聲動劇場 or A Moving Sound is a Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

ese music act consisting of vocalist/dancer Mia Hsieh, vocalist, bass guitarist and zhong ruan player Scott Prairie, erhu

Erhu

The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...

 players Zheng-Jun Wu and Tang-Hsuan Lo, guitarist and zhong ruan player Hua-Zhou Hsieh, and satar player Yi-Chen Chang. They bring traditional music of Taiwan to a larger audience through a mixture of traditional and contemporary musical practice. After releasing thee albums in Taiwan, the group made their US debut on Motéma Music

Motéma Music

Motéma Music is an American record label focused on jazz and world music, as well as other creative projects by virtuosic musicians who also compose. It was founded by Jana Herzen in 2003, and is now based in Harlem, New York City...

 with a self-titled release in September 2011, which was compiled from their second and third albums.

According to Tom Pryor, music supervisor for National Geographic, "A Moving Sound is one of the most original outfits working in the world music arena today, an inspired marriage of Taiwanese traditional sounds and Western pop experimentation that forges an important new musical dialogue." The Public Theater called their work “an exciting new development in the progression of Chinese music, joyous, evocative and enchanting.

Their music was featured on Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...

's program, Six Degrees

Six Degrees

Six Degrees is an American dramatic television series about six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation....

.

Genesis

The group was formed in 2000, while Mia Hsieh was on a trip to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 to study dance with Meredith Monk

Meredith Monk

Meredith Jane Monk is an American composer, performer, director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer. Since the 1960s, Monk has created multi-disciplinary works which combine music, theatre, and dance, recording extensively for ECM Records.-Life and work:Meredith Monk is primarily known for her...

. She met Scott Prairie in the last month of her trip, and they began the group. Prairie was sent to Carnegie Mellon University to study horn

Horn (instrument)

The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....

, but changed his major to psychology

Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

. He returned to music via bass guitar

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 while visiting Europe. The two married and began an ensemble infusing Taiwanese traditional music with Western pop and alternative sounds.

Tour

In 2011, Sheng Dong kicked off their North American tour on September 17 in Townsend, Maryland and continued on throughout October. This concert tour follows the recent release of its first North American album, in time for the 100th anniversary of Taiwan.

Discography

• Little Universe (2004; repackaged 2009)
• Songs Beyond Words (2007)
• Starshine (2009)
• A Moving Sound [compilation] (Motéma Music
  Motéma Music
  Motéma Music is an American record label focused on jazz and world music, as well as other creative projects by virtuosic musicians who also compose. It was founded by Jana Herzen in 2003, and is now based in Harlem, New York City...
  
  , 2011)

External links

• English language site
• A Moving Sound on Motéma Music
  Motéma Music
  Motéma Music is an American record label focused on jazz and world music, as well as other creative projects by virtuosic musicians who also compose. It was founded by Jana Herzen in 2003, and is now based in Harlem, New York City...