Xiao Youmei And Modern Chinese Musical Education

This thesis, centering on Xiao youmei, the founder of music education and pioneer of professional music education in neoteric and modern China, analyzing and discussing his specific practices in music performance, music theory, music creation and music education, reflects the magnificent evolution of music education (mainly professional music education) in neoteric and modern China, emerging as an infallibility from the Man-Qing dynasty debris and approaching the recent maturity.At the same time, by sensibly clarifying a few significant differences surrounding this central personality and historical evolution and comprehensively dissecting a number of misconceptions formed through conservative ways of thinking among some scholars, using sufficient historic evidences and meticulous reasoning, this thesis also make convincing assessment of merits and demerits of Xiao youmei and of the achievements and failures of music education in neoteric and modern China..This thesis is divided into three chapters.Chapter one "Music education in China before Xiao youmei" reviews the traditional music education in China in the eye of Xiao youmei, and does a remote-to-recent and wide-to-narrow panoramic scan of the political, economic, military and cultural situation of China at the end of the Qing dynasty and the beginning of the Min and sets the start of music education in China against a huge background of social history and cultural ideology. This chapter also introduces a few important personalities during the beginning period of music education in China and makes a reasonable comment on the background and motives of music educators represented by Xiao youmei who devoted themselves to the professional music education in China.Chapter two "Xiao youmei's music practices and achievements" comments on Xiao youmei as a person. It does an objective analysis and a theoretic generalization of the achievements of his music theory, music creation, music performance and '?usic education and closely and sufficiently features his contribution to music education (mainly professional music education).Chapter three'The influence of Xiao youmei's ideology and practices in music education on his successors" outlines the development direction of music education in neoteric China after Xiao youmei' death, does an integrated generalization and summary of his ideology in music education and a comprehensive and objective assessment of the influence of Xiao youmei's ideology and practices in music education on his successors and of the successes and failures in music education in neoteric China.The appendix of this thesis includes author's interviews with Liao fushu ,Chen hong, Tan shuzhen, Chen chuanxi, musicians of previous generations who had close communications with Xiao youmei and the Shanghai state-run professional music academy, and index of sample scores, photos, audio materials and list of reference books cited in this thesis.