Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Music Composition Education in Hong Kong

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Creative Arts in Education and Culture

Part of the book series: Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics, and Education ((LAAE,volume 13))

  • 1964 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter is a comprehensive review of the current provision of music composition education in formal and informal settings in Hong Kong with an in-depth discussion about its future prospect. The study makes references by reviewing documents like government reports, syllabuses, curriculum guide and policy addresses that are related to music education and composition. Under the new reform the analysis reflects the importance of composition skills on creativity and both Chinese and Western music techniques and philosophies can be included in the school curriculum. Based on the extract data, the author discusses his insight on the way forward about the future development of music composition education in Hong Kong.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    School songs refer to Xue Tang Yue Ge [學堂樂歌].

  2. 2.

    This new structure has replaced the old system comprising 3 years of junior secondary (Secondary 1–3), 2 years of senior secondary (Secondary 4–5), and 2 years of matriculation course (Secondary 6–7), followed by 3 years of general bachelor degree programs.

  3. 3.

    The HKDSE Examination substituted both the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) in the old system.

  4. 4.

    OLE covers five areas, namely, Moral and Civic Education; Community Service; Career-related Experiences; Aesthetic Development; and Physical Development.

  5. 5.

    ApL subjects are grouped into six areas of studies, namely, Creative Studies; Media and Communication; Business; Management and Law; Services, Applied Science; and Engineering and Production.

  6. 6.

    The other two categories are NSS Core and Elective Subjects, and Other Language Subjects.

  7. 7.

    See paragraph 4 under Sect. 8.2 for the details of the learning targets.

  8. 8.

    The other eight learning outcomes expect that students can identify and analyze the artistic qualities of diverse music genres and styles in different cultures and periods, as well as the relationships with their historical and cultural contexts; use their critical thinking skills to appreciate and respond to music critically from multiple perspectives, and express their personal opinions; perform music accurately and fluently with appropriate control of techniques and expression; perform different types of music using appropriate styles to demonstrate their ability to interpret music and their aesthetic sensitivity; explain and justify their interpretation of the music being performed; establish personal values with regard to music, and respect other people’s different orientations; establish collaborative relationships by participating in an instrumental or vocal ensemble; and respect different music traditions and cultures.

  9. 9.

    These electives are different from Music as an Elective Subject in the HKDSE.

  10. 10.

    There were no Secondary 4 students in the 2011/2012 academic year, because schools were required to run their own music courses from September 2011 onwards.

  11. 11.

    These institutions include the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd), Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education (LiPACE), and Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI). LiPACE is one of the five academic units and schools of the Open University of Hong Kong. HKDI is one of the 13 member institutions of the Vocational Training Council.

  12. 12.

    Other specialized areas include church music, music education, piano pedagogy, and performance.

  13. 13.

    Other specialized areas include conducting, church music, music education and performance.

  14. 14.

    Students can also choose to major in an instrument (for 7–16-year-old students) or voice (for 14–17-year-old students).

  15. 15.

    “The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra… First established in 1895 as an amateur orchestra, under the name Sino-British Orchestra… it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957, and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding of the Government” (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia 2012, para 1).

References

  • Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity and innovation in organizations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.evcimen.com/photography/ENTREPRENEURSHIP_files/Creativity%20and%20Innovation%20in%20Organizations.pdf

  • Applied Learning Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau. (n.d.). Prospectus for applied learning (2011–13). Hong Kong: Applied Learning Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron School of Music. (n.d.). Diploma in music composition and production. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.bsm.com.hk/eng/program_diploma.htm

  • Beghetto, R. A. (2007). Does creativity have a place in classroom discussions? Prospective teachers’ response preferences. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2, 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnard, P. (2012). Rethinking ‘musical creativity’ and the notion of multiple creativities in music. In O. Odena (Ed.), Musical creativity: Insights from music education research (pp. 5–28). Surrey: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2005). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2005. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2006). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2006. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2007). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2007. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2008). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2008. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2009). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2009. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2010). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2010. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, J. (2011). Hong Kong Composers’ Guild Chairman’s report 2011. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Composers’ Guild.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chik, A. (2010). Creative multilingualism in Hong Kong popular music. World Englishes, 29(4), 508–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chua, B. H. (2004). Conceptualizing an East Asian popular culture. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 5(2), 200–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Limited. (2013a). About CASH: Background. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.cash.org.hk/en/index.php?main=0&id=3

  • Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Limited. (2013b). About CASH: Objectives. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.cash.org.hk/en/index.php?main=0&id=3&sub=37

  • Curriculum Development Council. (2003). Arts education key learning area: Music curriculum guide (primary 1- secondary 3). Hong Kong: Curriculum Development Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curriculum Development Council & Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. (2007). Arts education key learning area: Music curriculum and assessment guide (secondary 4–6). Hong Kong: Curriculum Development Council & Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curriculum Development Council & Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. (2009). Applied learning curriculum and assessment guide (senior secondary level). Hong Kong: Curriculum Development Council & Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Music, Hong Kong Baptist University. (2012). Postgraduate studies in music. Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://mus.hkbu.edu.hk/postgraduate.html

  • Department of Music, University of Hong Kong. (2008). Postgraduate. Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.music.hku.hk/postgraduate/index.html

  • Education Bureau. (n.d.). FAQ of the NSS music elective. Retrieved January 23, 2012, from http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_2727/faq%20for%20nss%20music_eng.pdf

  • Education Bureau. (2009). Frequently asked questions on the New Senior Secondary (NSS) academic structure and curriculum. Hong Kong: Education Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fung, & Shum. (2012). Memory on rhyme: The development history of Hong Kong music industry. Hong Kong: Subculture Newsroom.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ho, W. (2003). Between globalisation and localisation: A study of Hong Kong popular music. Popular Music, 22(2), 143–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong Kong Composers’ Guild. (2012). About the Guild: Introduction. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.hkcg.org/intro.php

