Free Beats: The Musical Journey of CHEN Ming Chang - Full Documentary
Folk musician CHEN Ming Chang（陳明章） taught himself to play guitar while listening to the likes of Bob Dylan and The Beatles. In the closed social milieu of Martial Law throughout the 60s and 70s, freedom could only be found in music, which soon sparked his desire to become a musician. Ming Chang eventually decided to expand his repertoire with music from across Taiwan after discovering CHEN Da and the mellifluous melody of the yueqin. Greater exploration of musical elements from Hakka and Indigenous peoples helped him to get a clearer picture of the events behind the 228 massacre. By 93’ and 94’ Chen Ming Chang made a marked departure from his previous more alternative style as he wrote “Wandering Winds From the Northeast” and other huge pop hits. Hou Hsio-hsien’s desire for contemporary musicians to accompany projects like “Dust in the Wind” also pulled him into the world of cinema. His simple approach brought the script to life with only one guitar. The Taiwanese director wasn’t known to manipulate the audience’s emotions with music. The score primarily relieved emotive tension at key moments in the film. Chen produced over an hour of materials, but only select pieces made the final cut. Chen never really watched films, as much as listened to the score. Later projects like Tsai’s “Moonlight on the Water” (河上的月光) or “March of Happiness” (天馬茶房) by Lin Cheng-sheng (林正盛) were likewise dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. The melody draws audiences into their longing for freedom and supports the visual imagery of both films. Free beats were an essential aspect to Chen’s Taiwanese folk music encouraging the musicians to stop and start wherever they want. The actors onstage improvised in time with the music and their onscreen chemistry became a definitive element of the score. Chen’s work in everything from pop music, movies, and musicals like “Farewell to Beitou” are now part of a soundtrack of Taiwan that spans 20 or 30 years.
