Path Choice of College Music Education Reform in New

Circumstances

Yajing Zou

Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, Hunan, 417000, China

Keywords: College music, education reform, path choice.

Abstract: Music, as a popular way of entertainment, has many positive influences on people’s spiritual condition.

College is the major base of high-end talent cultivation. Its reform and healthy development in an all-around

way have attracted vast attention from various social arenas. Reform of college music education plays an

important role in enhancing the level of music appreciation and accomplishment of the whole society. This

study is trying to analyze the background, reason and concrete path of college music education reform in

new social circumstances.

1 BACKGROUNDS OF COLLEGE

MUSIC EDUCATION REFORM

Spiritual enjoyment has been attached increasing

importance along with social development. Music

education in college is crucial to enhance the level of

music appreciation of the whole society. A major

part of college education is the training of learning

methods. Different from other education phases,

college education focuses more on guiding students

to better use their knowledge and skills. Music

education enhances the appreciation level and

aesthetic values of students and also helps students

to relax and liberate themselves from pressure.

Students can thus find their way to express feelings

and enrich their leisure time, improving the quality

of their lives (Ma Wen, 2014). The impacts of music

education on students’ lives cannot be measured by

scores and credits. In short, music education has

significant meanings for student development. The

reform of college music education in new social

circumstances is a difficult but important task for

both education industry and the whole society.

1.1 Analysis of college music education

reform from the perspective of

education backgrounds

Our education system is typically exam-oriented,

considerably emphasizing academic courses over

others. Students have been instilled by their parents

and teacher that studying is the most important since

their early ages. Study is regarded as the priority

task of students, while education of knowledge in

other aspects is less important. The courses are also

arranged by the schools. During the phases of

primary school and junior middle school, study is

relatively easy for students (Wang Yang, Chen Jie,

2013). In most of those schools, music course is

arranged once a week. But in high school—the most

important phase of education, music course is

cancelled to spare more time for students to study. It

is easy to understand why many students do not

know much about music in this situation and simply

equal music to pop songs. According to an

investigation, 80% students of regular colleges and

universities receive no professional music education

and vocal training. They have only vague cognition

of music and little interest in music education and

appreciation. All these factors have negative impacts

on the enhancement of the society-wide level of

appreciation ability.

1.2 Reform of college music education

from the perspective of family and

society

The large population of China arouses fierce

competitions in every aspect of life. It is also the

case in school study. Students whose scores are not

good enough will be phased out in exam

competitions, which mean they have to find another

way, such as music. Music, as a college major,

requires lower academic course scores and higher

225

Zou Y.

Path Choice of College Music Education Reform in New Circumstances.

DOI: 10.5220/0006447702250228

In ISME 2016 - Information Science and Management Engineering IV (ISME 2016), pages 225-228

ISBN: 978-989-758-208-0

225

education expenses (Zhou Zhengjun, 2005). In a

family, parents usually take music as a hobby of

their children. Music learning is not encouraged by

parents as a major due to two concerns: education

expenses and limited job opportunities. Thus, many

students learn little and have very weak foundation

of music because of this situation in their family.

From the perspective of society, there is certain

prejudice against music major. When it comes to

learning music, the first thing occurred to people is

the small probability of being a singing star and

limited job opportunities. The cognition of music is

utilitarian and superficial. Reform of music

education is a reform of not only music courses but

also traditional perceptions of music too. Therefore,

the music education reform in college is quite urgent

and necessary.

2 REASONS OF COLLEGE

MUSIC EDUCATION REFORM

IN NEW CIRCUMSTANCES

2.1 Music as a reasonable and effective

way to express emotions

Music needs to be promoted and inherited in daily

life as a common way to cultivate sentiments.

People’s mood and heart can be eased and

comforted by music. Meanwhile, music styles such

as traditional music, national music and folk music

are mediums to inherit the spirit, culture and history

of the Chinese nation. Music is expected to meet

people’s spiritual needs as well. College students,

the future pillar of our nation, should know well

about our national music to better disseminate

national spirit. They can relieve stress from work

and life with the help of music to cope with

difficulties and frustrations at the same time. Thus,

college music education should advance with time to

make music more important in people’s lives.

2.2 Lack of interest in music education

due to the outdated contents of

music courses

There are many optional courses of music

appreciation in college, mainly about the

appreciation and analysis of national music and

traditional folk music. They are designed to help

students understand our traditional music. However,

a majority of students know little about music as

they usually think their favorite pop music or songs

of their idols as real music. They are unable or

unwilling to understand and accept traditional and

soothing folk music. These types of meaningful

music are not easily understood and sensed by

students. Many students take these courses casually

only for credits. Thus, the aim of music education

cannot be achieved at all. The outdated contents of

music education are one important reason for the

lack of interest and a crucial aspect of future music

education reform.

2.3 Incompetent college music teachers

Most of college music courses are optional.

Teachers of these courses are usually incompetent or

not earnest to those courses. On one hand, optional

music appreciation courses are of less importance to

students. Students usually leave class early or even

do not attend class at all. On the other hand,

experienced teachers know well students’ attitudes.

