Examining Cultural Appropriation through Music | Helen Feng | TEDxDeerfield
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2019
- Helen Fang explores the concepts of influence, sampling, allusion, and quotation in music composition--with a particular emphasis on cross cultural linkages. When is it an influence or homage, and when is it cultural appropriation? Born in Auckland, New Zealand and raised in Shenzhen, China, Helen Feng is an aspiring composer, pianist and vocalist who is currently an eleventh-grader. She found interest in composition around four years ago, and was since prompted to explore ways in which music can intermingle with her passions for literature, philosophy, and social action. Studying performance inspires her to reflect on the evolving definition of the 21st-century composer-performer, amid a growing influence of new media, emphasis on interpersonal music-making, improvisation, interdisciplinary studies, and cultural competency in an interconnected world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Helen Feng introduces a very insightful take on how one can partake and possibly integrate a culture into their own lives and works. Her ideas of respect, empathy, and awareness are ones that can only be fulfilled through extensive education and active participation/mentorship in cultures that are ‘other’. The act of fulfilling the respect, empathy, and awareness requirements of cultural appreciation is one that anthropologists do when engaging in participant observation. Participant observation is the methodology that anthropologists use to immerse themselves in the culture they are observing and studying. The ideas of respect, empathy, and awareness come into play with anthropological cultural relativism - wherein the participant observer understands that the norms and values of their own culture cannot be used to evaluate the norms and values of another. With this concept in mind, much like the sentiment of Richard A. Rogers shared by Feng, we can approach cultures outside our own with objectivity and the intent to learn and respect them.
It is also interesting to note that with the complexities of power dynamics, profit, commercialization, and representation in mind - crediting the culture that is attributed to a practice that one wishes to emulate or integrate into their own life or work, is essential. As well as, if possible - especially within the music industry, spotlighting artists or creators within the culture one wishes to appreciate. These actions allow for the fulfillment of the awareness that is key to appreciation and helps to break down the empirically questionable idea of cultural other.
Cultural anthropologists tend to view the issue of cultural appropriation/appreciation through a more culturally relativistic lens than many people are comfortable with. Nevertheless, this is an important tenet of anthropology. Cultural relativism involves considering a culture based on that culture's values, and keeping one's own cultural notions or preconceptions off the table. While this is difficult, it creates a more respectful environment for evaluating other cultures. Regarding this TED talk, Helen Fang emphasizes that respect and empathy are essential attitudes when enjoying or recreating another culture, which aligns well with the anthropological perspective. Anthropologists argue that mimesis, or imitation, is a fundamental part of human life. Because we live in a global society in which mimicry is present, what is most important is how to undertake the process with respect and admiration, never exploitation or false representation of the culture in question. When people replicate a culture in some way, they are only drawing from a small part of that culture, and so naturally the view they present is narrow. This can lead to stereotyping, and so it is important to be aware that when a culture is being used by others who are not of that culture, it is not a full picture of what that culture has to offer, and only those who actually belong to that culture can participate in all its facets and understand all its shades of meaning.
Everything is cross pollination of ideas. 'Culture' is not concrete. It is a set of preferences that humans chose to identify with. The way that colors, patterns, sounds, flavors, language, material objects are created cannot be put into a box. The term 'cultural appropriation' is a misnomer at best. At worst, it is a form of 'gotcha morality'. It's a secular/religious approach to pointing out what is perceived as a crime. It has nothing to do with enlightenment or liberalism. It's just as irrelevant as any preacher declaring the wrongs of a certain sin according to their system. As a student of history I could give thousands of examples where cross pollination of ideas altered, merged or changed what one calls 'culture'. I could write a thousand books on The Silk Road and how the cross pollination of ideas were... borrowed, taken up, appreciated... used to better another idea. Stolen? Silly. Everything we identify with is always in a state of flux. No one will ever stop it.
Wow, she is so well-spoken, what I aspire to be!!
Wow! Enjoyed this TED talk very much, Yusef Lateef and the Beatles movie Help were mentioned right off the bat 😂. It got me thinking about how the concept of cultural appropriation is weaponized to reinforce division, and we can work together to encourage healthy cultural exchange.
Even in this comment section, this is an issue. There is a comment that asks if Asian people playing classical music is appropriative. Meanwhile, in my own college experience, a teacher of mine was in the opera Turandot, discussed in this talk. A professor defended that opera to me as though they were defending Chinese culture. Another professor wrote a piece inspired by Debussy’s Gamelan inspiration. If these are the only windows you have into another culture, it’s just a problem.
