The understanding of ethnic music is premised on an appreciation of indigenous instruments which are used in the various ritual and secular activities of these two cultures. Before my interest in the music of my roots I was (and still am) heavily engaged in the art of Western music. I do not wish to shed or cease the learning of Western music, but I do want to venture even deeper into the different spheres of "World Music". Music is a universal yet highly individual means of cultural expression, cherished as a distinctive and valued cultural heritage. The music the Philippines and Taiwan, besides being intrinsically interesting for its own sake, has much to tell us about the societies in which they reside and about music in general. These two cultures along with my growing knowledge in Western music will help shape my personal music into an eclectic style which on it's own accord will be individual because of the way I happen to form different aspects that seem reasonable to me.
"Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases." Usually, eclectism is a term that refers to philisophy and the groups that do not attach themselves to a particular system but select from existing beliefs that seem most beneficial to them. Compositionally, this is how I am beginning to perceive how I write my music. Even if I stay within the boundaries of western music – there are countless ways I can and am already amalgamating different individual musical concepts and procedures: romanticism, serialism, non-functional tonality, heavy metal, film music's economical use of instrumentation, post-primivitism, classical form, new tonality, etc. We are at a point in time where we have an infinitie resource of musical styles. In western harmony we have have established tonality and broken tonality; we have established set forms and created formless music; we have created music theory and attempted to make it impossible to theorize music in functional aspects but in pure concepts (John Cage).
As a composer, learning music from other cultures will not only expand my musical language but help me better understand myself. What I absorb and take along with me is a reflection of who I am. My career goals are to become a professor of indigenous music of one or both of my two cultures and offer it at a college level curriculum, to teach composition and theory, and write music that will inspire others to open their eyes in order to see the bigger picture of music. I also want to continue learning Western music theory, and find other musical cultures that happen to touch my soul. I feel that if one has the ability to, it is necessary to incite and expand the passion of knowledge within others. To be able to open another's mind, heart, and/or soul to experience something as personal as music in the profound way it has affected me – would be the greatest thing I can bring to this world.