a singer of many different genres of traditional music. Together they have given hundreds of concerts in Europe and elsewhere, and they continue to do so. Here is a photo of their appearance in Genoa, Italy, a week or so after I met them.

 

 

Late August, when I walked down the platform of Gare de Lyon, Hai and Bach Yen were waiting for me. Once again I was overwhelmed to be in their buzzing, energetic presence. The first thing they did, was to get out their cameras and make many photos together. Then we strolled to their car, and their warm hands and arms embraced my arms. I sometimes think of myself as someone who easily touches people, but this time I thought I am quite distant compared to them. It was really (excusez le mot) touching to stroll down the platform chatting and to be ‘wrapped’ by their tender hands and arms on both sides. Hai told me once about using his hands to heal people and showed me some methods. But it seems the couple just radiates warmth and energy naturally, even without using a special method.

For our Vietnamese food, this time we drove to a place called Pho Bida, pronounced Fo Beeyaa. Pho is the famous Vietnamese noodle soup, but what about Bida? It turns out to be derived from ‘billiard’, as the former location of this restaurant housed a popular billiard room as well. The place is not very spacious but we were early and could chose any seat. By the time we left lots of people waited outside. The food was great and loved by Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese alike: highly recommended! (Pho Bida Vietnam, 36 rue Nationale, 75013 Paris)

 

Tran Quang Hai’s New Book

When we sat down, Hai gave me his new book, a thick volume with many of his articles and listst of all his achievements, titles, appearances, etc. organized in a single volume. Some articles I have known for a long time. So I particularly enjoyed reading those things I did not know in detail.

First, an article about Vietnamese music and its historical background, very helpful for understanding the relationship to Chinese music and culture. It also covers many of the recent developments in Vietnamese music, making it in effect a kind of encyclopaedic entry into Vietnam and all its music. With this work Hai most clearly follows in the footsteps of his late father Tran Van Khe, also a well-known musician and musicologist.

 

“Tran Quang Hai. 50 Years of Research in Vietnamese Traditional Music and Overtone Singing.”

Second, an article that accompanied a double CD issued in France in 1997, dedicated to the absolutely fascinating world of mountain tribe musics in Vietnam. There is a dazzling array of types of instruments and ways of playing, and these liner notes give a good overview of this field.

 

 

 

If you are interested in overtone singing and still love printed matter, as I do myself, then this is a good way to get your (physical) hands on several key articles on this technique by Dr. Tran Quang Hai and understand the background of his research. (Note for academic readers: for research purposes it is better to consult online pdfs of the articles in their original format). Available here.

 

 

Tran Quang Hai and the Dan Moi

During our lunch I also learned where the common name of the Vietnamese brass Jew’s harp comes from. It is usually referred to as dan moi, which is a Vietnamese word (compare for example dan tranh/đàn tranh, the plucked zither, or the unique one-string zither dan bau/đàn bầu). However, the thin, finely crafted Jew’s harp, probably smaller than any other type of Jew’s harp, originates from the mountain tribes who live close to Yunnan in South China. The Hmong’s native language and culture has little to do with that of the dominant Viet or Kinh ethnic group, who are historically tied to China. When travelling in the mountains in North Vietnam (around Sapa), I encountered the Hmong people who play this instrument and managed to get one made locally by their craftsmen. They referred to it as gya, phonetically speaking, though in writing it is referred to as djam. A personal note from Tran Quang Hai shortly after publishing this post: the Hmong name of the Jew’s harp is ncas (pronounced ncha).

 

The djam I bought in Sapa from girls who played the instrument along the mountain road. (photo by the author).

 

So I asked Hai how the name dan moi came about. He explained: there is no Jew’s harp in the music of the ethnic Vietnamese. So when he learned about the traditions of the mountain people around 50 years ago, he had to make up a new name himself in order to accommodate the minorities’ instrument in the system and language of Vietnam. To use ‘dan’ (meaning ‘instrument’) was an obvious beginning point. Hai decided to add ‘moi’ for lips, to designate it is played between the lips. Most brass or metal Jew’s harps are held against the teeth, with the lamella vibrating between the teeth; the dan moi is held between the lips and vibrates there. In this sense it is more like a type of wooden or bamboo Jew’s harp, particularly the ones vibrated by a string attached to one side.

