A Study On The "Newly-established Army" Military Band Of Yuan Shikai

The appearance of the"Newly-Established Army"Military Band is an important symbol for Chinese military changes during the late years of the Qing Dynasty. The Band was a significant component of the modern army that followed the Western armies and was founded by Yuan Shikai. The Band participated in many important ceremonies and activities, like the reviews of troops and military trainings, to boost greatly the morale and fighting will of the officers and soldiers in the"Newly-Established Army", thus playing an important role in the domestic and diplomatic affairs, as well as on Chinese political stage at the beginning of the 20th century. The Band has its unique cultural functions. The choices of its establishment, staff and musical instruments, and the important activities it participated are all important musical phenomena in modern Chinese musical history. As an authorized unit of the Army, the Band symbolized that the modern Chinese military band had come to the historical stage. Its birth symbolized the beginning of Chinese modern military music. Its establishment and development presented a frame of reference for the development of Chinese modern military music, and later the development of the 20th-century Chinese wind music. The Band was the inevitable outcome of the Chinese-Western musical cultural exchanges and dialogues during a time of crossing centuries, and also an inevitable outcome of the"Westernization Movement"and the"Reform Movement of 1898". The Band promoted the use of western wind instruments in China as well as the spread of western wind music art in China. What is more important is that the Band attracted the eyeballs of those important political figures, led the public's sight, broadened people's horizon, and produced an important effect on the ideological and cultural circles at that time.