2021-2022 Research Alive Student Prize-finalist, pianist, writer, and interdisciplinary artist Tong Wang will give her presentation, "Cuteness speaks up to cynicism: Recreating Japanese animation music in North America” this March. The Research Alive series aims to unveil what makes music so magical in the ears and minds of the listener through live performance and dialogue between researchers and musicians.
Tong shares about her upcoming lecture-performance, "Cuteness has swept across our world by storm. And it both attracts and repels. While cuteness can elicit warm fuzzy feelings, it can also provoke ugly or aggressive ones. More than just sweet, cuddly, and charming, cuteness has become fused with the uncanny, grotesque, and monstrous - often in a frivolous and subversive way. But: there is still hope for the innocent. Alongside our world of irony and cynicism, there is a place for magic, simplicity, and sincerity – the parallel universe of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Spirited Away. These deeply cherished animations are pure, earnest, and irresistibility cute. Likewise, their music wields the power of cute to open our hearts to vulnerability and tenderness. My research will use composer Joe Hisaishi’s film scores to investigate the musical recipe to cuteness. How does cuteness become the sound of empathy? And how can we find hope, innocence, and vulnerability within the cynic?"
We connected with Tong over email to learn more about her project, venturing into the unknown, and how she feels supported and encouraged with new and unusual ideas.
What do you discover when you venture outside your field or area of research/expertise? What can be gained by venturing into the unknown with research?
Discovering fresh perspective brings excitement and interest to new areas of your life and work, diversifying not only subject knowledge, but also strengthening your relationship and approach to your current work. I love stepping outside my comfort zone and expertise to investigate different genres and styles, which also allows me to connect with a different community of artists and researchers. Venturing into the unknown can stimulate a new appreciation for the multitude of paths out there for one to pursue!
How did your Research Alive project come about?
I grew up watching Studio Ghibli films. I love anime and manga. I was curious to understand why and how these genres had such a profound impact on me as a person and artist. In particular, I was fascinated by the complex and multilayered adjective, “cute”, to describe these works. I began digging into the cultural and psychological associations around “cuteness”, which led to my idea, or rather, question — can music be cute, and how?
What about Schulich enables/allows for study like this?
The faculty is incredibly openminded and supportive of new and unusual ideas! We have on both the research and performance sides such a wealth of knowledge and expertise to encourage deeper development of a variety of subjects. I love the graduate seminars offered at Schulich! The professors and fellow graduate students are inspiring, the music library team is a delight, and there is always lots of innovative projects going on at Schulich.
How does academia encourage/fuel musical motivation outside the concert venue?
My research and creative work go hand in hand. The pursuit of my academic work inspires new ideas and diversifies the kinds of passion projects that are fulfilling to my creative career. Academic research can also connect to the broader community and find ways to facilitate and ignite deeper understanding of artistic experiences.
Research Alive | Cuteness speaks up to cynicism: Recreating Japanese animation music in North America
March 23, 2022 at 5:00 pm
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Discover the Research Alive series
Canadian pianist, writer, and interdisciplinary artist Tong Wang explores a variety of genres and mediums to bring new, creative initiatives to the community. As a soloist, Tong has performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Red Deer Symphony Orchestra. She is the recipient of awards including the International Chopin Golden Ring, the Canadian Music Competition, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal of Performing Arts, and the Canada Graduate Scholarship. Among her projects are the performance tours “Once Upon a Pumpkin”, “Song of Praise”, “Crossview”, and “Ghiblilane”, musicology research on the aesthetic of “cuteness” in animation, kawaii metal, lo-fi, and classical music, and various social entrepreneurship initiatives. As Co-Executive Director of the arts initiative, “Zenkora Studios”, she has led artists across North America to produce multimedia orchestra concerts that illustrate the stories of an original fantasy universe. Tong is a member of the TAG Duo, UTAU2, Lincoln Center Stage, and the Global Leaders Cohort. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory and the McGill University, where she is currently a Doctorate Fellow. As a winner of the Nordic Strings Academy "China Tours" International Competition, Tong will perform her solo recital program "Homecoming" across China. Tong is the recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Fonds de Recherche du Québec for the creation of a new multi-genre operetta, “Labyrinth of Tears”.
