In tune with the times: the art of doing business
Print Edition
Officials at the Shanghai No. 1 Folk Music Instrument Factory in Minhang don’t believe in the popular perception that “commerce destroys art.”
In fact, they believe the opposite to be true.
Most of the executives of the company have devoted their lives to promoting the artistic merits of traditional Chinese instruments. They think commerce and culture can go hand-in-hand, and their balance sheets bears that out.
Last year, the factory — the biggest of its kind in China — had sales of 37 million yuan (US$37.9 million), up nearly 13 percent from a year earlier.
“I think we are a good example of combining commerce and culture,” said Wang Guozhen, director of the factory. “We need both to compete with our rivals.”
The commercial value of traditional Chinese folk music doesn’t lie just in making instruments, he said. The factory’s development also relies on popularization of the music.
Indeed, that is the basis of its sponsorship of the Xinyi Chinese Folk Music Group.
Founded in 2005, members of the groups are all graduates of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. It is the only folk-music ensemble in China underwritten by an instrument factory.
“This is a great partnership,” said Dai Deyue, operations manager of the ensemble. “The music group can delve into the depths of the art form, and our instruments can provide the means to do that.”
The factory makes instruments under the brand name Dunhuang, a reference to the ancient music of Dunhuang that first emerged in the northwestern city during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
Some of the original works played by the group have the word “Dunhuang” in their titles. One of the more iconic pieces, “The New Talk of Dunhuang,” is now the opening selection at every concert the group gives. In fact, it’s become a familiar melody throughout China.
The ensemble blends Western, modern and even pop music into its repertory to try to appeal to a broader audience.
This month, the group participated in the Weekend Broadcast Concert organized by Shanghai Classic Radio. It was the first time Chinese folk music was included in the radio concert.
“I think the channel invited us because the pieces we perform dovetail with the station’s interest in promoting classical music to a wider audience,” said Dai.
In the concert, the group played Spanish music with the zhongruan, a plucked instrument that creates a sound similar to that of the Spanish guitar. There were also pieces adapted from familiar Shanghai folk songs.
Dai said the broadcast may encourage parents to have their children learn how to play a traditional instrument, and the sponsorship might steer them to the Dunhuang brand.
The idea of combining musical instrument production and playing has been successful beyond initial expectations, Dai said.
“We have built a market presence for our ensemble so solid that we don’t have to go out and search for performing opportunities anymore,” said Dai. “On the contrary, concert halls are seeking us out now.”
Ensemble members said the Xinyi Chinese Folk Music Group has given them impetus to continue musical careers that might otherwise have been forsaken.
Zhu Hongyu, an erhu player who graduated in 2005, said she never anticipated a career playing her instrument while in school
“I was going to look for a teaching job, like many of my classmates, but my advisor recommended me to the factory, saying it might be a good opportunity,” she said. “In retrospect, it was a great choice. If I had become a teacher, my performance skills would have become rusty by now.”
For its part, the factory tries to keep up with the times by releasing new products every year. The musical instruments it produces may have histories of hundreds of years, but that doesn’t mean new features can’t be added.
Wang said every year, up to 50 new models of instruments are produced. In most instances, exterior ornamentation determines their value.
“When making an instrument, we can draw on so many Chinese art forms,” said Wang. “Shell carving, cloisonné and lacquer works can all be used on musical instruments.”
The factory also focuses on the high-end collectors’ market. An instrument with both practical and artistic value can be priced as high as 400,000 yuan (US$64,000).
“Some of our old craftsmen tell me they never imagined that an erhu could be more expensive than a piano,” said Wang.
He said the ultimate goal of the factory is to be a leading creative force in the industry. It is currently doing research on bass instruments, which remain a missing piece in Chinese folk music.
“We are looking to make an instrument that will be what a cello is to an orchestra,” said Wang. “In that, we are on the verge of success.”
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