World Music Pedagogy in Practice: Part 3–Teaching/Learning Chinese Music through “Yangguan Sandie”

Abstract

China’s musical repertoire is as vast and culturally varied as is the country’s geographic expanse. One classic work, “Yangguan Sandie,” is particularly striking as Chinese music that spans multiple historic dynasties, from its first emergence by the Tang’s dynasty’s revered poet, Wang Wei, to the setting of the poem to music in later dynasties (notably the Ming and Qing dynasties), all the way to innovative renderings today that maintain the sentiment and spirit of the poem and earlier musical expressions. Descriptions of China’s wide span of cultures and historic dynasties are provided, along with China’s traditional music and musical instruments, and a contemporary band of prominent musicians who masterfully re-create the ancient music in ways that retain the aesthetic core while offering imaginative new interpretations. A learning pathway aimed at intercultural understanding guides teachers through the five dimensions of World Music Pedagogy, with emphasis on listening, singing, playing, and movement/dance.