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Tonan Talk by Christopher Miller

1. Date & Time：May 30th (Thurs.), 2013 12:00 - 14:00
2. Place：Tonan-tei (Room No. 201),CSEAS, Inamori Foundation Memorial Building, Kyoto University
3. Speaker：Christopher Miller, Herberger Institute, School of Dance, Arizona State University
4. Title：A Preliminary Examination Of Pa’O Music In Local And National Contexts
5. Abstract：
6. The Pa’O, an ethnic minority group numbering close to one million individuals and inhabiting the eastern most states of Myanmar, offer a compelling case for the study of cultural (re)presentation and mediation of the performing arts within the country. Linguistically related to the Karenic groups of the region (most notably Sgaw and Pwo Karen), the daily Pa’O experience is one marked by predominant adherence to Theravada Buddhism and relatively beneficial economic and political terms resulting from an early cease--‐fire agreement and open engagement with the central Burmese government. When one considers a comprehensive view of Pa’O performing arts in contexts ranging from the Myanmar national media to local festivals and into village life, the author maintains that a range of policy and cultural factors contribute to an intellectual dissonance as one views Pa’O performance practices. On the surface, a critical view finds that the Pa’O are significantly simplified and stripped of virtuosity in the national context, presumably as a means of fitting within discourse towards national identity construction. However, performance within local contexts and the periphery demonstrate a remarkable palate of movement and musical complexity consistent with prolonged, purposeful patronage of the performing arts. Supported by the author’s own fieldwork with the Pa’O Literary and Cultural Council (a sub--‐group of the Pa’O National Organization) and field recordings collected since 2002, this paper seeks to present a nuanced investigation of Pa’O performing arts in context. The resulting work reveals not only points of conflict between the national and the local in cultural (re)presentation but also uncovers subtle assertions of agency among the Pa’O as they negotiate ongoing refinements in how their culture is understood within Myanmar.
7. About the speaker：
8. Christopher A. Miller is Curator of Collections in the Herberger Institute School of Dance at Arizona State University. In his previous academic appointments he has served as Bibliographer for Southeast Asia at Arizona State University Libraries; Curator of Audiovisual Resources and Southeast Asian Instruments at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; and as Managing Editor of Southeast Asia Publications in the Center For Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University. His graduate training is in ethnomusicology with an emphasis on Southeast Asia Studies (Northern Illinois University) and library and information sciences (University Of Arizona). Christopher’s Research interests, in both Indonesia and Myanmar, Have focused on the (re)presentation Of the performing arts of ethnic minority groups on national stages, media, competitions, and conservatories. More recently, he has included within his research scope the role of the archive for the preservation of intangible cultural heritage within those national contexts.
9. Moderator：Yoko HAYAMI （CSEAS, Kyoto University）

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