 

A Hmong girl playing the djam for me in 2003 (photo by the author).

The dan moi went on to become a very popular instrument around the world once non-Vietnamese musicians discovered them, at the turn of the millenium. Many people asked me for it when I brought them back in 2003. I remember giving one to Tuvan throat singer Sainkho around 2004. She immediately fell for its bright sound and expressive qualities, and asked for more several times after (and so did other people). At the same time, a German company saw the potential of this cheap instrument to reach a huge audience and set up (web)shop, calling it www.danmoi.com. It has a become a one-stop shop to buy all kinds of Jew’s harps. So dan moi, Hai’s new name for the djham, a minority instrument, and for Jew’s harps in general, now has become sort of a symbol of 21st century global Jew’s harp culture. And it seems to be growing year by year: here in Taiwan I have seen many new Jew’s harp enthusiasts taking the stages recently, often sporting a collection of world Jew’s harps, including, of course, the dan moi.

Here is a video where you see the movement of the dan moi lamella in slow motion, played by Hai’s student Dang Khai Nguyen.

Learn more about Tran Quang Hai

Hai is still actively teaching, find out where his next workshops are by going to his blog:

https://tranquanghaisworldthroatsinging.com

(the blog itself amounts to a ‘wikipedia’ of sorts for throat/overtone singing, where you will find a huge amount o copies of scientific and popular articles, videos, and indeed copies of wikipedia entries, as well as some original posts about Hai’s workshops and travels).

Go here to find more entries in English and in Vietnamese:

https://tranquanghai1944.com

https://tranvankhe-tranquanghai.com

 

And for more news from Fusica and Mark van Tongeren subscribe to these blogposts here.

 

Finally, back to some Asian flavour, but East-Asian instead of the South-East Asian of Hai’s origins. Here is a hilarious video from the time Hai was flown into Japan to demonstrate overtone/throat singing in a hypertheatrical popular entertainment program.


TRAN QUANG HAI on JAPANESE TELEVISION, part 2, December 26, 2012

 

 

* OK, for this one I have no way to tell if it is true, but Hai does mention in his new book (page  32) that he wrote “more than 500 articles in Vietnamese for 30 Vietnamese magazines in America, Europe, Asia and Australia.”

 

 

Can I sing sygyt for one minute without taking a breath?

About sound, Audio/Video, Overtone Singing, Throat Singing, , ,

Today I tried out something I do a few times a year: take a deep breath and see how long I can sing. Well, this time I just tried to sing for one minute, not as long as possible. The best technique to use for this is either khöömei or sygyt as it automatically constricts the throat and inhibits the airflow.

It is trivial, I know, but it is a good exercise for the lungs, diaphragm and the entire respiratory system. The other challenge is to make some musical sense. The throat singing is far from perfect (some of the overtones should not be there) but I decided to share it anyway as an example of some of the things I practise.

 

 

Advanced workshop Overtone Singing

Overtone Singing, Workshops, 中文, , , ,

WORKSHOP CONTENT
This 2,5 day workshop is for students familiar with the basic overtone singing techniques and who want to improve their technical skills, explore new possibilities and just have fun singing together.

The emphasis is on three themes:
1) getting out clearer individual overtones
2) creating duo and trio pieces with overtones using Mark’s ZERO method.
3) creating other choral pieces

Besides the technical and creative side of overtone singing, we spend time on voice-building, particularly to warm-up and refresh the singing body. Throat singing is not part of this workshop.

We have two days plus two evenings of singing and playing. A great opportunity to catch up with your overtone technique and enjoy singing together.

