(photo NC Khajornyot T.)
| Thai arts and
culture have identified Thailand for a long time. They are the way of
life of the Thai nation. Precious cultural heritage has been created
and disseminated by our ancestors for a long time. In these modern days
some of us may forget our culture, but naval cadets decided to save our
legacy of Thai music. Naval cadets and Thai music have been together for about 60 years. In 1937, the Thai music room was founded ... under control of Capt. Sawat Phuti-Anan. He invited famous music teachers like Koonying Chin Sillaphabanleng and Assistant-Professor Phichit Chaiseree to teach naval cadets. Assistant-Professor Phichit Chaiseree created the theme song for the naval cadet Thai musicians called “Homrong Nawakorn”. It is the name of the Naval Cadet Thai Music Band, the Nawakorn Band. Currently, we learn Thai music from three teachers: Mr. and Mrs. Dangkoon and Mr. Manop Janyong, who we respect highly. We have a variety of Thai musical instruments. For example the ranad-ek, which looks like a xylophone, is the leading percussive instrument of the ensemble. The saw-duang is a bowed, stringed instrument. The cha-ke is a type of floor zither and a plucked string instrument, and the chings are a pair of cymbals made of thick metal alloy and shaped like a small cup. The charm of Thai music is the natural sound, which is produced by for example snapping, fiddling, beating and blowing. The sounds are divided in upper and lower register. When they are mixed, anyone listening to the music is easily fascinated. Activities of the musicians consist of three types. Firstly, the ceremony of the Armed Forces Academies to respect the Thai classical music teachers. The RTNA was the host of this ceremony last year. Secondly we play on the annual Teachers Day Ceremony in the Phuti-Anan Hall. And last, the Higher Education Thai Classical Music Tradition, which is presided by Princess Sirindhorn every year. Sometimes the fifth-year cadets have a Thai music show during the naval cadets’ fleet training in the middle of the year. |
| References: ”The Thai Folk Music and Dances Festival.” Program of the Thai Folk Music and Dances Festival. October 1987: 36. Kraydech, Assistent-Professor Lawan. “Historical anecdotes of Prince Chumporn, the RTNA and Thai Music.” 29th Thai Music Tertiary Education. January 1998: 59. Last update: Humanities Department, October 2004. |