Customized and non-customized Mandarin children songs: A comparison of musical characteristic and educational values
List of Authors
Phang Kong-Chien , Yuan Yue
Keyword
Children Songs, Customized and Non-Customized, Musical Characteristic, Educational Values
Abstract
Three composers, Wu Songjin (吴颂今), Yu Shan (羽善), Peng Mei (彭玫), specialized in children song productions were interviewed to discuss musical characteristics and values imparted in modern Mandarin songs. Face-to-face discussion were carried out in two cities in China, Guangzhou (广州) and Quzhou (衢州), in 2023. In these paper, the authors’ contribution in categorizing children’s songs as customized and non-customized remains among the earliest academic discourses. Here, the authors concluded that customized songs are usually consumed commercially and created based on the growth background, personality, and language habits of specific children from different regions, locales and cultures; whereas non-customized songs are closely associated with governmental policies and cultural projects, with the musical characteristics more flexibly crafted by the composers. In terms of educational values, mainly reflected in the song texts, the authors found fundamental differences between these two categories. The lyrics of customized songs are usually created to meet the needs of specific individuals or specific occasions, projecting personalized emotions and stories; while for non-customized songs, they focus more on common cultural awareness and are committed in promoting social responsibilities.
Reference
1. Hao, W.W. 郝文武. (2015). The ultimate pursuit and logic and structure of knowledge and morality. 知识伦理的终极追求和逻辑与结构. Journal of East China Normal University (Education Science Edition) (01), 1-10.
2. Kinga, S. (2001). The Attributes and Values of Folk and Popular Songs. 3(1), 132–170.
3. Li, Y. M. 李宇明. (2003). The late Qing Dynasty's writing reformers on language unification清末文字改革家论语言统一. Language Teaching and Research语言教学与研究, (2), p1.
4. Pai, S.-Y. J. (2009). Discovering musical characteristics of children songs from various parts of the world [University of British Columbia]. https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0067116
5. Su, Z. 苏臻. (2013). Let Children Sing Happily 让孩子快乐歌唱. [Master’s thesis, Qufu Normal University 曲阜师范大学].
6. Wang, J. 王均. (1995). Edited Chinese Character Reform in Contemporary China当代中国的文字改革. Contemporary China Press当代中国出版社, p279
7. Xiao, Y. 肖阳(2008). Li Jinhui's Children's Music Creation from "Children" Weekly 从《小朋友》周刊看黎锦晖的儿童音乐创作. Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
8. Yao, M.J. 姚梦娇. (2015). Writing Songs for Children—Talking about Gu Jianfen’s New School Songs 为孩子们写歌——浅谈谷建芬的新学堂歌. Yellow River Sound 黄河之声, (14), 55.
9. Yu, G.Y. 于根元. (2005). Edited Outline of the History of Modern Applied Linguistics in China主编中国现代应用语言学史纲. China Economic Publishing House中国经济出版社, p82.
10. Zou, L. 邹璐. (2012). Exploring the role of music education on social development. 音乐教育对社会发展作用的探究. Modern Communication (01), 255.