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I've never heard of a Chinese/Asian parent forcing the erhu or pipa on their kids though: it's always Western instruments, particularly the violin and piano.
by thematrixturtle 4y ago
I've never heard of a Chinese/Asian parent forcing the erhu or pipa on their kids though: it's always Western instruments, particularly the violin and piano.
- kzrdude 4y agoYou can read into that, that violin and piano are considered to be high status. And yes, probably, the current 20th century legacy of western culture being high status.
- andi999 4y agothe instruments changed (like clothing fashion) but the idea to learn art stayed.
- SenHeng 4y agoThe erhu and pipa were lowly instruments equivalent to guitars of today. The noveau rich are going to want something like the koto. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_(instrument) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_(instrument)
- CapricornNoble 4y agoThat instrument always makes me think of this scene from Hero with Jet Li & Donnie Yen: https://youtu.be/AeeoEpmyb2Y https://youtu.be/AeeoEpmyb2Y
- thematrixturtle 4y agoApproximately nobody plays the koto even in Japan.
- webmobdev 4y agoWhile pushing kids to learn western classical music may be common among the Chinese and Korean (and Japanese?), it isn't so with Indians. But some Indians, especially Hindu Brahmins, do nudge their kids to take up indian classical dancing, singing or push them to learn some indian instruments. Still, it isn't to the extent of forcing kids for years of classes.
- analog31 4y agoI learned music as a kid, and my kids did as well. I know from talking to parents, that the status thing is real, and there's also a belief that music teaches self discipline. (Likewise math). but it's not the only consideration. Piano and violin can be played by small hands. There are lots of teachers. And Western music itself has colonized the world. A lot of people have probably never heard the indigenous music of their own home countries, or have only heard it in formal settings.
- true_religion 4y agoWhen I posted the comment, I was actually thinking about the guqin and other zither instruments. Violin was fairly popular 10ish years ago due to multiculturalist/globalist attitudes, but now there's been a push (manufactured or not) to use 'classical Chinese' instruments and play classical Chinese music instead of say Beethoven.
- User23 4y agoA great many East Asians greatly admire Western music. At it's best it's both mathematically interesting and aesthetically beautiful. Frankly, I admire their utter lack of cultural insecurity.