Vocal Music Book 2

Author: Sun Jingmei, Li Xiujin (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Music education in Chinese universities has primarily focused on teacher training, traditionally distinguished from the talent cultivation of professional music conservatories by its "pedagogical" characteristics. However, in recent years, the persistent regional imbalances and disparities in politics, economy, culture, and education have gradually impacted university music education. The reality of regional and educational differences has posed new challenges to it, primarily in three aspects: First, the discrepancy between the social nature of talent quality standards and the localized nature of admission selection criteria; second, the tension between the mass demand for higher education and the localized availability of music educational resources; and third, the conflict between the academic (frontier) nature of disciplinary knowledge and the practical (regional) nature of educational knowledge.
Facing these societal and educational challenges, university music education must embrace reform. Currently, the reform focuses on curriculum as a breakthrough point, and the outcomes of curriculum reform directly influence teaching materials. As a textual carrier of knowledge, teaching materials not only constitute an educational knowledge system but also serve as the basis for classroom instruction, directly correlating with the quality of student cultivation. However, teaching materials are not solely a matter of knowledge; in a sense, they also reflect the state of teaching, express the philosophy of music education, and encompass issues such as cognition, academia, education, society, culture, and others.
In our understanding, while previous university music textbooks and teaching have had successful experiences, there are also numerous issues urgently requiring improvement. For instance, music education lacks a holistic perspective across disciplines, and there is insufficient communication and collaboration among different subject teachings. Notably, there exist issues such as the separation of technology and art, theory and practice, music and culture, and a lack of humanistic depth in music. Although the reasons for these problems are complex, they have indeed affected textbook development and teaching implementation, necessitating clarification.
The issue of technology and music art, though a recurring topic, remains unresolved. Music is a highly practical field of knowledge, where operational skills hold significant importance, and purely technical training is indispensable. However, there is a misalignment in understanding the relationship between technology and art, with the belief that art is grounded in technology. In music art, technology is neither the starting point nor the end goal. The true starting point and purpose of music art is art itself, with technology merely being a component of it. Neglecting this artistic foundation and destination leads to the separation of technology and art, resulting in insufficient artistic content in music teaching.
The issue of theory and practice is both a cognitive and operational problem. Theoretically, theory and practice are interconnected in music, but their division is a cognitive intention and educational strategy. Their integration in practice is not only possible but also necessary. If teaching practice fails to bridge the two, it will create barriers between knowledge, separating rationality from sensibility—turning theoretical courses into dogmatic knowledge and practical courses into mere movements and techniques, lacking integrated musical analysis and cultural understanding, which hinders music learning.
Music and culture are the deeper layers of music learning. The existence of music is closely tied to its culture. Understanding technology through music, art through music, and culture through art are the learning pathways we advocate. Without the technology of music, it may degenerate into hollow "technical displays" and lose its meaning; without the art of music, it becomes rootless like floating duckweed, unable to bear the weight of aesthetics; and without cultural substance, music may lose its humanistic depth, becoming superficial, incomprehensible, or absurd.
The integration of music and technique, and the balance between art and culture, should be rekindled in music education and become a foundation for music textbooks and teaching. In light of this, we have organized the compilation of a series titled "21st Century University Music Textbooks" with Huazhong Normal University Press, aiming to implement these reflections into concrete work. Our fundamental intentions are twofold:
First, starting from the current imbalance in education development, this series of textbooks will emphasize fundamentals while also fostering growth, ensuring broad applicability. It will fully consider the disparities in music education development across regions in Hubei Province, striving to meet the practical needs of music education in universities across the province. At the same time, it will take into account the characteristics and needs of other provinces and regions in China, hoping to share our experiences with music education in universities nationwide and provide a model for reference.
Second, reflecting new educational philosophies and aiming for innovation, this involves two aspects: First, the guiding principles for textbook compilation, striving to achieve a balance between novelty and systematicity, ensuring the textbooks reflect the times, new knowledge, and new insights while also demonstrating the interconnectedness and systematic nature of knowledge; between practicality and academic rigor, arranging teaching materials based on student needs while ensuring their intellectual depth; and between scientificity, artistry, and cultural diversity, enhancing the artistic value and content of teaching materials while broadening and deepening music through cultural diversity. Second, addressing the relationship between fundamentals and advancement. This includes: first, strengthening fundamentals while leaving room for growth—emphasizing foundational knowledge and skills, ensuring basic teaching requirements for each course, while providing ample space for students to advance; second, balancing practicality and music—highlighting practicality and capturing essence, ensuring teaching arrangements and student needs are met without superficial content, while emphasizing that teaching should start from and return to music.