Music of ChinaJuxtaposition of the Old with the New

Bang-Bang Jun (Stick-Stick Army)

Vocal Music

•Nasal, “pinched” sound•“Planting the Sun”•Peking Opera•Similarity to Tones of Speech

•Ornamentation•“The Little Snail”

•Political Indoctrination•“I Love Beijing’s Tian An Men”•Love of Mao, Communism, and Country

Vocal Music

I love the Gate of Heavenly peace in Beijing. The sun rises

above. Great Chairman Mao leads us

on the march forward.

Tiananmen Square

U.S. Comparison

• “This Land is Your Land” (Woody Guthrie from Hymn Tune “When the World’s on Fire”)

• Written during Great Depression

• Considered by most a patriotic song

• Several verses have been censored

Selected Chinese Instruments

• Suona (Like an Oboe, Double Reed)

• Hulusi (Woodwind with Gourd Resonator)

• Sheng (Multi-Reed, ancient design)

• Bawu (Flute-like, but with double reed--see photo)

• Dizi (Chinese Flute)

• Pipa (Four-String, lute shaped) HHPA

• Guzheng (21-string Pentatonic Harp) HHPA

• Erhu (Two String Fiddle)

– “Ying Melody” MP3 file

• Tibetan Singing Bowl (Buddhist Monastery)

Meng Lei playing Bawu

Buddhist Monk Blessing Babies

The Erhu Teacher: Guangzhou

Local Band: Guangzhou

Sun Li and Meng Lei

Assignment #5

• Using the example of a Harvard outline found on the course website and in your syllabus, write and submit an outline of your final project. Be sure to include at least two points per topic, and at least three levels of detail.