New York Qin Society, John Thompson Toadall sound silkqin, Stephan Dydo Electric Qin, Real life end of the Digital Guqin Museum, Anna May Wong

Lets look at some contemporary Guqin groups around the world,
New York Qin Society.



Bun-Ching Lam I saw the opera in HK "Wenji- Eighteen Songs of the Nomad Flute", in which the Qin was featured prominently, was premiered at the Asia Society and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. People at NYQS are all super top folks!

10 string qin : 5th century ten string qin reproduction of an old qin by: Bo Lawergren

Electric qin : by Stephan Dydo

Very interesting electric qin - I have wanted to make an electric qin since 2003; I had wanted it to be transparent with inclusion of flowers... as an object. See, someone already made the electric version with pick-up, I should be able to do it easier then, as the technical aspect has already a pioneer! But I must find out about inclusion, how to make no air bubble in a block of tranparent glass like material... would it be good to do it, easy to see the qin nodes etc etc.

I like this maple electric qin, beautiful! By Stephan Dydo.

John Thompson : silk string qins with historical informed style of playing
Found this site after my visit to NY, very interesting group. New input in the art and culture of Guqin. John is the only person on earth who could play the entire book of ShenQiMiPu, a MIng Dynasty Handbook of Guqin pieces. Beautiful person too!

ShenQiMiPu, url: http://www.silkqin.com/02qnpu/07sqmp.htm

New York Qin Society

Now a word about tea, what are guqin elegant gatherings without tea and dainty handmade cookies, candied ginger, crystalised rose petals etc etc.?



'Tang Lady Playing Guqin'
This handmade Tri-color pottery statue features a voluptuous Tang female musician playing the Guqin (an ancient string instrument in China). This group of statues present an official female band, who played music for the royal court of Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618~A.D.907). by a contemporary artist Gao ShuiWang

These elegant but plump women follow the standard of beauty prevailed during that time. They wear their hair in buns, dress in wide-sleeves long robes and traditional cloud-head shoes, playing different traditional Chinese music instruments.

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I must start everywhere at once - just like a painting.
No need to study and pass time on tidbits - I have seen enough by now.

I have come to a point to attack the real life connection to the sl virtual models now. I am preparing for a call for cultural objects with Guqin theme, tea, tea leaves, wine, alcohol, cups, teapots, paintings, clothing, fashion, instrument, books, musical notation sheets, tools for making the guqin instrument, gardens, stones, plants, architectural set ups, chairs, book shelves, tai chi animations, exercise balls in synchronisation, breakfast vendors, theatre pavilion on water garden, plants, library, studies rooms, audio visual rooms for projection of guqin videos, including movies, YouTube clips, small vegetable gardens, flower, bonsai etc. These will be imported into sl and displayed. The real life corresponding guqin players will join in live demos, live online playing if they so wish. And while not playing, tea drinking, exercise, lunch, all this will be part of the events in contemporary sl DGM.

I want this musuem/ virtual place to be a kind of tea house, informal hangout, point of gathering of peoples to show and tell, share in their pleasures. Not only limited to guqin playing, but contemporary lifestyle. A giant size nodal point where people could enjoy leisure.

Afterall, get real, why pretend that we are upholding authentic ancient rites? How can you be sure that you are authentic?

Unless you are a researcher of historical guqin music and culture details - this means, official and non official people all those who have been doing real authentication with references so we could all learn about the detective works. Otherwise, we are all doing our personal interpretations depending on our cultural backgrounds. We are alive, and the people in history books are elsewhere now.

Isnt it great that the ancients did what they did? We should do what we could too, in our own time and not need to always justify the merit of our doings on "authentically" just like the ancients.

Anna May Wong, the first American Asian Actrice - timeless, beautiful. This is also Asian too. Not only old Qin and calm and quiet and peace... Asians are also this, subtle, sexy, delicate, elegant and youthful - non abrasive. We need this too.