Interdisciplinary Music Curriculum in Hong Kong: An Integrative Approach using Bernstein’s Philosophy in Music History
Background of the Study
As a teaching staff at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (HKAPA) since 1996, the issue of interdisciplinary research, especially in music teaching, has been of great interest. HKAPA is the only performing arts institute in Hong Kong that consists of six schools in one academy: Music, Film and Television, Drama, Dance, Theatre and Entertainments Arts, and Chinese Opera. For the past few years, HKAPA has adopted a traditional approach to curriculum development that highlights training and outcome in single subjects, but institutions in other countries have implemented multidisciplinary curriculum in various subjects for more than a decade (Berstein & Strychacx, 1996; Scripp, 2000; Wright, 2014).
From the onset, looking at the interconnections between various performing arts, music and other disciplines are inseparable. Homeric epic poetry is chanted or sung, while music and dance movement are virtually intimate (Colwell & Richardson, 2002, Wis, 1993). In the 1970s, Leonard Bernstein already noted that music is an interdisciplinary subject. In his Six Talks at Harvard, Bernstein framed music as interdisciplinary, or as he says, “in the spirit of cross-disciplines.” He justifies this interdisciplinary strategy by saying that “…the best way to ‘know’ a thing is in the context of another discipline” (Bernstein, 1976), a lesson he proudly attributes to his days as a Harvard alumnus. He further suggests that music learners could benefit from experiencing other concept of masterworks such as poetry, drama, dance and other performing arts as it allows them to inquire, create and reflect on the music learning process. In recent years, there are studies that indicate the benefits of interdisciplinary curriculum in music instruction. Gordon (2003) extends that inclusion of dance and movement in music teaching, which can enhance musical development and achievement. Also, a study by Chagnon (2001, p.2) found that the use of movement and dance among learners resulted in increased learning and better singing techniques that were more expressive (as cited in O’Leary, 2010). Colwell and Richardson (2002) further acknowledge the role of theatre and dance in music learning.
Leonardo Bernstein was a music educator and a composer in the 20th Century. In 1938, he served as a music editor at Harvard Advocate, where he was able to critique various music compositions (Berger, 2002). At this level, he showed his magnificent skills in guiding and communicating critical music thoughts to others. All the attempts Bernstein made in composing classical works were meant to bring music closer to the audience, and help other composers achieve similar targets. Bernstein engaged himself in writing inspiring articles and books in the field of music and education. His professional career spanned 47 years as a pianist, lecturer, educator, conductor and a composer of music and lyrics, public speaker, and a writer (Forney, Machlis, & Dell’Antonio, 2015). He has remained popular up to date due to his voluminous musical materials that have continued to inspire musicians and music educators and students. His focus was to ensure musical materials were conducted in a way that the audiences are pleased and satisfied by the musical compositions (Levy, 2012). Burton (1994) stated that Bernstein’s volume of materials will continue to inspire the community even after his death. Laird (2002) also stated that Bernstein’s work of music is exclusive and reflects on most controversial issues of music. His unique approach to the understanding of music can be fully incorporated into the teaching of music curriculum at HKAPA. This will enhance student learning on many integrative learning levels.
Aim of the Study
The aim of this research is to analyze Bernstein’s philosophy in music history, basing the argument on the six aspects he discussed in his six lectures at Harvard. Responses from other scholars in response to the lectures will also be reviewed, and will show how Bernstein’s theories will enhance the music curriculum for HKAPA students.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study will include;
- To analyze Bernstein’s music philosophy based on his six lectures at Harvard. The six lectures will be discussed in detail.
- To examine what Bernstein meant with the unanswered question and whether the unanswered question was meant to be solved. The answers to this question will be based on his six concepts discussed at Harvard.
- To discuss how Bernstein perceived the contemporary composers of the time. This section will entail his discussion on the contemporary music of the time to express his theme of the unanswered question.
- To examine how other scholars have responded to Bernstein’s six concepts discussed at Harvard.
- To explore the importance of Bernstein’s six concepts in music, and show how the contemporary composers can answer to his “unanswered question” as it pertains to the future of the music industry.
The purpose of the proposed study is to examine how an interdisciplinary curriculum incorporating other performance arts disciplines into music teaching can enhance music learning in undergraduate programmes at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (HKAPA). Using the theoretical ideas of Leonard Bernstein as a foundation, the study will examine how integration of interdisciplinary instruction can benefit music students. This research will further examine the challenges of developing such a curriculum and possible goals such a curriculum would have in future.
Significance of the Study
This study will have significance on the following grounds;
- Exploring Bernstein’s six concepts in music will help disclose what he meant by “the unanswered question.” A detailed analysis will add knowledge to literature, especially on how scholars form their critiques in analyzing music.
- An analysis of Bernstein’s six concepts in music will have significance to composers on how best to respond to their audiences.
Theoretical Basis
Bernstein coins his philosophy in music through a close analysis of musical syntax, phonology, semantics and tonality. Throughout the six lectures, Bernstein maintained effective movements and music demonstration to explain to the audience what he meant by the unanswered question. In his first lecture, Bernstein discloses the concept of musical phonology where he matched up sounds with tones by forming words with musical phrases. Through the use of harmonic series, he offers a linguistic example of sound AH and C to reveal how notes contained overtones with high pitches that simultaneously forms sound (Open Culture, n.d). Here, he related linguistic sounds with musical sounds, which has remained part of ambiguity among many scholars. The harmonic series led to the construction of pentatonic scale for describing different tonal variations. Today, researchers use a pentatonic scale to measure linguistic phonology in music (Gillespie, 2010). In the second lecture, he focused on the relationship between nouns and verbs played over a chord to mean something. He explained this aspect by referring to Chomsky’s theory of universal grammar. He corresponded verbs to rhythm by adding rippling meter at the piano to come up with complete and organized phraseology, or musical syntax. He extended the analysis of deep structural prose in music through chordal progression, rhythmic figures, melodic motives and phrases. Through the concept of deletion, embedding, augmenting and transposition, he was able to explain what it means with manipulation of melody, which formed the basis of tonal ambiguity in the Western music history. Various studies were later carried on this field such as those from Hallam, Cross, & Thaut (2016) Sutcliffe (2008) Rebuschat (2012) Morley 20(13) Kinsella (2009) and Berkowitz (2010) to clearly disclose how tonality depended on discrete pitches applying distinct timbres. In lecture three, Bernstein explained what he meant with musical semantics, which entailed the linguistic concept of meaning in music. He perceived musical semantic in music in a metaphoric overview. He understood metaphor as both intrinsic and extrinsic to show how different composers pass meaning to the audience through their compositions. He stated that most composition such as Beethoven’s symphony lacked intrinsic meaning. This lack of intrinsic meaning with simultaneous overlapping metaphors as a crisis in the 20th century music history. He names three parts of musical ambiguity as phonological ambiguity, syntax ambiguity, and semantic ambiguity. He states that Beethoven’s sixth symphony represented semantic ambiguity since it could mean a musical notes or extramusical association. In the fifth lecture, he represented the 20th century music crisis in terms of tonal variations and appeal to metaphoric meaning. Variations in these two terms brought about ambiguity in 20th century music history. Some composers have failed to reveal meaning in their composition, therefore, according to him, it was an unanswered question.
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