An interview with
Tsewang Chöden
Position & Affiliation: Former member of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) Music & Dranyen Teacher in Dharamsala (India)
Date: May 7, 2022 in McLeod Ganj, India
Interviewed by: Lobsang Wangchuk
Cite this archive
Oral History of Tibetan Studies. (2021, December 2). An interview with Tsewang Chöden. Retrieved 1 May 2024, from https://oralhistory.iats.info/interviews/tsewang-choden/.
“An interview with Tsewang Chöden.” Oral History of Tibetan Studies, 2 Dec. 2021, https://oralhistory.iats.info/interviews/tsewang-choden/.
Oral History of Tibetan Studies. 2021. An interview with Tsewang Chöden. [online], Available at: https://oralhistory.iats.info/interviews/tsewang-choden/ [Accessed 1 May 2024]
Oral History of Tibetan Studies. “An interview with Tsewang Chöden.” 2021, December 2. https://oralhistory.iats.info/interviews/tsewang-choden/.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Oral History of Tibetan Studies project.
Timestamps:
- 0:00 Intro
- 0:45 When and where were you born?
- 1:08 Could you describe your birth place?
- 2:07 What educational background do your parents have and what is their profession?
- 4:15 How many siblings do you have and how old are they now?
- 7:00 What are your hobbies?
- 8:17 Where did you first go to school?
- 11:20 How was the atmosphere in school at that time?
- 12:29 Can you please tell me more about Gen Rigzin Dhargay, your first teacher?
- 13:33 Can you tell me about your friends during your school days?
- 16:29 How did your classes look like? How were you taught at school?
- 18:36 What was your favourite subject?
- 19:11 Do you recall any formative and influential moments with your classmates?
- 20:05 When did you enrol at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA)? For admission to the drama school or for teacher training?
- 22:31 Where were the schools where you taught located?
- 23:26 What was the most memorable during teaching?
- 25:01 Are there differences between the teaching methods of the past and those of today?
- 26:28 Who was the most influential teacher during your training time at TIPA?
- 28:35 Are there different styles of playing the Tibetan guitar (Dranyen)?
- 29:39 I have heard that there are some regional differences where Dranyen is played, for example Toepa, Ngari, Kongpo, Kham and Amdo, are there?
- 37:27 Are there different models and shapes of Dranyen?
- 42:41 Can you tell us something about Jamyang Norbu?
- 45:06 Who was the best musician among your groups during your training at TIPA?
- 48:34 Have you done a music tour of the Himalayan region or parts of India or Mongolia, and have you exchanged and explored them culturally?
- 52:28 What is Drekar, could you please elaborate?
- 54:11 Could you explain the various parts of a Dranyen?
- 56:52 When did you first become a music teacher?
- 57:36 Who do you think is easier to teach: Children, adults or people from the West?
- 58:53 What are the benefits you gained from playing the guitar?
- 59:24 Would you like to continue teaching Dranyen?
- 1:01:06 Do you have a message for the younger generations who are involved in Tibetology?
- 1:02:49 Can you play us one of your favourite songs?
