Title

Traditional Chinese instrumental music: Importing diversity into Midwestern America

Abstract

Because of the lack of diversity in many communities in the USA, there is both a need and an opportunity to import diversity through the arts into these communities through special programs. This article describes one such program undertaken by a US university making use of a pre-existing student/faculty exchange program with a university in the People's Republic of China. There is a brief explanation of how the students and teachers of a course in Traditional Instrumental Music of China were recruited over the period of a year and how the following instruments were chosen: guzheng, pipa, huapengu, dizi, xiao, hulusi, bawu, sheng and suona. Details are given regarding the design and implementation of the course over a three-week period. Selected musical examples are provided to illustrate the progressive nature of the instruction along with the level of facility acquired at the end of the course. Results of the course and plans for the future are also provided.

Department(s)

Music

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761408098057

Keywords

China, Multicultural, Traditional music, University Music Education

Publication Date

12-1-2008

Journal Title

International Journal of Music Education

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