Taichung County's 2008 Musical Instrument Festival Kicks Off!

By Lishea Zheng　Translated by Ann Lee

The third annual Musical Instrument Festival will take place on August 9 from 10 a.m. at Houli Horse Farm and will once again offer a variety of musical stylings for your listening pleasure. The first group that will be performing is a 100-member saxophone ensemble, surrounded by 100 percussionists--in the shape of Taiwan, no less. And that is just the beginning of the excitement! The event's host is looking for 300 junior high or older students to dance in the middle of the band-created "Taiwan" (for more information, call Ms. Lin 09 3142-8517). Those who are chosen to be part of this dance group with receive a free T-shirt.

At 10:30 a.m., there will be a master French saxophonist playing an array of beautiful songs, followed by another ensemble from Houli. On August 10, the Hsin-Min High School Symphony Orchestra, which has won numerous national awards, will be brightening up the event even more with their flag team. There will also be some delightful Latino music, string ensembles, percussion groups, and harmonica performances.

Come experience the beauty of jazz
Apart from the two official, on-site stages, there will also be a showroom (10 am-5 pm) for people who bring their own musical instruments and want to share their talent. There will be three accompanists on the stage to play with you, and make your performance sound even more professional. The showroom, as well as the saxophone-painting pavilion, is located on the left side. The "Musical Instrument Experience" pavilion, located behind the parking lot on the right side of the entrance, allows festival goers to explore all kinds of musical instruments used frequently in jazz groups. Even if you don't know much about playing musical instruments, you'll still have a good time--there will be staff members hanging around and helping people play properly.

Beyond the Musical Instrument Experience pavillon is the main stage and the food stalls, located in a large grassy field near the "Music Doctors", who will be repairing all kinds of instruments. If you would like to purchase a new instrument, head to the outlets, compare prices and find the best deal.

Next to the makeshift shops is the "Musical Instrument Creation" area, an outdoor DIY center. Here, kids can paint ocarinas and learn how to play the little flutes. Or, you can give the handmade bamboo flutes a try. These ancient-style flutes are made from two bamboo sticks; after they have been cut, trimmed and had the finger holes drilled, participants can sand the rough edges to make them shiny and safe. There is always something fascinating about DIY activities and the feeling you get after making something all on your own is irreplaceable.

"Aromatic Valentine's" at the Double Seventh Festival & the Charming Musical Father's Day
These two activities, occurring before the actual music festival, are acting as warm-ups for the music fest. Since the Chinese Valentine's Day, or the Double Seventh Festival, takes place on August 7, there will be a competition held for saxophone and jazz drum players in the morning and a piano and flute performance starting at 2 p.m.

From 4 to 8 p.m., there will also be "Aromatic Valentine's" activities for everyone. A walk through the musical instrument creation area, will lead you to some DIY stones, as well as unique seven-colored stones that you won't see elsewhere. There are sets of traditional activities especially designed for couples on this day, as well. The romantically-themed, couples' candle-making class accepts 10 couples at a time and includes a friendly competition at the end. To make the afternoon even more fun, there will be street performers giving short, musical-inspired performances.

On Friday, August 8, festival-goers will have the opportunity to see performers that span generations. This age-less show will be the grand opening for the "Charming Musical Father's Day" celebration. The Taichung County Government is requesting 10, island-wide father-and-son pairs to participate in this exciting competition. The top three winning teams will receive prizes, as well winning a certificate and a photo. There will be a special performance put on by a group of blind accordion players and lots of prize giveaways.

A reputation that keeps on growing
Although this Musical Instrument Festival, hosted by Taichung County Government, has only been held twice before, the saxophone players from Houli have enjoyed a world-renowned reputation for 61 years. The percussionists from Houli also have been around for 30 years and have created workshops and factories that make musical instruments all over Taiwan, further inspiring the arts in the area. So be sure to come by Houli Horse Farm (free admission) from August 7 to 10, and see what the fabulous 3rd Annual Musical Instrument Festival has to offer.

If you would like to find out more about the Musical Instrument Festival, go to the official website of the Taichung County Government- http://www.taichung.gov.tw/