KHAEN PERFORMANCE: AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE ON TRADITIONAL PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES A thesis submitted to the College of the Arts of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Charles Occhipinti November 2020 Thesis written by Charles Occhipinti B.A., Appalachian State University, 2016 M.A., Kent State University, 2020 Approved by ________________________________________ Andrew Shahriari, Ph.D., Advisor ________________________________________ Kent McWilliams, D.M.A., Director, School of Music ________________________________________ John Crawford-Spinelli, Ed.D., Dean, College of the Arts TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEGMENTS ............................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION TO THE KHAEN ..........................................................................................1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Survey of Literature .............................................................................................................3 Proposed Topic ..................................................................................................................10 Source Materials ................................................................................................................11 Methodology ......................................................................................................................11 Projected Results ................................................................................................................12 II. KHAEN CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE .............................................................13 Introduction ........................................................................................................................13 Construction of a Khaen ....................................................................................................16 Deconstruction and Reconstruction of a Khaen.................................................................25 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................34 III. HISTORICAL AND MODERN TRENDS IN KHAEN PERFORMANCE .........................35 Introduction ........................................................................................................................35 Khaen as an Accompanying Instrument ............................................................................36 Lam Phifaa .............................................................................................................36 Phayaa ....................................................................................................................39 Mawlam Phun ........................................................................................................40 Mawlam Glawn ......................................................................................................42 Khaen as a Solo Instrument ...............................................................................................45 Khaen as Part of an Ensemble ...........................................................................................47 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................54 IV. PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES OF THE KHAEN ................................................................55 Introduction ........................................................................................................................55 Oral Tradition.....................................................................................................................57 Jonny Olsen Wants to be Lao ............................................................................................59 Khaen Pedagogy at the University Level...........................................................................62 Standardizing the Practice ..................................................................................................64 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................68 V. AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE ON KHAEN PEDAGOGY ...............................................71 Introduction ........................................................................................................................71 The Lessons .......................................................................................................................73 iii Lesson One – Holding the Instrument, Breath Control, and Notes .......................73 Lesson Two – Learning A Traditional Melody .....................................................76 Tangwai in Lai Yai ................................................................................................77 Tangwai in Lai Noi ................................................................................................78 Introduction Phrase ................................................................................................79 Lai Sae ...................................................................................................................79 Combining Skills Across Three Modes .................................................................80 End of Formal Lessons ..........................................................................................80 Method Book .....................................................................................................................80 Combined Strengths ...........................................................................................................82 Obstacles to Learning Khaen .............................................................................................85 Khaen Players in the United States ....................................................................................88 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................88 APPENDICES A. Thai-English Transliteration Guide ..............................................................................91 B. Individual Artist Websites .............................................................................................93 GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................................................94 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................97 iv LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 Two khaen baet with different fundamental tones .............................................................13 2.2 Proper hand positioning demonstrated by the researcher; nuances to the hand positioning are made by individuals for comfort and flexibility ......................................................................14 2.3 Songsak Prathumsin, an instrument maker, leads Ajaan Khio (Priwan Nanongkham) to a bamboo thicket used for making musical instruments, e.g., flutes ................................................15 2.4 Bundles of bamboo drying in the sun ................................................................................17 2.5 Bundles of dried bamboo. Bundles of cut bamboo for khaen lay on the table ..................17 2.6 Bundles of dried bamboo ready for individual khaen ........................................................18 2.7 Unfinished Khaen and bundles of dried bamboo on a work table .....................................18 2.8 Reeds and unaligned nodes. ...............................................................................................19 2.9 Reed set inside the reed hole. Reed is also bent too far inside needing an adjustment .....19 2.10 A pitch hole that needs adjustment by removing some material .......................................20 2.11 Anatomy of a free reed ......................................................................................................21 2.12 Windchest ..........................................................................................................................22 2.13 Pipes, dividers, windchest, twine (used to bind pipes after repair)....................................23 2.14 Crack sealed with wood glue .............................................................................................26 2.15 10-inch crack sealed with wood glue .................................................................................27 2.16 Pitch hole that needs cleaning up (pitch issue) ..................................................................27 2.17 A fully deconstructed khaen (missing one divider) ...........................................................28 2.18 Windchest with dividers and two pipes .............................................................................29 2.19 Labeled pipes with properly aligned finger holes ..............................................................31 3.1 Mawlam concert in Mahasarakham Province, Thailand, 2019..........................................45 3.2 Ponglang instrument. 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