We are staying in Hui Mei’s BNB/camping, already familiar to several Resonators. You can only stay overnight in shared rooms (two or four people in one room). A tent is also possible, though… Rooms and food are included in the price.

VIDEO LINK
Watch a video of the Superstringtrio singing overtones using the ZERO cycle (0…) developed by Mark here:

https://vimeo.com/64866998

FOR WHOM
– students who have done the RESONANCE yeargroup with Mark
– those who have done several workshops of overtone singing with Mark or someone else
– anyone familiar with the basic techniques such as NG/1 cavity and RR/2 cavities and able to sing them.

Newcomers to overtone singing are referred to the 2-day Beginners workshop Overtone Singing in March in Taipei. Only exceptionally talented students qualify for joining this workshop after the beginners’ workshop, if they wish to.

WHAT YOU NEED
You can bring your own sruti box, drum, guitar or Jew’s harp for a joint improv session, but this is not necessary. Just your voice will do! Resonance students please bring the older pieces you like to sing so we can repeat some sogs you are already familiar with.
Other things like sleeping bags we will tell you after registration.

DATES & TIMES
Start time: Friday April 19, 7 PM with diner, (arrival may be earlier)
Finish time: Sunday April 21, 4 PM

PLACE
Puli, Hui Mei’s place.

PRICES
Normal price: 10.500 NT$
RESONANCE students: 9.500 NT$
Students/seniors with ID card: 8.800 NT$

INCLUDED
– Tuition fee
– Shared rooming 2 nights (same for 2/4 persons)
– All meals (Friday diner up to and including Sunday lunch)
(if you have special request please let us know)
– Insurance

NOT INCLUDED
– Transport to Puli

YOUR TEACHER
Mark van Tongeren is a Dutch sound explorer with a deep interest in the synergy of arts, sciences and contemplative traditions. Mark has 25 years of experience in theatre, music and dance productions and holds a PhD from Leiden University’s Academy of Creative of Performing Arts.

REGISTER & INFO
You can register by sending an email to info@fusica.nl and transfering a downpayment of 25% of the workshop fee.
If you want to stay in a room with someone specific, please let us know on the form/by mail.

For your questions (please check all the info in this announcement first!), you can ask Mark or Sunny.
In English: mark@fusica.nl / Facebook / Phone 09 103 827 49
中文： ly.sunny.chen@gmail.com / lineID: soleilc77 陳亮伃

PAYMENT
Payment upon registration by bank or Paypal.
Bank code: 822.
Name of bank: China Trust
Beneficiary: Mark Christiaan van Tongeren
Account number: 163540306745
Make sure to send an email when you have actually made your payment. We will confirm reception in a few days time.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS AS WELL!
Overtone Singing – beginners (March 23-24 2019)
Jew’s Harp playing (probably May 18 or 19, Taipei, to be confirmed)
Sound Journey: Catch the Spirit of the Moment (Impro). (probably June 7-8-9, to be confirmed)

Check the Fusica Calendar.

See the Facebook Page.

 

Beginners Workshop Overtone Singing

Overtone Singing, Workshops, 中文, , , ,

For English scroll down.

【2019 泛音初階工作坊】

〔課程內容〕
3月23到24日，星期六跟星期日，我會帶領一個兩天的泛音歌唱工作坊，給想學習泛音歌唱技巧的人。這個工作坊對所有人開放，不限音樂知識或歌唱經驗。

這個工作坊給音樂家及非音樂家的介紹課程。其內容包含了暖身運動以發展身體、心靈以及聲音的覺知，還有自然人聲共鳴的探索的基本技巧。接下來，我們會開始學習音泛音歌唱的技巧。

我們也會聆聽以及嘗試不同的泛音歌唱技巧。結合所有人的聲音來嘗試簡單直覺性的聲音架構，以及編曲概念。

當然，想要在一兩天內學會泛音歌唱是不可能的(雖然坊間很多宣稱可以馬上學會的廣告)。不過在兩天的工作坊中，你可以感受跟理解歌手要如何唱出清楚的泛音，透過現場感受聲音而增進聽力的細膩度，你也可以開始探索你未來可能想持續探索的歌唱方式、聲音。親身經歷，現場感受對於熟悉泛音(人類聲音的一個面向之一)非常重要。