  • Hong Kong Design Institute. (2012). Music production: Professional certificate. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.hkdi.edu.hk/?l=en&t=0&s=4&p=229

  • Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. (n.d.). HKCEE statistics of entries and results over the years. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/HKCEE/Release_of_Results/Exam_Report/Examination_Statistics/ceexamstat10_7.pdf

  • Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. (2012). Registration statistics of the Hong Kong diploma of secondary education examination 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/Media/PR/20111201_PR_Registration_of_2012_HKDSE_FULL_eng_final.pdf

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (n.d.-a). Doctor of education. Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.ied.edu.hk/gradsch/edd_prospective/doc/EdD_Prospectus_2011-2012.pdf

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (n.d.-b). HKIEd research postgraduate programme. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://www.ied.edu.hk/gradsch/rpg_prospective/doc/RPg%20Prospectus%202012-13_as%20at%2020120222_S.pdf

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (2011, September 2). Minutes of SCS S5 teaching staff meeting. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (2012a). Postgraduate diploma in education (primary) programme. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from http://www.ied.edu.hk/acadprog/pgde/Primary.htm

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (2012b). Postgraduate diploma in education (secondary) programme. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from http://www.ied.edu.hk/acadprog/pgde/Secondary.htm

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (2012c, August 30). Minutes of SCS 2nd course management and quality assurance committee meeting 2011/2012. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hong Kong Institute of Education. (2012d, July 31). Minutes of SCS 1st teaching staff meeting 2011/2012. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hong Kong International Institute of Music. (n.d.). Certificate and diploma programmes. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.hkiim.edu.hk/nav.php?main=1

  • Hong Kong Music Institute. (2012). Diploma, certificate programmes. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.hkmi.net/diploma_and_cert/1.htm

  • Kokotsaki, D. (2012). Pre-service student-teachers’ conceptions of creativity in the primary music classroom. Research Studies in Music Education, 34(2), 129–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koutsoupidou, T., & Hargreaves, D. J. (2009). An experimental study of the effects of improvisation on the development of children’s creative thinking in music. Psychology of Music, 37(3), 251–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. (2000). China – pop/rock: Cantopop and protest singers. In S. Broughton, M. Ellingham, J. McConnachie, & O. Duane (Eds.), The rough guide to world music: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and pacific (Vol. 2, pp. 49–55). London: World Music Network.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, C. C. (2007). Ancient Chinese music aesthetics. In L. Bresla (Ed.), International handbook of research in arts education (pp. 1439–1440). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Life-wide Learning and Library Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau. (n.d.). New senior secondary curriculum “Other Learning Experiences”: What is it about? Hong Kong: Life-wide Learning and Library Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C. C. (2010). A critical history of new music in China (C. Mason, Trans.). Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre, B. T., Cheng, W. S., & Zhang, W. (2002). Cantopop: The voice of Hong Kong. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 12(2), 217–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Music Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong. (2011). Research postgraduate programme. Retrieved May 9, 2012, from http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/mus/pg.html

  • National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education. (1999). All our futures: Creativity, culture and education. London: DfEE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niu, W., & Kaufman, J. C. (2013). Creativity of Chinese and American cultures: A synthetic analysis. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 47(1), 77–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niu, W., & Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The philosophical roots of western and eastern conceptions of creativity. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 26, 1001–1021.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odena, O. (2012). Perspectives on musical creativity: Where next? In O. Odena (Ed.), Musical creativity: Insights from music education research (pp. 201–213). Surrey: Ashgate. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://uhra.herts.ac.uk:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2299/7795/Musical_Creativity_Ch11_Odena_Jan2012.pdf?sequence=1

  • Odena, O., & Welch, G. F. (2007). The influence of teachers’ backgrounds on their perceptions of musical creativity: A qualitative study with secondary school music teachers. Research Studies in Music Education, 28, 71–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odena, O., Plummeridge, C., & Welch, G. (2005). Towards an understanding of creativity in music education: A qualitative exploration of data from English secondary schools. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 163, 9–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkhurst, H. B. (1999). Confusion, lack of consensus, and the definition of creativity as a construct. Journal of Creative Behavior, 33(1), 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudowicz, E. (2004). Creativity among Chinese people: Beyond western perspective. In S. Lau, A. N. N. Hui, & G. Y. C. Ng (Eds.), Creativity: When east meets west (pp. 55–86). River Edge, NJ: World Scientific.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • School of Music, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. (n.d.-a). Junior music programme. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.hkapa.edu/asp/music/music_junior_program.asp

  • School of Music, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. (n.d.-b). Programme on offer and audition requirements. Retrieved May 23, 2012, from http://www.hkapa.edu/asp/music/music_program.asp?lang=eng&mode=gui

  • Schwartz, B. I. (1985). The world of thought in ancient China. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tom Lee Music Academies. (2012). Courses. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.tlmf.org/course/landingpage.php

  • Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2012, September 25). Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Philharmonic_Orchestra

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cultural and Creative Arts, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong, China

    Chi Cheung Leung

Authors
  1. Chi Cheung Leung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chi Cheung Leung .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Cultural and Creative Arts, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR

    Samuel Leong

  2. Dept. of Culture and Creative Arts, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR

    Bo Wah Leung

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Leung, C.C. (2013). Music Composition Education in Hong Kong. In: Leong, S., Leung, B. (eds) Creative Arts in Education and Culture. Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics, and Education, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7729-3_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation