published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

In this thesis I critically analyze the ways in which the work of Nova Scotian artist Maud Lewis circulates within the categories of “fine art” and “Folk art” by examining three documentary films that deal with her life and work. My aim is to draw attention to Lewis’s current status in Canada as an artistic genius –an individual of seemingly exceptional talent who is also a Folk artist – that is, paradoxically, a “Folk artist-genius.” As vehicles through which to explore the construction of Maud Lewis and the concept of the Folk artist-genius I examine three films about Maud Lewis produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the National Film Board (NFB): The Once-Upon-A-Time World of Maud Lewis (CBC, 1965), Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows (NFB, 1976) and The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis (NFB, 1998). Lewis exemplifies the qualities identified with the Folk, including geographic isolation, rusticity, simplicity, closeness to nature, industriousness and innocence. Yet, while she is thoroughly imbued with Folkishness, she is simultaneously viewed as the artist-genius, an individualized and mythologized character of sublime talent. Her originality, prodigy, virtuosity and spirituality are hailed as indicative of her genius, in the expression of which she is perceived to have overcome ordinary relations to the material world – social seclusion, physical disability and poverty. This thesis explores the paradoxical conflation of the concepts of the “Folk” and the “artist-genius” in the figure of Lewis, an under-analyzed yet superlative example of this phenomenon. Lewis, as Folk artist-genius, navigates between these two domains; she possesses the qualities of the traditional artistic “master,” but remains representative of the quintessential Folk, at once transcending and “typical” of the rustic Nova Scotian people. This is a seemingly impossible position to occupy; by the very definition of “Folk,” the concept of a “Folk artist-genius” should not exist, yet cultural institutions and agents unproblematically hail Lewis as such. / Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-27 11:52:16.512

This creative project has compared specific ethnic folk dances to choreographed folk dances. Ball State University's Folk Dance Repertory "The Banevolks" in their concert "Folklore '74", provided the material for the choreographed dances. The background material for the ethnic folk dances has been researched by the author. The paper discusses the similarities and differences between arranged or choreographed and ethnic folk dances.The countries researched were Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Russia and Israel. The following dances were discussed: Cetvorno Oro, Na Uskres Sam Se, Pirot Medley, Starobosansko Kolo from Glamoch, Zhora Bar, Venzelia, Hoppa Hey, Orcha Bamidbar and Mishal.The project has explored the dances in accordance with: style, basic steps, formations, types, costumes and history. Diagrams, musical notes and dance write-ups have been added to outline the dances in a more realistic form.

This thesis is the result of an historical and anthropological investigation of the thrae longsword dance teams of South Yorkshire: the Grenoside Sword Dancers, the Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers and Barnsley Longsword. Longsword dancing is a form of traditional dance found throughout Europe and, with few exceptions, is historically specific in Britain to Yorkshire and the peripheral areas of adjoining counties. The approach is both diachronic and synchronic. Established anthropological research techniques (participant-observation combined with questionnaires and interviewing) were used during twenty-eight months of intensive fieldwork. Considerable library and archive research was also conducted. This study examines continuity and change in the dance, the dancers and their communities and draws attention to the role of conflict -- opposition between ideas and interests -- in the process of tradition. It presents detailed descriptions of the dances and traces changes in costume, style and structure. The nature of the dancers and their communities are explored from the 1880s up to the present, and the dance is considered as a dynamic product of group behaviour. Having previously received no serious academic attention, this study represents the first interdisciplinary exploration of the tradition of longsword dancing in the United Kingdom. It adds to the growing body of knowledge surrounding the history, development and current practice of traditional dance in England and provides the groundwork for future research in the field.

This study seeks to understand a particular genre, folk music, in terms of identifying the social factors that give it coherence. It stresses the need to understand social action. The performance of music is dependent upon a whole range of musical, para-musical and non-musical actions from which and through which it derives meaning. This study has examined the pre-determinants of musical events focusing upon the construction and meaning of performance, staging, and sound, and the association of these with social identity. The central questions posed were: Is the central appeal of folk music a certain organisation of musical sound, or is it something beyond this? If so, what is it and how does this relate to the nature of the musical event? Is the music doing something other for a folk audience than 'simply' providing musical enjoyment? Is the link with the past which is affirmed in the notion of revival, an aspect which audiences directly relate to and identify with? A variety of methodologies are applied including: (i) A historical examination concentrating upon the changing ideological functions of the folk revival; (ii) An in-depth audience survey examining: (a) attitudes to the musical content, (b) socio-economic profile of attenders, (c) dispositional and attitudinal correlates of adherence to folk music; (iii) Semi-structured interviews with performers and those involved in organising folk events; (iv) A qualitative and participatory study of folk events in terms of musical and other social dynamics. The folk scene is found to be highly atypical of Western musical subcultures and articulates features such as: informality, participation, historical continuity, and the suppression of overt forms of staging, all in highly specialised ways. The findings are used to contribute to understanding the defining criteria of musical genres.

No description available.

No description available.

Recent music educational reforms in Hong Kong stress the need to cultivate students??? understanding toward Chinese music. However, research indicates that Hong Kong music teachers lack sufficient confidence and valuing to teach Chinese music. Based on this background, the purpose of this study was to address the need to train teachers with the confidence and skills to teach Chinese music. An indigenous genre, Chaozhou xianshi music was introduced as a focus of study because the genre is considered to be a useful mediator for teachers and their students to understand and appreciate Chinese music. The study comprised two inter-related parts. Part I included fieldwork in xianshi music, semi-structured interviews with xianshi musicians and literature review that investigated the theory, teaching and learning of xianshi and Chinese music. Based on the findings of Part I, Part II involved a Pilot and Main Study that were designed to trial a pre-service teacher education programme at the Hong Kong Institute of Education that would prepare trainees to undertake the teaching of xianshi and Chinese music. A xianshi music ensemble was formed to expose the trainees to practical experiences of the genre. During their final teaching practice session, the trainees were asked to design and teach xianshi and Chinese music in schools. Qualitative data were collected from interviews and an analysis of video-recordings of their teaching. Findings revealed that a sequenced exposure in xianshi music was advantageous for the trainees to develop their potential and competence to teach Chinese music, as was evident in these trainees??? teaching approaches and implementation. Findings suggest that Hong Kong music teachers should adopt the techniques proposed in this study. Importantly, music teachers should demonstrate their role as transmitters of musical heritage and be capable to design and implement effective lessons, to involve their students to practical experiences in traditional Chinese music, and to develop their students intellectually and artistically so that they become informed consumers of their own and other musical traditions. In the long run, these approaches may help to increase the valuing of Chinese music and culture among students and citizens in the society more generally.

Inaug.-diss.--Leipzig. / Lebensabriss. Includes bibliographical references.