 

每位參與者也會得到老師的個別指導，以了解自己的聲音與如何開始增進泛音技巧。

課程語言為英文，加上中文翻譯。

【日期】: 3/23 (六)、3/24 (日)

【時間】: 10:00-17:00 (中間午休一小時)

【學費】: 新台幣4500元

【折扣1】: 兩人同行8000元 (原價為9000元)

【折扣2】: 學生或不富裕的藝術家 原價75折 (3375元)

【地點】: 陽明山

 

〔心得分享〕

〔心得分享〕
馬克老師的泛唱，一點也不美聲，即使他可以輕易地呈現雲端般的夢幻…
他的聲音超越了美，對我而言，那是真實，包容了好聽 及無法定義的奇幻!
就像生命，不是只有追求完美與巔峰。
生命從磨練裡，醞釀甜美….。

有一場演出，馬克老師說: 他一開始發出的聲音{很醜}! 哈~{醜}的聲音?!

像大漠裡枯槁的皮鞭或樑柱，已經被風沙刮得乾澀。
但是就從這又乾又緊的單音裡起飛，聲音拉出了空間和視野，並再次降落…
我在這個過程中十分感動，比對美聲的感動還要多。

大家千萬別誤會，馬克老師曾經在荷蘭女皇面前獻唱，也曾和馬友友合作。
1995年獲頒吐瓦的 《國際喉音泛唱獎》; 2000年出版 Overtone Singing一書。
他是一位樸素的國際級老師，擁有完整專業的喉音泛唱素養。
重要的是: 當你明白馬克是如何對聲音臣服，如何忠於自己的心

我們對聲音的包容與感受，也會大大被感染與擴大!

 

【課程資訊與報名】
好奇嗎？請來電或來信了解詳情

中文： ly.sunny.chen@gmail.com / lineID: soleilc77 陳亮伃

英文： info@fusica.nl Mark van Tongeren

 

【匯款帳號 】

請完成匯款後填寫報名表，我們會在幾日內確認細節並與您聯繫。

 

銀行: 中國信託敦南分行(代號:822)

帳號: 163540306745

戶名:MARK CHRISTIAAN VAN TONGEREN

 

【報名表】

https://goo.gl/forms/GuxgUME2VScT6Fkm1

 

 

 

WORKSHOP OVERTONE SINGING for BEGINNERS

On Saturday and Sunday March 23-24, I will teach a two-day overtone singing workshop, for those who want to get to know more about this singing technique. The workshop is open to all who are interested, with or without musical/singing experience.

 

This basic workshop is an introduction to that approach for musicians and non-musicans alike. It includes warm-up exercises to develop attention for body, mind and sound, exploring basic techniques for using the resonances of the natural voice. Then we will start our exploration of overtone techniques.

We will listen to and try more specific techniques for singing harmonics, and combine voices to work with simple, intuitive sound structures and intuitive compositional ideas.

Of course it is not possible to learn overtone singing in two days (despite some claims you find here and there). But you can get a sense of what goes on when singers produce clear overtones, sharpen your hearing in a live, acoustic situation, and get started on something you might want to explore further in the future. To hear this technique live from close by is a very important way to get familiar with this aspect of the human voice.

Every participant will get some personal feedback about his/her voice and how to get started with the technique.

Excerpt from my Overtone Singing book.

 

The workshop is in English with Chinese translation.

  • Dates: Saturday March 23 + Sunday March 24
  • Time: 10:00-17:00 (lunch break 13:00-14:00)
  • Cost: 4500 NT$
  • Bring a friend: pay 8000 instead of 9000 NT$
  • Students, pensioners and poor struggling artists: – 25% (3375 NT$).
  • Place: Artists’ community at Yangminshan, a few kilometers behind National Palace Museum. About 15 minute walk up the mountain, with stairs.

