Traditional Long Drum Competitions as a Cultural Mechanism for Youth Motivation and the Transmission of Local Wisdom in Rong Kham District Kalasin Province

Abstract

This research consists purposes were 1. to examine the role of the Ancient Klong Yao (Long Drum) Competition in motivating youth in Rong Kham District Kalasin Province and 2. to investigate the approaches and processes for transmitting indigenous musical wisdom, particularly Ancient Klong Yao (Long Drum) traditions, to the younger generation in order to preserve and sustain the local cultural identity. This study employed a qualitative research design. The research instrument was a semi-structured interview guide. The target participants consisted of four youth teams participating in the Ancient Klong Yao competition and experts and specialists in Thai folk music, all of whom were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected from documentary sources and interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The research findings reveal that 1) The traditional Klong Yao competition serves as a crucial social space for cultivating youth motivation. This motivation initiates from extrinsic factors, such as community recognition, competition awards and support from social institutions like families and temples. These extrinsic factors subsequently evolve into intrinsic motivations, characterized by a sense of pride in personal competence, a genuine passion for the arts and the internalization of folk music as a fundamental component of the youths personal identity and 2) Regarding the transmission of traditional wisdom, the process operates within a cultural ecosystem that interlinks multiple generations. Knowledge transfer occurs vertically, from local masters to youth and horizontally, through peer-to-peer learning within the musical ensembles. Furthermore, the competitions establish artistic standards through structured evaluation criteria, ensuring that localized unique features such as the Huea Suang rhythm and the traditional “Sab San - Sab Yao” dance movements remain authentic to their original forms.