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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1991)
Arts & Entertainment _ I Courtesy of First Run Features The lives of Borneo’s Penan Indians are depicted in “Tong Tana,” this week’s UPC foreign film. Ecological message clear “Tong Tana” By Mark Baldridge Staff Reporter__ This Sunday’s foreign film offer ing from the University Program Council journeys to Borneo and the oldest, and possibly most critically endangered, rain forest in the world. The film, “Tong Tana” (Ross), centers on talks with Bruno Manser, a 34-year-old Swede who has lived among the Penan Indians of the re gion for four years. Manser has “gone native” to an extent, hunting for his food with a blow pipe and poison darts. He takes extensive and beautifully illustrated notes on the daily life of these people and commits himself to aid them in their struggle to survive in the face of extreme and foolish logging prac tices. According to the filmmakers, the rain forest of Borneo has been de pleted by 50 percent in the past 20 years and is expected to disappear almost completely by the mid- to late-1990s. The film’s Swedish directors make no pretense at objectivity; one may argue that time for such has passed. Borneo currently produces half of the world’s hardwood supply. Much of the wood is board-cut and sold cheaply to be used as scaffolding and then thrown away. Borneo also pro duces billions of disposable Japanese chopsticks. . For this the government of Borneo is willing to sell resources that may never be renewable. The rain forest is thought to be 160 million years old, supporting a limitless variety of plant and animal life. Malasia's Minister of Environment is the owner of one of the nation’s biggest logging operations. The idea that such a person could be unbiased is, of course, laughable. The filmed interviews with him would be hilari ous if the stakes were not so high. See TONG TANA on 10 Recital to give students peek at composers ’ world By Andrea Christensen Staff Reporter Some University of Nebraska Lincoln music students will get a ' taste of the real world Sunday when they perform the Student Composers Recital. The students wrote, rehearsed and will conduct the pieces, something unusual for academic composers. But according to a UNL music professor, composers in the “real world” are expected to wear many hats._ _ - “When you’re a composer, you don’t just write the music and put it away,” Randall Snyder said. “You have to follow through with getting rehearsals and maybe even conduct ing your own piece so that the musi cians get an idea of how you want the music to sound. This recital will give student composers a chance to prac tice doing that.” The students have been compos ing the pieces since early September and have spent the last few weeks practicing with the musicians who will perform them. Students and faculty from UNL and a chorus from the First Plymouth Church, 20th and D streets, will per form the compositions. Snyder said the style of the music is not easily defined. “There is not a common term or label that’s been invented, unfortu nately, to describe this type of mu sic,” he said. “Some people call it modem classical or concert music. They’re pieces that are descended from European classical music, but they don’t sound like Mozart.” Snyder said it was essential for student composers to hear their music performed. “You can’t tell whether your music is going to work or not until you hear it played,” he said. “You can put it on computer, but it’s not the same as hearing it performed by fiesh-and blood musicians.” This is true even for experienced student composers like graduate composition student Jack Rinke. Although he said he had a good idea of how a piece would sound before he heard it played, Rinke said having his work performed is helpful. “I have a very good aural idea of what my pieces are going to sound like,” he said. “It’s very rare that I write a piece and am surprised by how it sounds. I hear it inside before I hear it outside.” Rinke said he likes to rehearse two or three times with the musicians who will perform his piece. During these rehearsals, efforts are made to im prove phrasing and style. Rinke said he hopes that by rehearsing the com position, he can perfect it by Dec. 4, when it will be recorded by the American Suing Quartet. “Even more than the performance, we leam so much from the rehearsals, putting the piece together and hear ing what the musicians can actually do with it,” he said. -if You can’t tell whether your music is going to work or not until you hear it played. Snyder music professor -ft - Rinke said his music has been pri marily influenced by Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok, but he empha sized that everything he has heard affects his music in some way. He also said his work was influenced by Sny der, his composition instructor. _ “He pushed me to take a step back and see where the piece was going,” Rinke said. “When I was looking at the notes, he told me to back up and figure out what was going on with the whole piece and how it was going to lay out.” Senior music student Bob Miller, one of the composers featured in the recital, said he doesn’t plan to be a professional composer. He is taking See RECITAL on 11 UNL Powwow returns to boost understanding From Staff Reports Intertribal dancing contests, craft booths and raffles will all be part of the 2nd Annual UNL Powwow, which will take place today, Saturday and Sunday in the Nebraska Union Ballroom. Judges will be selected for the dancing competitions, which will feature American Indian dancers in three different age groups compet ing in a variety of dancing styles. All events will be open to the public and admission is free. Frank Forman, president of the University Program Council, said 1,200 attended the powwow last year and he is expecting more this year. One purpose of the powwow, according to Forman, is to open up the Indian culture to other people. “When Indians have a powwow, people of all races and creeds are invited,” he explained. “We’re hoping to break down barriers between our cultures and build new lies.” Another purpose of the powwow is to strengthen the relationship between the Ameri can Indian community and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Forman said he hopes to see a lot of UNL students at the powwow because it will be an entertaining and informative experience that will give them insight into the world of the American Indian. Powwow events on Saturday and Sunday will include “grand entry,” in which all dancers enter single file; intertribal dancing contests; and a supper break at the Culture Center. Comedian to perform in Union Courtesy of University Programs Council Comedian Brad Montgomery will discuss his hangups today in the Nebraska Union. _v i • •1 . From Staff Reports One of the Midwest’s top comedians will be performing at the University of Nebraska Lincoln today. Beginning at 11 a.m., Brad Montgom ery, comedian and magician, will be per forming “teasers” from his show in the lobby of the Nebraska Union. At 7 p.m., he will perform a full show in the Centennial Ballroom. _ The Denver native began his career after getting his bachelor’s degree in political science from Brown University in Rhode Island. He is the only Colorado comedian to win first place in the People’s Choice Awards at Magic Days ’89, in Denver. That award helped make Montgomery the 1989 Colo rado Magician of the Year. Having performed in 10 states over the past year, Montgomery said he loves play ing to different crowds and giving college students something to talk about other than the “mystery meal in the cafeteria.” In addition to his show tonight, Montgom ery will hold a “Tricks, Stunts and Gags” semin&r following his show to let the audi ence know how he does his tricks. Montgomery’s show is sponsored by the UPC Best of the Rest Committee.