An-Ting 安婷

Mongolian Grasslands

antingpig — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:37:41 +0000

The grasslands might look quiet, but they are filled with lively and bustling sounds*. The grasshoppers, distant horse neighs, and the sound of flowing water have been so pure I haven’t been able to record in a long, long time.

The relationship between people and nature in the grasslands goes far beyond what my experiences can imagine. Without the confines of stables or fences, groups of horses wonder freely across the grasslands.

People are the same. Their yurts scattered across the grasslands. The 8 year-old girl was on the horse, between the yurts, in the river and at the mountain. We spent half of our time squeezing inside the nomads’ yurts and the other half camping on the grasslands. In these six days, I didn’t see any boundaries on this grassland. It was inspiring to see how humans and nature can coexist like this.

At the mountaintop Tibetan Buddhist temple, the monks’ chanting was the most beautiful music I’ve heard in years. The monks also reside in yurts, and the temple has a well that provides cool water for the monks and travelers.

蒙古無際的草原看似平靜，到處卻是吵鬧而有活力的聲音*。蝗蟲蚱蜢，和遠方的馬嘶及流水聲，我已經很久很久沒能錄到這樣乾淨的聲音了。

草原生活上人與自然的關係，遠超過我的經驗所能堆疊出的想像。沒有馬廄或柵欄的限制，這邊的馬就一群一群的遊蕩在草原上。

人也一樣，一顆一顆的蒙古包點綴在草原間，八歲的小女孩穿梭在馬上，在蒙古包邊，在河裡，在山上。我們一半的時間擠在遊牧人家的蒙古包，另一半騎馬露宿草原，這六天中，沒在這塊草原上看到一點邊際，原來人和自然真的有可能這樣共生。

山頂的藏傳佛教寺廟裡和尚的誦經，是我幾年來聽過最美的音樂。和尚也住在蒙古包，廟裡有一口井，提供給和尚及旅客清涼的水。

Ulaanbaatar – Dundgol Records

antingpig — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 02:32:01 +0000

While wandering the streets of Ulaanbaatar, I passed by @dundgol_records. A customer standing outside told us that it’s a great bar and suggested us to go in. It’s a beautiful live music bar and I was making local friends and sharing my British bird music – treecreepers, wrens, blackcaps, and chiffchaffs – with the Mongolian locals and travelers from all over.

I absolutely love Ulaanbaatar; the people here are genuine, open-minded, and friendly. They always looks cool, and it is a vibrant, youthful city where I can feel the unique Mongolian culture everywhere.

Tibetan Buddhist temples are scattered around, and the famous Gandantegchinlen Monastery is refreshingly modest, exuding spiritual serenity rather than opulence.

Tomorrow, we’ll be staying with nomads, riding Mongolian horses on the grasslands, and recording Mongolian birds. Thanks to my new Mongolian friend, @minjin_gantulga, for her amazing introductions!

Traveling and working on the go feels like playing an RPG game – arrive in a place and start asking around to find the way. Just hoping that I won’t need to level up by fighting wolves or anything like that in the adventures ahead.

在烏蘭巴托的街上晃過Dundgol Records，佇腳在外面看一下，就被其他客人歡迎進去 – 原來是間獨立音樂酒吧。在這裡我認識了當地的朋友，和分享英國的鳥兒音樂 – treecreeper, wren, blackcap 及chiffchaff給當地的蒙古人，及來自各地的旅客。

超級喜歡烏蘭巴托，這邊的人們都很率性，個性開放又誠懇，穿著打扮也酷，是個年輕有活力的城市，處處可以感受到獨特的蒙古文化。

城市各角落也可以發現藏傳佛教的寺廟，著名的甘丹寺沒有在大寺廟大教堂常常看到的浮誇，就是一間平實的有靈性的修道院。

明天就要住到遊牧人的家，在草原上騎蒙古馬，要去錄蒙古的鳥兒。感謝新認識親切的的蒙古朋友Minjin Gantulga幫忙！

邊旅行邊工作就好像玩RPG遊戲，到一個地方先到處打聽找到方向。只是希望接下來不需要靠遇到狼之類的通過升級！

鶯 Japanese Bush Warbler

antingpig — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:10:14 +0000

I got to know the Japanese Bush Warbler through the movement artist Masumi Saito. In June, for Xie Rong’s project, I wrote a piece of music for Masumi that evokes the idea of ‘mother’ for her. Masumi wished to incorporate the sound of the Japanese Bush Warbler, which signals the arrival of spring in Japan, into the music.

Because they start singing at the beginning of spring, the Japanese Bush Warbler is also known as the ‘Harukokucho’ or ‘Spring Teller Bird.’ The polygamous Japanese Bush Warbler resides in Japan and Hokkaido throughout the year and migrates to Taiwan or southern China during winter. Interestingly, in the 1920s, they were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by humans, and they found the island to be a suitable habitat, becoming successful immigrant birds (that reminds me about the parakeets in the UK).

I am delighted to have learned about the Japanese Bush Warbler through Masumi. It is said that in Japan, their unique and beautiful songs are usually heard, but it is difficult to see their appearance because they are very shy.

Video made by Guy Wigmore from Xie Rong’s My Mother is Beautiful performance.

Blackcaps

antingpig — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 22:14:13 +0000

Since 2021, I have developed an interest in the sounds of birds and nature. It started with gradually distinguishing the different sounds of various birds, and now I am completely fascinated by them. One of my current life goals is to understand what they are communicating (I know that research suggests they establish territories and courtship, but looking at it from this perspective, human language can also be simplified into basic topics – their language is incredibly complex and I want to know what they say more in depth!). On the other hand, I am recording the sounds of the birds around me, from the UK to Asia to Taiwan, and use these bird sounds as musical elements in creating new compositions.