Unconsciously, they take the courses carelessly with

little attention to teaching contents and styles. Many

teachers are actually very professional, but they do

not take course seriously. They only play music or

songs to students in class without an explanation of

appreciation methods. This kind of teaching is

unlikely to function properly. Teachers with little

experience, on the contrary, are relatively earnest.

However, the lack of teaching experience is an

obstruction for them to fully utilize their knowledge

in class. College music courses are unsatisfying due

to those reasons. Thus, the reform of college music

courses needs efforts of both students and teachers.

Teachers should improve their competency and

attitudes towards music teaching, as the teaching

competency of college music courses is another

important aspect of music education reform.

3 CONCRETE PATHS OF

COLLEGE MUSIC EDUCATION

REFORM

3.1 Analysis from the perspective of

education departments

Music plays an important role in people’s daily life.

The ability to appreciate and use music properly

needs to be cultivated in music education. Education

departments, as a guide of education, should

redefine the position of music education. They

should also select contents and materials of music

education more carefully. Meaningful and

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interesting contents and materials make it more fun

and efficient for students to learn about music.

Education departments then need to make

propaganda for the importance of music to reshape

the attitudes of students and teachers towards music

courses. In order to make music courses more

valuable, colleges should reasonably rearrange

music courses with the cooperation of teachers and

students. Therefore, education departments should

launch the reform of music education from a macro

aspect to improve the outcomes of college music

courses. Thus the ability of music appreciation can

be enhanced from all over the society.

3.2 Analysis from the perspective of

colleges and universities

The evaluation system of student performance in

college is another factor influencing the attitudes of

students and teachers towards music courses.

Students’ performance of optional music courses is

generally evaluated through course papers. Many

students do not take the papers seriously. Most of

them simply copy online resources to their papers.

Innovation-oriented talents are not likely to be

cultivated in this situation. Therefore, the evaluation

system of college students is also an important

aspect of college education reform. It is supposed to

push students to change their attitudes and improve

study efficiency and performance.

Teacher management is also a difficult task for

colleges and universities. There are a great number

of teachers and not all of them are competent. A

strict evaluation system is crucial to guarantee their

attitudes towards and quality of teaching. The

evaluation systems of teacher adopted by colleges

and universities are not consummate. Students are

afraid of the possible impacts on their scores when

they evaluate their teachers. Thus, evaluation

systems of teacher need to be stricter through further

study. Teachers then change their attitudes towards

course teaching under external pressures. Good

performance of teachers in class guarantees the

quality of courses to a certain degree.

In short, colleges and universities should

improve management mechanisms of students and

teachers. College institutions function well only with

strict administration. On that basis, students are able

to achieve education tasks while music education

reform can be implemented.

3.3 Analysis from the perspective of

reasonable expenditure of

education funds

China, as a developing country, has spent increasing

money on education, especially higher education.

However, corruption has happened in many colleges

and universities. Meanwhile, education resources

such as education equipment and software cannot

meet the needs of students. Education equipment in

colleges and universities needs to be investigated

through field trip when education funds are

assigned. Thus the authenticity of fund declaration

can be ensured. Musical instruments are effective in

attracting students’ attention and interest in music

education. Many students, especially boys, admit

they are willing to learn a musical instrument to

make them improved and more charming. But their

desires are confined by limited education resources,

as there are not enough musical instruments for

students. Insufficiency exists in the provision of not

only musical instruments but also multi-media

facilities. Thus, the expenditure of education funds

in colleges and universities needs to be strictly

supervised. Reasonable expenditure of education

funds provides students with more facilities and

resources to meet their needs. Thereby more

students can advance further in music education.

Then the expenditure of education funds actually

helps the reform of music education.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Music, as an elegant hobby, is not limited by age,

language or national boundaries. A life without

music is not complete, so music education is a long-

lasting and necessary work. It should be promoted

and reformed as a major aspect of quality-oriented

education. Thus, our education institutions can be

improved to cultivate more top-quality and all-round

talents. More people can feel the charm of music by

doing so. The reform of music education requires

cooperation among relevant parties, including

education departments, education institutes, students

and teachers. The implementation of music

education reform demands efforts in various aspects.

It is a difficult task but with a very desirable fruit.

With the efforts of all participants, music education

reform is going to be a breakthrough for our

education system. Appreciation tastes of people will

be upgraded while more people can perceive real

meanings of national music. Thus, the spirits of the

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Chinese nation carried by national music can be

fully inherited.

REFERENCES

Ma Wen. Analysis of College Music Education Reform

and the Development of Traditional Music Culture.

Dushi Jiajiao 2014(1): 235-236 (Second Issue).

Wang Yang and Chen Jie. Analysis of Reform Approach

of Music Major Course Teaching in Local Colleges.

Heilongjiang Researches on Higher Education

2013(9):174-176.

Zhou Zhengjun. Exploration of Teaching and Disciplinary

Theories of Music Major in Regular Higher Education

Institutes. Journal of Bijie Teachers College

(Comprehensive Edition), 2005(01):59-62.

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