Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 Fu-Tong Wong a Taiwanese Violin Pedagogue Yuyu Chu Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC FU-TONG WONG A TAIWANESE VIOLIN PEDAGOGUE By Yuyu Chu A Treatise submitted to the College of Music In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Music Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2008 Copyright © 2008 Yuyu Chu All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the treatise of Yuyu Chu defended on June 10, 2008. Alexander Jiménez Professor Directing Treatise Beth Newdome Committee Member Bruce Holzman Committee Member Evan Jones Outside Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii Dedicated to My parents, Mr. Chu Chun-Chi (朱春吉) and Mrs. Huang Chin-Shu (黃金淑), And My sister, Ms. Chu Ya-Li (朱雅勵) iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks go to my treatise committee members, not only for their suggestions and interest in this treatise, but also for their support and encouragement during the working process. My greatest admiration goes to my treatise director, Dr. Alexander Jimenez, who spent hours and hours reading my paper and making corrections for me and giving me inspiring ideas during each discussion. He has influenced me so much not only musically but also in the philosophy of being a human being. Special thank goes to my violin professor, Professor Beth Newdome, who offered me guidance, advice, and warm support throughout the last year of my doctoral studies. I would like to express thanks to my committee members, Dr. Evan Jones and Professor Bruce Holzman, for their warm-hearted support through my recitals and for helpful information about treatise writing. I am also grateful to my former major professor, Karen Clarke who retired from Florida State University in 2007 and who helped me to adapt to the United States. I am thankful for her understanding and for listening to my heart during those two most formidable years. I would like to thank Mrs. Lucy Ho, who warmly supported my life in Tallahassee and the Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Chin-Jen Chen, who assisted me with recommendation letters. I am also deeply indebted to Professor Fu-Tong Wong who provided me with invaluable information and scores. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my family. This entire journey would never have been possible without their complete support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………………… vi List of Musical Examples……………………………………………………………………………. vii List of Figures...……………………………………………………………………………………… viii Abstract……….…………………………………………………………………………………….... ix Chapter One: A Brief History of Violin Pedagogy in Taiwan Influences from the West……………………………………………………………………. 1 The Suzuki Method…………………………………………………………………….……. 5 Group Violin Teaching in Taiwan………………………………………………………….... 7 Chapter Two: A Brief Biography of Fu-Tong Wong 1948-1968 China….………………………………………………………………………… 9 1968-1973 Cultural Revolution………......………………....………………………………. 10 1973-1983 Back to School.................………………………………………………….……. 10 1983-1986 Taipei...………………………………………………………………………….. 11 1986-1990 New York… …………...………..………………………………………….…… 12 1990-Present Tainan ………………….…………………………………………………….. 12 Chapter Three: The Wong Teaching Method Transition to Group Teaching…………………………………………………………..…… 15 Techniques of the Group Violin Teaching Method………………………….…………….… 17 Publication...……………………………………………………………………………....… 58 Chapter Four: Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….... 60 Appendix: A. Categorized listing of Fu-Tong Wong’s complete works …………………………………... 63 B. Copyright Permission Letter…………………………………………………………….…... 78 C. E.Q. and I.Q. Improvement Investigation Survey…………………………………………... 79 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………….…. 80 Yuyu Chu’s Biographical Sketch….…………………………………………………………………. 85 v LIST OF TABLES 2.1 A Brief Chronological Biography of Wong ………………….…………………………… 13 3.1 Book One Content ……………………………………………………………………….. 21 3.2 Book Two Content ……………………………………………………………………….. 22 3.3 Book Three Content ……..……………………………………………………………….. 23 3.4 Book Four Content …...…………………………………………………………………... 24 3.5 Book Five Content ………………………………………………………………………... 25 3.6 Book Six Content ….……………………………………………………………………... 26 3.7 Book Seven Content …….………………………………………………………………... 27 3.8 Book Eight Content ……..………………………………………………………………... 28 3.9 Book Nine Content …………………...…………………………………………………... 29 3.10 Book Ten Content ………….…………………………………………………................ 30 3.11 Book Eleven Content …………………………………………………………................. 31 3.12 Book Twelve Content ……...…………………………………………………................. 32 3.13 Book Thirteen Content …….