最近我同一位朋友去絞盡腦汁地想把音樂去具體化, 應該怎麼樣才能去令大家具體地明白到音樂的原意. 連續着上兩回的文章,音樂是一個自由創作的媒介可用作個人情感, 思想, 性格表達從而找回自己, 是一個可以用來玩的媒介. 音樂其實更是一個連繫人與人之間的媒介.
一位紐西蘭作家史摩斯Christopher Small 把「音樂」(Music) 作動詞 「樂」 (Musicking) 用, 他說音樂並不存在, 音樂不是一個物件, 是一個活動, 一個人與人之間的互動.他說音樂的重點不是在聲音, 旋律, 和弦和節奏. 這些只不過是音樂的一小部份, 重點是在人與人之間的互動和關係令到聲音的出現.好像是一種習俗/傳統/儀式, 有助社區形成和建立. 就好像是我們常常去約朋友去cafe飲咖啡/食飯, 但是, 咖啡和食物本身不是重點. 當然人與人之間的關係建立也可以在天橋底, 街邊,公園或公共場所的任何一個角落發生, 但這需要特別的技巧, 努力和願意性.
如果要將這個概念香港本土化,就像這樣: 打邊爐不是一個物件, 是一個活動, 更是一個一班人一起做的活動.
有沒有想過, 其實打邊爐裏邊的食物真的是十分普通, 我想打邊爐在香港文化裏面真的是一個沒有能比它更普通的烹飪/享受食物的方式-將所有東西不經腌制, 調味, 甚至不需切碎而全都放進去一大鍋裏面, 大家一鍋熟. 但是為什麼這個吃法這麼受人喜歡?
原因就是在於這活動的背後含意. 這個活動除了連繫着牛、羊、雞、鴨、魚、蝦、蟹, 瓜、菜、蔔、菇、豆,集合所有的食材/味覺在一起, 而這些食材背後也連繫着一班人. 人們好像需要特登地去製造機會與人溝通, 特登地去發明這個需要用長時間去等的食法, 目的就是用這個牛菜丸瓜一鍋熟的時間去和檯邊的大家「一鍋熟」.
一鍋熟---每一個人放進自己喜歡,最不加添色的味道, 這些味道在火鍋湯底裏面融合一起, 而產生一鍋屬於大家的味覺世界. 牛丸已經不再是單單的牛丸而是已被其他東西感染的牛丸.
玩音樂也能如此 「一鍋熟」, 想像一班人聚集一起, 大家拿起自己喜歡的樂器-弦,管,銅, 敲, 集合世界各地的樂器在一起, 像打邊爐一樣每一個人隨意地放進一些屬於自己的音樂元素, 沒有特定規則, 天馬行空地去和大家互動.
講開打邊爐, 諗起一個我常用的Drum Circle 的夾音樂方法叫 “Rhythm Soup”. 我首先在鼓上開始一個簡單又穩定的節奏(通常沉實一點的聲音....作為湯底), 然後要請每一位參加者逐一的在這個節奏/湯底上加上自己喜歡的音樂元素,可以是一下或者幾下聲, 可快可慢, 可重可輕. 由最初的基本湯底, 漸漸地變成一碗很豐富的「節奏湯」. 從這個簡單的活動, 已經可以看到每一位參加者的喜好, 他們會拿什麼樣的樂器 (小中大, 銅木皮, 搖敲打, 怎樣去創造聲音, 什麼樣的節奏.每一個人的性格特質可以在音樂裏面展現出來, 不需要用言語, 大家已經可以初步地認識大家. 這個活動原來真的是打邊爐的音樂版!!
「樂」就是音樂的靈魂, 一樣可以將任何人不論年紀, 背景, 能力連結在一起的東西, 建立人與人之間真誠的關係, 從而建立一個屬於每個人的, 人人都能夠被接納, 被愛, 被關懷的社群.
Small, Christopher (1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Hanover: University Press of New England
Musicking is what music is all about! A way of connecting with people, establishing genuine human connection and relationship, creating community where people can feel belonged, loved and supported.
Recently I’ve been brainstorming with a friend on metaphors relating to the act of music making, in order for people to really grasp the core idea of the essence of music. Last two blog entries we’ve explored how music is a medium for creative play, a tool for expression of the self, thoughts, feelings and emotions and thus revealing the true self. Music is also a medium for connecting people together.
The term ‘musicking’ was coined by Christopher Small (1998), he suggested that ‘music’ is not supposed to be a noun, but a verb ‘musicking’ to convey the essence of what music is all about. “There is no such thing as music. Music is not a thing at all but an activity, something that people do (Small 1998, p.2)”.
If we have to localized this concept to something familiar to the HK culture, perhaps it’s like this: Hotpot is not a thing, it’s an activity, an interactive phenomenon between people.
Have you ever thought about what hotpot is all about? As a matter of fact, the food we use in hotpot are so simple and plain. I reckon there’s nothing simpler in the HK food culture than this cuisine-simply dump everything that’s non-marinated, without seasoning, or even without chopping into the pot and let the magic begin. What makes this way of eating so popular?
The reason lies behind the actual food in the pot. Hotpot not only connect all the imaginable edible food in a pot i.e. beef, lamb, chicken, duck, fish, shrimp, crab, vegetable, mushroom, it also connects a variety of personality around the pot. It’s like people are deliberately creating opportunities for communication, deliberately inventing this way of eating which requires long waiting time for the purpose of connection.
All imaginable flavour in a pot, everybody dump in their own personal flavour, raw, without seasoning. These flavour then blended together with one another in the soup, creating a world of flavour that belongs to that group of people. Fish ball is no longer just a regular fish ball, it’s now subtly coated with other taste.
Playing music is similar to having a hotpot, imagine a group of people gathered together, with their favourite instruments on hand, preferably a selection of world instruments gathered together. With no play rules, everybody are free to throw out their personalized musical elements to interact with each other.
Speaking about hotpot, it reminds me of a drum circle activity I often use in groups called ‘Rhythm Soup’. I would first of all begin a simple and steady rhythm (often on a drum with deep and solid sound....as a ‘soup base’), then I would invite each person to join in individually with their own rhythm, it could be one or few hits, loud or soft, fast or slow. By the end of the person’s added ‘ingredient’, the original raw and simple soup base would gradually become richer and richer in flavour as a ‘rhythm soup’.
From this simple activity, an individual’s personal style and preference can already be seen. What instruments would they pick up (small vs large, wood vs metal vs skin, the way they create sound, the way rhythms are constructed. Music speaks more than words, everybody’s personality can be represented in their own music and act as an initial introduction for each person. This activity can be like the musical version of doing hotpot!
Musicking is what music is all about! A way of connecting with people, establishing genuine human connection and relationship, creating community where people can feel belonged, loved and supported.
Reference:
Small, Christopher (1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Hanover: University Press of New England