Music education curriculum and social change: a study of popular music in secondary schools in Beijing, China

Abstract

In Chinese society over the last two decades, modernisation and globalisation, together with the transition to a market economy, have created new imperatives and challenges for the school music curriculum. As a result, the 2011 reform of the Curriculum Standards for Primary Education and Junior Secondary Education marks the first time that the school music curriculum officially included popular songs. In response to this change, this empirical study explores Chinese adolescents' (mainly 12–17 years of age) popular music preferences in their daily lives and to what extent and in what ways they prefer learning about popular music in Beijing's schools. Data were drawn from survey questionnaires completed by 2971 secondary students and from interviews with 14 school leaders and teachers from 12 secondary schools in 2012. The survey findings of this research reveal the extent of Chinese students' preferences for a variety of popular music styles in their daily lives and in school and the consequent need for the teaching profession to improve students' learning in this area. This paper argues that teaching and learning about popular music rely on the interplay between music found inside and outside the school environment and between formal and informal school music activities, together with interactions between schools and students that might be enabled by developments in the school music curriculum. However, when a new wave of campaigns to assimilate popular music into school education is launched, what will remain to be seen is the degree of the Chinese government's zeal as it strives to transform popular music into a tool for its own purposes, whether it be political ideology, an integration of socialist educational ideals or a mediation of liberal education.

Keywords:

• music education
• popular music
• curriculum change
• social change
• Beijing

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express her gratitude to the Faculty Research Grants of the Hong Kong Baptist University (grant number FRG2/11-12/023 30-11-223) for providing financial support for this music education project. I would also like to thank the head teachers and music teachers who spent time to take part in this study. Lastly, I would also like to thank Ms Qiao Fan for coordinating the schools that were involved.

Notes on contributor

Wai-Chung Ho is a Professor of the Department of Music of the Hong Kong Baptist University. Her main research areas are the sociology of music, the music education curriculum and the comparative study of music education.

Notes

1. In December 1978, Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997) launched market-oriented economic reforms and the ‘opening up to the outside world’ that have been described as ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.’ As a result of these economic reforms, China's economy has been transformed and is aimed at raising the rates of foreign investment and growth.

2. The traditional Chinese phrase of ‘Four Great Ancient Capitals of China’ refers to Beijing, Luoyang, Xian and Nanjing. Beijing is a city with more than 3000 years of history and is noted for its rich heritage of oriental history and culture. From A.D. 900 onward, Beijing has served as the secondary capital of the Liao Dynasty (916–1125) and as the capital of the Jin (1115–1234), Yuan (1271–1368), Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1919) Dynasties. The city was declared the capital of the People's Republic of China when it was founded on 1 October 1949. Since then, it has become the centre of the nation's politics, education, culture and international exchange. Beijing is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies and is a major hub of the national highway, railway, expressway and high-speed rail networks.

3. According to the data released by the Beijing Municipal Statistic Bureau and the National Bureau of Statistics’ Beijing Branch, the population of the capital city reached almost 20.7 million by the end of 2012. Meanwhile, non-Beijing residents living more than half a year in the city has hit eight million, which is to say 37% of the total population (China Network Television, 20 January 2013).

4. The nine-year compulsory education policy, which was launched in China in 1986, offers students over six-years-old a free education at both primary and secondary schools. However, some students start late in their schooling, particularly amongst rural migrant children living in cities. With reference to Table 1, there was one 13-year-old student who attended Grade 11, which is a rare case in normal schooling. That student might have been gifted and allowed to jump grades.

5. Revolutionary songs have a long history. The term ‘Red Song’ refers to a combination of seeing, listening and singing for the purpose of endorsing the Communist Party and encouraging Chinese nationalism. There is no other song that is characterised by colours in China.

6. Karaoke TV (KTV) is very popular among Chinese youths in Beijing. Most of the KTV places are open around the clock. The rates the karaoke chambers charge are based on their opening time and the size of their rooms. Besides Chinese popular songs, they also have English songs for customers to sing. Some of these KTV places even offer a buffet for its customers.

7. The Temple of Heaven, founded in the first half of the fifteenth century, is the largest and most representative masterpiece of all of China's ancient sacrificial altars. Once a year, at winter solstice, the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties came here to worship Heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest.