Case Study Of Folksong Inheritance In Sangzhi In Hunan Province

Residents in Sangzhi County of Hunan Province are multi-ethnic, composed largely of the Tujia, Bai and Miao people. Folk music in Sangzhi is originated in primitive farming activities, characterized by their ethnic origins and distinctive local melodies. Over the long history of accumulation and development, Sangzhi folksong has developed a comprehensive system of passing on from generation to generation, with a great number of folk singers, performing organization and lieu. Meanwhile as ethnic groups integrate and time changes, the purposes of passing on the songs, means, contents of the songs and lieu have all changed. Societal changes and cultural transformation of folk music have a tremendous impact on the passing-on and transformation of Sangzhi folksong.This article is a case study of musical inheritance based on the field survey. The author first explores local musical heritage and how folksong is passed on by doing a field survey of local environment and current situation. He then examines the relations of family and teacher-student hand-down in the case of Xiang Zuorong and shows the characteristics of the inheritance of Sangzhi folksong. Second he argues that under the particular time circumstances of Xiang Zuorong, the inheritance is both vertical and horizontal. He finally analyzes Xiang Zuorong has experiences three different periods of inheritance. He demonstrates impact of politics, economy and value judgment during the hand-down process by emphasizing the contingency of individuals and historical inevitability in the case.The author uses the theory of ethnomusicologist Timothy Rice"historical construction, social maintenance and individual creation and experience"as his tool to analyze the experience of Xiang Zuorong and such a cultural phenomenon. He tries to be objective and careful in describing the changes of how folk music passes from one person to another. He also summarizes and interprets these cultural phenomena from ethno musicological and anthropological perspectives.