…………………………………………………................. 33 3.14 Book Fourteen Content ……….…………………………………………………………. 34 3.15 Book Fifteen Content ………………………………………………………………….... 35 3.16 Book Sixteen Content ……...…………………………………………………................. 36 3.17 Book Seventeen Content ……..………………………………………………................. 37 3.18 Book Eighteen Content ……….………………………………………………………..... 38 3.19 Book Nineteen Content ………………………………………………………................. 39 3.20 Book Twenty Content …………………...……………………………………………..... 40 3.21 Eastern Compositions …………………….…………………………..………................. 55 3.22 Western Compositions ……………………………………………..……………………. 56 vi LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES 3.1 Book 2. No. 1 “Open Your Head Cover” Original Score ………………………................ 41 3.2 Book 2. No. 1 “Open Your Head Cover” Exercise ………...……………………………... 42 3.3 Book 2. No. 7 “Sweet Family” Original Score …………………………………............... 42 3.4 Book 2. No. 7 “Sweet Family” Exercise i ………..………………………………………. 43 3.5 Book 2. No. 7 “Sweet Family” Exercise ii ………..……………………………................ 43 3.6 Book 2. No. 7 “Sweet Family” Exercise iii ………..……………………….…………….. 43 3.7 Book 2. No. 10 “Old Duke!” Original Score …………………………………………….. 44 3.8 Book 2. No. 10 “Old Duke!” Exercise ………...…………………………………………. 45 3.9 Book 3. No. 12 “Jubilee!” Original Score ………………………………………………... 45 3.10 Book 3. No. 12 “Jubilee!” Exercise ………...…………………………………................ 46 3.11 Book 1. No. 1 “Little Bees” Original Score and Exercise ………...………...…………... 47 3.12 Book 6. No. 9 “C Major Study” Original Score and Exercise ………...………............... 47 3.13 Book 15. No. 4 “Jasmine” Original Score ………………………………………………. 48 3.14 Book 15. No. 4 “Jasmine” Exercise ………..…………………………………………… 48 3.15 Book 15. No. 7 “Great Wall Song” Original Score ……………………………………... 49 3.16 Book 15. No. 7 “Great Wall Song” Exercise ………...………………………………….. 49 3.17 Book 8. No. 3 “The Parade of Lions” Original Score …………………………............... 50 3.18 Book 8 No. 3 “The Parade of Lions” Exercise ………...………………………………... 51 vii LIST OF FIGURES 3.1 Left Hand Shape No.2 ……………………………………………………………………. 18 3.2 Left Hand Shape No.1 ……………………………………………………………………. 18 3.3 Left Hand Shape No.3 ……………………………………………………………………. 18 3.4 Right Hand Natural Curve ………………………………………………………............... 19 3.5 Right Hand Curve For Keeping Bow Straight ……………………………………………. 19 3.6 Comparative Statistic of Eastern and Western Songs …………………………………….. 57 3.7 The Ratio of Seven Genres in Wong’s Method Books ………………………………….... 57 3.8 The Ratio of the Distribution of Ten Per Cent Income …………………………................ 59 viii ABSTRACT Although the history of violin pedagogy can be traced back to the days of Vivaldi, this treatise will focus on the influences in Taiwan from Russian violin schools as well as the Japanese violin method books. Great pedagogues such as Auer and Stolyarsky strongly influenced later violin pedagogy not only in the actual content of how to play the violin but also in the format of how to teach it to the Japanese. Moreover, not only the great tradition of violin music from Germany but also a great amount of folk songs are kept in the method books of Shinichi Suzuki. The main “Mother Tongue” philosophy of the Suzuki Method holds that all human beings are born with talent. The detailed expansion of using this talent in respect to violin playing is clearly indicated in the Suzuki Method. Because of its colonial background, the history of violin pedagogy in Taiwan is rather short; yet, it developed significantly within several decades after World War II. Fu-Tong Wong, who is a violinist, a composer, a pedagogue and a writer, has contributed a large number of writings for both violin and group violin teaching, and also musical compositions. His unique background from World War II and the influences of the Cultural Revolution in China made him achieve his goals based on his insistent love music. Because he has gone back and forth between Taiwan and United States two times, his work in Taiwan has established a reputation as one of the most important violin teachers in Taiwan. This treatise presents a brief history of Taiwanese violin pedagogy and gives a brief biography of Fu-Tong Wong in the context of that history. Additionally, this treatise will discuss how Wong developed his ideas for the method and why he changed his way from a teacher of virtuoso violin playing to one of group violin teaching. Finally, this treatise will introduce his method analytically and systematically. It will from here forth be referred to as “Wong’s Method.” ix CHAPTER ONE A BRIEF HISTORY OF VIOLIN PEDAGOGY IN TAIWAN Influences from the West The history of violin pedagogy in Taiwan has undoubtedly been influenced by Western and Japanese violin