Book Review: Culture, music education, and the Chinese dream in mainland China

Abstract

As China has its distinctive cultural elements and political situations, it has intensively impacted the general music education system. Unlike other researchers, focusing on the detailed music education structure, educational standards and balancing traditional and modern approaches to learning music (Reimer, 1989), Culture, Music Education, and the Chinese Dream in Mainland China is aiming to analyse how the traditional Chinese culture and political idea of ‘the Chinese Dream’ have actively influenced the music education process, results, and reflections. Approaching music education through interviewing teachers in primary and secondary schools, the book is able to conduct a comprehensive conclusion of the historical and current political and cultural origins, with the consideration of the global economic development and individual values. The positive side of this book is that it actively combines communication studies and social studies with the topic of music education in China. It engages interdisciplinary research to come together and have a broader understanding of music education in mainland China. In the meantime, the weakness of this book also lies in the fact that Wai-Chung Ho didn’t elaborate and articulate the section on the general educational changes. It solely emphasizes the continuous political and economic development; however, it didn’t provide a sufficient explanation of the education system itself and its change of focus in the past few years.