Article of Interest
Bringing the East to the West: A Case Study in Teaching Chinese Choral Music to a Youth Choir in the United States
Published in No. 182, Fall 2009
Abstract
The purpose of this case study was to document and evaluate the process which 35 singers (ages 14 to 18 years) in a youth choir in the United States learned Chinese choral pieces during a fourmonth period. The researchers identified challenges and strategies used, and aided by 43 choral directors in China, evaluated the choir's performance of these Chinese songs. Observations, interviews, and performance evaluations were the main methodologies used. Sources of data included choir members', choir directors', and researchers' accounts of rehearsals and performances. The data revealed eight major themes. These themes concern the importance of parts to whole, the importance of visual and aural demonstration/feedback, aesthetic enjoyment and application of the challenge, high-achieving student profiles, understanding of lyrics and their cultural context, utilization of community culture bearers, extension to native experts, and cultural submersion providing musical and life insights. We conclude that strategies used were effective and resulted in student gains in four areas: musical, pedagogical, cultural, and attitudinal and personal.
