Sounds to awaken the heart and mind
Back in 2000 Pavavaljung himself, fearing that the art of playing the nose flute might be lost, began teaching children at Timur Elementary School in Sandimen Township. Later the Ministry of Culture included the nose flute in its Program for Preserving Folk Arts, using a selection process, assessments and a master‡apprentice system to systematically train students to both make and perform with the instrument. One of that first class of students is Pavavaljung’s second son, Etan.
“As indigenous communities face the process of modernization, the purity of the sound of the nose flute can inspire those of us who have been in contact with modern civilization to ponder and preserve the culture and values of the tribe,” says Etan, who is fluent in the Paiwan language. The earliest nose flutes had only one hole, and when played they sounded like the call of an owl. As more holes were added, the flutes could reproduce the flowing sounds of mountain springs and waterfalls, or the rustling of bamboo groves. Amid the cacophony of modern life, the nose flute, which can imitate nature, produces the music that is closest to nature.
Etan is also an accomplished visual artist. The vecik engraving style that he invented uses traditional carving techniques with added colors to create pictures. These works, including If the Wind Stops Blowing One Day, which was acquired by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, are all based on elements of Paiwan culture.
Learning the skills of making and playing the nose flute is the same. “In the not-too-distant future, when I become an elder, I can also pass along my knowledge to the next generation,” says Etan, explaining his own role.
Pairang Pavavaljung is often invited to perform overseas at music festivals or at Taiwanese clubs, introducing the music of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples to these audiences. It is not only foreigners who are curious and inquiring, but expatriate Taiwanese as well.