Of late, I have been describing my time here in Taiwan as a series of ‘Rabbit Holes.” Things just do not go the normal way I expect, and I suddenly find myself experiencing something that I do not expect or ever imagine.... for me this is ok because it fits my goal of metaphorically and in reality “Going to the end of every MRT train line and getting lost.”

 I am passionately addicted to the music of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. I am thrilled to goosebumps with the sound of the timbral palette of Chinese instruments and the new sounds I have never heard in the concert hall. I also like the repertoire which includes some of the more traditional Chinese works BUT it is the gutsiest orchestra because they perform 21st century works with the composer often in the audience. These are works that would cause most USA concert audiences to leave because they are so unusual. I am usually the only foreigner aka white guy in the audience despite my efforts to proselytize to my fellow travelers.

 Last night I attended a concert with the orchestra, sheng and dizi soloist and a Chinese conductor who works in South Bend Indiana of all places and teaches at Northwestern University. He has comments by Pete Buttigieg in his bio. As I hoped, the music and performers were screamingly magnificent BUT the rabbit hole was the encore. Who in their right mind would expect the encore to be Thunder and Lighting Polka complete with a dancing conductor?????

 Here is a link for chinese instruments https://youtu.be/0esuSpyHmVc 

 Here is a link for the polka with chinese orchestra https://youtu.be/CzkTnWqEnOs