GENES AND GENESIS: A STUDY ON PIANO MUSIC COMPOSITION OF ETHNIC MINORITIES IN SOUTHWEST CHINA
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This study, “Genes and Genesis: A Study on Piano Music Composition of Ethnic Minorities in Southwest China,” examines how the musical genes of Southwest China’s ethnic minorities have been inherited and transformed in contemporary piano composition. The study addresses two primary objectives: (1) to analyse the genetic characteristics of folk music in the Southwest region, with particular focus on how ethnic musical identity is at risk of erosion within contemporary piano curricula; and (2) to investigate the compositional techniques employed by Chinese composers in integrating these musical genes into piano works, thereby offering a theoretical framework for culturally informed composition practice. This study employs a qualitative research design using four data collection and analysis methods: literature review, field investigation, ontological analysis, and cultural interpretation. A purposive sample of 20 piano works representing key ethnic and regional traditions of Southwest China was selected and systematically analysed. The findings reveal that: (1) the musical genes of ethnic minorities—encompassing melodic, tonal, rhythmic, and instrumental dimensions—have been replicated and regenerated by Chinese composers and applied in the creation of piano works; and (2) the application of these musical genes exhibits national, regional, and integrative characteristics, offering composers a structured framework of creative ideas grounded in pentatonic scales, compound rhythmic patterns, and modal structures specific to Southwest China.
In conclusion, the study examined four major cultural regions of Southwest China—the Dian culture of Yunnan, the Qian culture of Guizhou, the Ba-Shu culture of Sichuan, and the Wuling Corridor culture—through source analysis, musical score analysis, and creative practice analysis. The results demonstrate that the systematic identification and application of ethnic musical genes can serve as a vital mechanism for preserving intangible cultural heritage, enriching the musical language of contemporary piano composition, and strengthening ethnic cultural identity within music education.
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