If
junior
Daixuan
(Daisy)
Ai
'20
has
her
way,
she
will
transform
a
legend
into
something
legendary.
The
Chinese
native
is
focusing
her
BW
Summer
Scholar
research
on
creating
a
10-12-minute
orchestra
piece
that
brings
to
life
ancient
Chinese
culture
and
mysticism.
"Coming
from
a
different
country
and
culture,"
explained
the
music
composition
and
music
performance
(piano)
major,
"I've
been
struggling
to
find
my
own
voice
and
identity.
Through
music,
I'm
finding
my
individuality."
Superstition
or
Truth?
"In
Summer
Scholars,
you
spend
10
weeks
doing
intensive
research
and
work
on
a
particular
topic
of
interest.
I
chose
the
cultural
heritage
of
a
Chinese
minority
known
as
Xiangxi
Tujia
and
Miao.
My
goal
is
to
explore
creative
ways
of
fusing
traditional
Chinese
music
elements
into
western
orchestra
and
to
compose
a
piece
that's
based
on
a
story
of
my
father
who
has
a
deep
connection
with
Xiangxi
culture,"
said
Ai.
"Xiangxi
culture
is
well
known
for
witchcraft
and
traditional
rituals
that
have
influenced
people's
daily
lives.
My
dad
spent
his
childhood
in
Xiangxi.
When
I
was
little,
he
told
me
stories
about
its
history.
But
I
couldn't
decide
whether
they
were
just
rural
people's
superstitions
or
if
there
was
some
truth
to
them,"
she
said
thoughtfully.
"Last
summer,
my
dad
was
very
sick,"
she
recalled.
"Doctors
in
China
said
they
had
never
seen
a
case
like
his
before.
Wanting
to
be
cured,
my
dad
visited
someone
who
was
a
successor
of
Xiangxi
witchcraft.
The
man
performed
a
ritual
and
said
three
evil
spirits
were
causing
the
illness.
My
dad
had
recently
visited
a
remote
area
in
rural
Xiangxi
and
remembered
a
strange
occurrence.
While
walking
alone
one
night,
he
said
it
felt
as
if
someone
was
following
him.
Upon
returning
home
from
the
trip,
he
became
ill.
"In
order
to
be
cured,
he
turned
to
a
local
temple
priest
for
assistance.
One
night
my
dad
woke
up
full
of
energy
and
told
my
mom
he
had
just
dreamed
of
driving
the
evil
spirits
away.
Soon
after,
he
made
a
complete
recovery,"
she
noted.
Personal
Story
Brought
to
Life
Through
Music
"After
hearing
the
story,
I
was
inspired
to
document
it.
As
a
composer,
I
am
sharing
a
very
personal
narrative
brought
to
life
through
music.
My
intent
is
not
to
say
whether
Xiangxi
witchcraft
and
traditional
rituals
are
real
or
superstitions.
Instead,
I
want
to
immerse
audiences
into
the
beauty
of
this
culture
and
to
explore
the
depth
of
emotion
that
comes
when
families
are
afflicted
with
hardship.
"This
composition
is
not
just
my
family's
story.
It
is
a
universal
story
of
love,
of
cultural
influence
and
tradition,
and
of
western
and
eastern
influences
that
together
showcase
the
richness
of
diversity
and
unity."
