It’s not all just about books. The education of a country is not just to pump up the GNP. It’s also about preserving what one has.
Luang Prabang should be like Ubud in Bali. There should be art and music spilling over everything. Unfortunately, most of the artists and musicians left in 1975.
There are musical groups that play for tourists, but their sound has never pulled on my ear, but the other day, I heard something good and it pulled me off the street.
I found a small troupe practicing. They’re still students, but they appear to practice every moment they’ve got. They’re young, but they’ve already learned a large part of the Luang Prabang court music repertoire.
I took them to the radio station and we spent the day recording. We did three hours in the morning, but they didn’t like the sound of one instrument. We recorded again in the afternoon.
These are young artists and their attention to quality gave me goosebumps. They had their ear up to the speakers listening for things I couldn’t hear. They rescued the drum because the sound was drying up in the air-conditioning. They looked at the sine curves on the computer screen and could point out what to take out.
I’ve been preaching quality for all these years. “No, you don’t have to accept this standard. There is something more.” Today, I just sat tight with my hands around my knees and kept my mouth shut.
Luang Prabang should be like Ubud in Bali. There should be art and music spilling over everything. Unfortunately, most of the artists and musicians left in 1975.
There are musical groups that play for tourists, but their sound has never pulled on my ear, but the other day, I heard something good and it pulled me off the street.
I found a small troupe practicing. They’re still students, but they appear to practice every moment they’ve got. They’re young, but they’ve already learned a large part of the Luang Prabang court music repertoire.
I took them to the radio station and we spent the day recording. We did three hours in the morning, but they didn’t like the sound of one instrument. We recorded again in the afternoon.
These are young artists and their attention to quality gave me goosebumps. They had their ear up to the speakers listening for things I couldn’t hear. They rescued the drum because the sound was drying up in the air-conditioning. They looked at the sine curves on the computer screen and could point out what to take out.
I’ve been preaching quality for all these years. “No, you don’t have to accept this standard. There is something more.” Today, I just sat tight with my hands around my knees and kept my mouth shut.