At the same time, two of my favorite pieces of music were discussed in this talk - Tomorrow Never Knows and Pagodes from Estampes. This music definitely has appropriative elements in it, but creates a very beautiful sound to me. Understanding the history and context of those sounds is important.
Wonderful TED talk, thanks so much!
What a great talk, helping me find my own way through these very same questions. Thank you, you are inspiring x
Such an amazing speech. Amazing Job!
Finally something substantial and differentiated on the topic. As a musician, I thank you for this, it was really of help to me.
helen feng is so cool :)
Every music ever is an mixture of many cultures musics. And I dare to say promoted more than damaged communication.
The concept of CA in the end is more about seperating and cementing cultural borders.
Did you watch the video?
@@cestmegnifique Yes, and i think that exchange between cultures is vital on booth ends.
And that CA is an poisonous concept as it is used today, it seperates, it declares cultural concepts as something that is owned and only selected people have access to.
It encourages to preserve cultures, something that is always in flux conserved, how funny is that, it encourages seperation, borders between cultures, access and ownership.
The theory describing the excvhange of ideas between cultures should be renamed, CA is tainted by now.
@@cestmegnifiqueDid you?
Are the countless Asians and people of Asian descent around the world who play Western classical music engaging in cultural appropriation?
She says she's oppressed so that's an impossibility 🤦♂️
jargon "social studies" should not mix with music, people should make music however they please
great speach
Not.
Great video
What is so strange about this discussion about cultural appropriation is that Helen Feng doesn’t seem to know that traditional Chinese music also has engaged with cultural appropriation. Instruments such as the Pipa and Yangqin actually are from Persia or the Erhu which has its roots in traditional Mongolic cultures which come in during the Tang Dynasty. The ancient Chinese adapted these instruments to further enrich their musical culture while still looking down on these places as not civilized(since they were not part of the Middle Kingdom). Or what about the other cultures that took from traditional Chinese culture like Korea or Japan? If you look at their traditional instruments all of them can be traced back to sometime in Ancient China. They will still practice these instruments today even though there are quite a few Koreans and Japanese who hate Chinese people and see them as subhuman despite using much of their culture.
All peoples have experienced oppression and all cultures have appropriated. She sure has a weird way of showing respect.
Common Helen Feng W
the western world is a tribe falling apart so people are seeking new tribes, many really dont even know where they oringinally come from, the only culture i've known is a mass who worships things that dont exist and a nihilistic rebellion based in self destruction, i've attempted to find my tribe but i'm fairly certain they no longer exist it is a strange feeling to not know where you belong.
Be one with your things
Oh how cool I just did an assignment on strawberry fields forever
In support of or against the somg?
If we did not have cross cultural pollination in music, we would end up with very dull music. No cultural group owns sounds anymore than they own language or colours.
The theory of cultural appropriation seems intent on the usual thrashing of european culture and making a statements about colonialist theft and cultural vandalism.
As a musician i have played many different styles of music since i was a young man.
Not once did I feel i was stealing someone else's culture' because I was playing Jazz or blues. On the contrary i was enriching myself and others like the audience i was playing to. Music is a unique human experience meant to be enjoyed and not thoroughly politicised ad nauseum.
Asian personal coaches
I hate this class so much
SNHU?
Appropriation is to "make one's own", i.e. "to steal". Copyright and intellectual property law prohibits stealing the inspiration of an individual, for if everyone stole, artists could not monetise their talent, and consequently talent would not thrive. Musical sound-worlds associated with nations and communities are not protected in law because no individual created them: they are instead one of many musical assets that belong to the whole world. The only question lies in the aesthetic quality of the resultant music - the Beatles will be forgotten in 100 years; not so Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker.
Surely cultural intellectual property and individual intellectual property should be treated the same? Surely they are equivalent, just one is a group construction (perhaps over generations) and one is the result of one person or smaller group. Everyone's got to get paid
how can you say that the Beatles will be forgotten in 100 years?
The combination of the fundamental ignorance of the nature of culture together with the mindless parroting of the asphyxiating pedantry and general narrowmindedness of 20th century musical academia makes simple sycophants such as yourself a truly tedious sight.
@@buzabuba7326 That certainly was one of the least pretentious sentences I've ever read.
@@SpirallingUpwardsThere is no such thing as cultural intellectual property and all cultures appropriate from each other.