My Travels with the Guqin: a Personal Narrative in a Cross-Cultural Setting
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My Travels with the GuQin: A personal narrative in a cross-cultural setting by Paul Henry Kemp B.Mus., The King’s University College, 2004 B.Ed., The University of Alberta, 2007 A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the area of Music Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction Paul Henry Kemp, 2012 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee My Travels With the GuQin: A personal narrative in a cross-cultural setting by Paul Henry Kemp B.Mus., The King’s University College, 2004 B.Ed., The University of Alberta, 2007 Supervisory Committee Dr. Mary A. Kennedy, (Department of Curriculum and Instruction) Supervisor Dr. Monica Prendergast, (Department of Curriculum and Instruction) Committee Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Mary A. Kennedy, (Department of Curriculum and Instruction) Supervisor Dr. Monica Prendergast, (Department of Curriculum and Instruction) Committee Member This project explored the significance of learning a global instrument in a cross- cultural setting. The question posed for this project was: “Can a music teacher change roles from teacher to student, move outside of the formalised classroom, and learn a music dissimilar to one’s own in a cross-cultural setting?” The cross-cultural setting was in Shanghai, China, and diverse cultural viewpoints, biases, and observations were recorded by means of journals, blogs, and informal music lessons. Every week, for one year, a one-hour informal lesson was taken on the GuQin. The informal music lessons combined both of aesthetic and praxial musicianship, which added to the complexities and rewards of learning the GuQin. These observations were later examined through a framework of narrative inquiry, focusing on temporal, spatial, and social issues. The metaphor of “travel” is used throughout the project in order to connect these observations to both the narrative and the reader. Various ways of musicing were experienced through the course of learning the GuQin, which included reading and writing traditional notation, and performing traditional music written for the GuQin. By examining the barriers of a Western-biased view on composing, performing, and listening, a new framework of music education philosophy was established. Implications for the music educator include fresh ways of exploring global musics, integrating an Eastern view into a music education philosophy, and expanding writing skills to enhance the narrative experience. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. vii Dedication ........................................................................................................................ viii Prologue .............................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter One: The Rough Guide ......................................................................................... 3 Rationale: Beginnings and Questions ............................................................................. 3 Purpose ............................................................................................................................ 6 An Introduction to Narrative Inquiry .............................................................................. 6 Brief Notes on Travel ...................................................................................................... 9 Chapter Two: My Departure ............................................................................................. 11 Personal Luggage: What Should I Take With Me? ...................................................... 11 The Carry-on Bag ......................................................................................................... 11 The Checked-in Bag: Defining My Culture and Music ................................................ 14 One Last Item To Add: Global Musics ......................................................................... 18 The Bags are Packed, And So Let’s Go! ...................................................................... 19 Chapter Three: Landing and Expanding ........................................................................... 20 The Cross-Cultural Music Traveler .............................................................................. 20 The Language Barrier ................................................................................................... 24 Finding a Teacher ......................................................................................................... 26 Experiencing the GuQin ............................................................................................... 28 GuQin as instrument ................................................................................................. 29 GuQin as object ......................................................................................................... 30 Struggling With Notation .............................................................................................. 36 Time and Rhythm ......................................................................................................... 38 The Importance of (the GuQin’s) History .................................................................... 41 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter Four: What to take Home— My Philosophy ...................................................... 46 In Need of a Philosophical Adaptation ......................................................................... 46 Clarifying Ideas: What is Chinese Philosophy? ............................................................ 48 Lao-Tsu ..................................................................................................................... 50 Confucius .................................................................................................................. 52 Lao-Tsu and Confucius for Music Education ............................................................... 53 Interrogating Commonplaces and Challenges .............................................................. 54 Some Similarities, Many Differences ........................................................................... 56 Some Suggestions for Music Educators ....................................................................... 58 Chinese Philosophy as a Likely Bridge Between Praxialism and Aesthetics ............... 60 Concluding Thoughts on a Balanced, Intercultural Philosophy ................................... 62 Chapter Five: Unpacking and Sharing—Some Implications for Music Education .......... 65 Some Thoughts on Traveling: What Should I Take Home? ......................................... 65 v Why Creative Writing is Important .............................................................................. 67 Regarding Narrative in Music Education ..................................................................... 71 Regarding Cross-cultural Collaboration ....................................................................... 74 Regarding Interculturalism ........................................................................................... 76 Some Suggestions on Collaborating Cross-culturally .................................................. 77 More on Thinking About .............................................................................................. 80 Thinking about instruments ...................................................................................... 80 Thinking about language ........................................................................................... 80 Thinking about rhythm and time ............................................................................... 81 Thinking about philosophy ....................................................................................... 82 Writing the Narrative: How Your Story May Help, Too .............................................. 83 References ......................................................................................................................... 86 vi List of Figures Figure 1. Some major differences between Western and Chinese philosophy ................. 57 Figure 2. The author playing the GuQin in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China ................. 85 vii Acknowledgments First, I would like to acknowledge my supervisor, Dr. Mary Kennedy, for her support, patience, hard work, and wise words in the creation and completion of this project. Without her kind and helpful advice, I would not have been able to fully progress as a music educator or researcher. Also, without Dr.