INFO & REGISTRATION

If you don’t read Chinese and are interested to join, or if you have any questions drop me an email (mark@fusica.nl) to get all the details.

Facebook / Phone 09 103 827 49

Write to  ly.sunny.chen@gmail.com for info in Mandarin.

REGISTRATION LINK

https://goo.gl/forms/GuxgUME2VScT6Fkm1

 

PAYMENT

Payment upon registration by bank.

Bank code: 822.

Name of bank: China Trust

Beneficiary: Mark Christiaan van Tongeren

Account number: 163540306745

Make sure to provide the payment details in registration form. We will confirm reception in a few days time.

 

PLEASE CHECK OUT OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS AS WELL

近期活動！

Check the Fusica Calendar.

See my Facebook Page.

 

The Ouroboros Concert

(ethno)musicology, About sound, Audio/Video, concerts, Nederlandstalig (in Dutch), Overtone Singing, People, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Voor nederlands even naar beneden skrollen.

Here is a letter I wrote earlier this year when I was about to turn 50 (want to get on the mailinglist too? let me know!):

I love the number 49 and its symbolism. Much better than 50. So I prefer to send out a shout to everyone on the last day of my 49th year in which I am walking on this strange and wonderful place called earth, rather than on the first day of the 50th year. My dear sister Daphne somehow knew I wanted to celebrate while I was still 49, when she organised a surprise party for me several months ago. I completely and totally bought it, even after my mom and two friends showed up in a park where you would not expect that. What a great present!

And then the Tuvans, for whom 49 is a special number, play their magic on me too. Tuva and its inhabitants have shaped my life in many ways. When I was halfway on to this point of my life and getting close to 25 years old, I first visited Tuva and fell in love with the place forever. 12 Years later I visited Tuva with June Wen, and it was then and there that we found out that we are destined for each other. That led to our marriage, to our kids, to me moving to Taiwan. Life-changing experiences in which Tuva seemed to play a role.

And right now, guess what? Earlier this year I began organising several Tuvan concerts here in Taiwan, and I was asked to curate two different acts for the Asian Pacific Traditional Arts Festival. And today (last day of 49) the first Tuvan group, a young quartet called Ezengi, has just finished their job (which they did very well) and returns to Tuva. And tomorrow (first day of 50) four fine senior musicians arrive from Tuva to Taiwan for this weekend’s performances: Shonchalai and Nachyn Choodu, Andrei Öpei and Valerii Mongush. Coincidence?

 

And then, there was this other coincidence this year. When I fist visited Tuva I learned about a Scythian ornament found during archaeological excavations, consisting of a panther biting its own tail. A wonderful symbol of infinity and the ever-repeating cycles of events. “Ma fin est mon commencement” (“my end is my beginning’) as mediaeval poets and musicians such as Guillaume de Machaut knew so well. This spring a very noble and inspiring friend, the philosopher Fons Elders, sent around a message with his view about this symbol, which is known as the ouroboros in the western world. A little later I performed in the Oosterkerk in Amsterdam with the wonderful Turkish ney player Sinan Arat, a concert I had arranged to be filmed so that I could share it with everybody. In the background of our stage happened to be . . . an ouroboros. So a few days ago, while working on the video I decided to call it “The Ouroboros Concert”. The next day I took the Tuvans to the Pacific Ocean – Tuva being very far removed from any sea or ocean. They decided to try surfing and that’s how I noticed the Scythian ouroboros tattooed on the arm of Anchy Damdyn. What a great idea! The first time ever I imagined I could have a tattoo too.

So by way of celebration and to express the gratitude I feel for being a human amidst so many wonderful human beings I share this Ouroboros concert video with you.

 

Nederlands

Hier is een brief die ik onlangs rondstuurde, toen ik op het punt stond 49 te worden (ook op de mailinglijst? laat het weten!):

49 Is een prachtig getal met een prachtige symboliek. Veel beter dan 50. Dus stuur ik een groet aan iedereen op de laatste dag van de 49 jaar dat ik op deze vreemde, wonderlijke planeet rondloop, in plaats van de eerste dag van mijn 50e. Mijn lieve zus Daphne voelde kennelijk al aan dat ik liever even stil sta bij mijn leven op mijn 49e, toen ze een surprise party voor me oganiseerde enkele maanden geleden. Ik stonk er totaal in, zelfs nadat mijn moeder en enkele vrienden spontaan opdoken in een park waar je hen toch niet 1-2-3 samen verwacht. Wat een geweldig cadeau!

En de Toevanen, voor wie het getal 49 ook speciale betekenis heeft, duiken ook weer op haast magische wijze op. Zoals jullie weten hebben Toeva en haar inwoners mijn leven op allerlei manieren vorm gegeven. Toen ik halverwege het punt was waar ik nu ben, dus bijna 25 jaar oud, bezocht ik Toeva voor het eerst en raakte voorgoed verslingerd aan deze plek. 12 Jaar later ging ik naar Toeva met June en we ontdekten, toen en daar, dat we voorbestemd waren voor elkaar. Dat leidde dus tot ons huwelijk, kinderen en tenslotte mijn verhuizing naar Taiwan. Nog een levenswending waar Toeva haast een sturende hand in leek te hebben.

En wat is er nu aan de hand? Ik begon eerder dit jaar een aantal Toevaanse concerten te organiseren hier in Taiwan, en werd onder andere verzocht twee programma’s in te vullen voor het Asian Pacific Traditional Arts Festival. En vandaag (de laatste dag dat ik 49 ben) vertrekt de eerste Toevaanse groep, een jong kwartet genaamd Ezengi (nadat ze zich trouwens uitstekend gekweten hebben van hun taak). En morgen (de eerste dag dat ik 50 ben) arriveren er vier geweldige senior musici uit Toeva: Shonchalai en Nachyn Choodu, Andrei Öpei en Valerii Mongush. Toeval?

 

En dan was er nog iets dit jaar. Toen ik Toeva voor het eerst bezocht leerde ik een Scythisch ornament kennen, dat bij archeologische opgravingen gevonden was en dat bestaat uit een panter die in zijn staart bijt. Een prachtig symbool van oneindigheid en de eeuwigdurende cycli van gebeurtenissen. “Ma fin est mon commencement” zoals middeleeuwse dichters en musici als Guillaume de Machaut heel goed wisten. Dit voorjaar stuurde vriend en inspiratiebron Fons Elders een bericht rond met daarin zijn visie op dit symbool, dat bekend staat als oeroboros in de westerse wereld. Iets later trad ik op in de Oosterkerk in Amsterdam met een geweldige Turkse ney-speler, Sinan Arat, een concert dat ik liet opnemen op video (en waarvoor je de link onderaan vindt). Juist achter ons podium bevond zich . . . een mooie uit hout gesneden oeroboros. En dus besloot ik een aantal dagen geleden toen ik met de video bezig was om ons optreden Het Oeroboros Concert te noemen. De volgende dag (afgelopen zaterdag) nam ik de Toevaanse musici mee naar de oceaan (waar de Toevanen verder van verwijderd zijn dan zo’n beetje wie dan ook ter wereld). Ze wilden graag gaan surfen en zo ontdekte ik de tatoeage van zo’n Scytische oeroboros op de arm van Anchy Damdyn. Wat een geweldig idee! Nooit eerder had ik ook maar een seconde de gedachte gekoesterd dat een tatoeage voor mij zelf ook best interessant kon zijn.


Dus om even stil te staan bij dit bijzondere moment in mijn leven en uitdrukking te geven aan de dankbaarheid om een mens te zijn te midden van allerlei fantastische mensen met wie ik mij omringd weet, deel ik nu deze Oeroboros concertvideo met jullie.