Transfer, Code Switching, and Novelty: Musicians Performing and Learning Musical Instruments in Different Musical Traditions

• In Event: Social Justice in Music Curriculum and Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to examine musicians’ performing and learning experiences of different musical traditions, focusing on those who already have extensive training in their familiar music style. Through chain sampling, I interviewed eight musicians sharing their experiences of the phenomenon. Following epoché, bracketing, horizontalization, and phenomenological reduction, five themes emerged as the essence of their experiences. Three themes conveyed the textural descriptions of what they experienced: (a) advantages of transfer from previous learning, (b) cultural sensitivity to subtle differences, and (c) intuitive exploration of new sounds and opportunities. The other two themes materialized the structural descriptions of how they experienced it: (d) navigation of musical universalism and relativism, and (e) adaptation to contemporary needs.

Author

• Sangmi Kang, Eastman School of Music