This recording was taken at dawn earlier this month in Savernake Forest, UK, capturing the sound of a Blackcap. Male Blackcaps have a black cap, while females have a brown cap. Blackcaps usually form lifelong pairs, and they mostly migrate to the UK from Spain or North Africa during the summer. Because of climate change, we can see more blackcaps in UK during winter now – those spend their summers in Germany. (I can’t help but envy birds for flying to different countries without needing visas or resident permit!)

By the end of the year, I plan to release my bird-inspired music as an album. Here is my work-in-progress track: Blackcap Bewitched. The music goes into a psychedelic journey after the initial piano melody.

The beautiful bird photos are taken by the bird photographer Sandra Palme http://www.britishbirdphotography.co.uk/

New Single: Purple Dream

antingpig — Wed, 11 May 2022 17:04:48 +0000

I composed Purple Dream in September 2020, when the new lockdown was about to begin. The on/off isolation of the lockdowns was removing the certainties of our old lives and leaving us physically restricted. Yet the retreat from normality allowed space for new dreams and magic to flourish. A space in the quiet, away from the world, and along with it, a new feeling of freedom.

Purple Dream is a part of the ‘Songs From My Room’ album which will be released on 13 July 2022.

The video is directed by Joe Mannion and produced by Joe Mannion and Ian Gallagher.

Full video credits
Producers: Joe Mannion and Ian Gallagher
Director: Joe Mannion
Cinematographer: Adrian Peckitt
Assistant Camera: Sky Ainsbury
Sound Recordist: James Unwin
Make-up Artist: Jade Bird
Runner: Andrew Thompson

New Album: Carnival of the Animals

antingpig — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 18:09:06 +0000

Happy to share with you the album I released earlier this year, Carnival of The Animals, which is a collection of animal themes in classical music, featuring my piano solo transcription of Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. It’s the most ‘delightful’ project I’ve ever worked on! The music expresses pure happiness with animals. Hope to give people more positive feelings at this strange year.

The album is available in all digital platforms:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4lcxope3cj9MyoJu1IRnWL?si=s1v1Zkf5TMuQJh5wriPcHQ

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/carnival-of-the-animals/1560014427

Youtube Music: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_msgJfntz_BCjfUIpX6-YOcd6c55N_0L2k

Cover designed by Stacy Linn Art & Illustration; Photo by Tiffany Lin Photography

Horizon Showcase

antingpig — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 09:30:07 +0000

Hope you’re well and are enjoying performances/restaurants/bars after the hard winter! I’m very happy to share you the news that the immersive digital performance I made during lockdown is selected as a part of Horizon Showcase, which ‘celebrates visionary artists and cultural leaders in England’.

‘Every dollar is a soldier/with money you’re a dragon’ (upgraded version!) will be running from tomorrow to Sunday (24-29 August) everyday 1 pm & 7 pm. The production combines gaming technology, original music (composed by me) and theatre. Please join me online if you’re able to catch any of the performances!

Ticket (pay-as-you-can) please check here.

Or if you work in arts, you can register as a delegate and access the whole Horizon Showcase by registering here.

Immersive Digital Performance

antingpig — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 06:38:24 +0000

In the last three months, I was working in the 3D world (with the gaming engine ‘Unity’) and created an immersive digital performance ‘Every Dollar is a Soldier/With Money You’re a Dragon’.

The production features gaming and 3D technology, my new score for Chinese instruments and electronic music and Daniel York Loh’s beautiful writing exploring the migrant experience, from the poorest of Chinese sailors who jumped ship in the East End, to the richest of men like William Waldorf Astor. I also aim to create a ‘live’ experience for online performances, so you will interact with other audiences in the game [performance] as different avatars.
You will require to use a laptop or different forms of computers to enter the performance through clicking the link you receive.

Performance dates: 19, 21, 23, 24, 30 April 7 pm, 28 April 2 pm (British Summer Time)

Book tickets here: https://chineseartsnow.org.uk/two-temple-place-performances-landing/

Concert Online 8th November

antingpig — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 09:51:19 +0000

Hope it finds you and your close ones well – not too much affected by the coming lockdown!

I have been carrying on making more music. Recently just shared two videos showing some piano music with electronic processing. You can have look here: Improvisation, Sweet Summer. Any feedback is welcome!

I was hoping that I will be playing the first live concert this Sunday after a long while. But because of the lockdown, it is moved to online streaming. Please join me if you can this Sunday 8th November 3:30 pm. I will play my piano transcription of Carnival of the Animals and the new music I wrote during the previous months. You can request a link of the live streaming by emailing here.

Last work to share here, we have launched a new digital work created by artist Pamela Carter produced by Chinese Arts Now, an imagined letter exchange between the artists’ two grandmothers: one was English and the other was Paranakan (described as Chinese-not-Chinese). A very intriguing work. You can watch it for free here.

September 2020

antingpig — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:09:19 +0000

I’m really happy that the relaunch of the app, Augmented Chinatown 2.0 by me working with Chinese Arts Now, Donald Shek, Joel Tan and many great artists, has received great response. It got from The Stage and Lyn Gardner called it ‘infinitely touching’. If you’re planning to travel to centre London please do experience it in Chinatown. (Alternatively you can also experience remotely at home.) The app will be permanently availably on App Store and Google Play.

I just finished recording my new piano album and plan to release it early November 2020. Here is a little preview for you. Let me know if you have any feedback!

On Wednesday 30 September 7-8 pm, I will be chairing a panel discussion ‘Combining Technology and Arts’ with three amazing artists/producer: Seph Li, creative coder and media artist, AR artist/developer Donald Shek and Tuyet Van Huynh, an independent theatre & film producer and curator. It’s a free event but require registration. If you’re interested in the topic, hope to see you there!

Please stay safe and well!