Liminal States: Life as an Indie Musician on Taiwan

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2008
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Department of Folklore nad Ethnomusicology, Indiana University
Abstract
In this paper, I examine the liminal states of Taiwanese guitarist/composer Huang Wan-ting, particularly as these states articulate with similar liminal states of “indie music” and the island of Taiwan. I use the term ‘liminal’ in a non-ritual sense to refer to a structural position on the interstices of recognized roles and identities. In addition, I propose a second type of liminality: a position of choice assumed by subjects for some advantage—in Wan-ting’s case, artistic. As an indie musician, Wan-ting attempts to maintain a position on the edge of the music mainstream, bringing new sounds into popular music. While she has tried to find a Taiwanese political identity through her song lyrics, Wan-ting does not consider herself to be a "Taiwanese musician” and creates music for a transnational indie audience. Wan-ting claims her music is more popular with foreigners than Taiwanese. Like an independent Taiwanese state, her career may need foreign recognition to exist.
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Keywords
Music; Indie Rock; Identity; Liminality, Taiwan, China, East Asia
Citation
Hagood, Mack. 2008. "Liminal States: Life as an Indie Musician on Taiwan" Folklore Forum 38(1): 82-101
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