Enrico Go

10C 11 (Naxi)
Cuepo

Music
Mr

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Asian music for me is a system of sounds that each have influences from
their culture and nature. If we were to look at traditional Japanese and Chinese
music, then we would see that a lot of this music is dissonant and seemingly
random in pattern. These types of music do not follow the chromatic scale. Because
of this reason, we who are used to western influences, are not accustomed to their
music. Right now in modern times however, I have noticed how most Asian
countries nowadays are being strongly influenced by western music like Pop, Rock,
Ballads, etc. It is because in radio stations all around Asia, popular icons like Justin
Bieber, Michael Jackson, and the like are being listened to by Asians all around the
world. My Chinese teachers and friends in China were familiar with western media
very well. Modern popular asian music , in my opinion, is greatly influenced by
western music due to the fact that most of these new music now are in sync with
the Chromatic Scale which we are mostly all familiar with.
In the context of traditional Asian music however, Japanese, Chinese and
Filipino music have a lot in common because each of these types of music
somewhat get inspiration from their surroundings and nature. It is evident in
Japanese, Chinese and Filipino instruments that materials like bamboo which are
exclusively found in Asia are used to create some of these instruments. All of these
types of music are also incorporated in these culture's festivities, for the Japanese
and Chinese music they play traditional music for higher classmen at special
occasions while Filipino music uses dances like the Tinikling uses bamboo sticks and
dancing to celebrate certain festivities and special occasions.
I believe that the reason why Asian music differs a lot from western music is
because of the different cultural backgrounds of these places since good music is
subjective to different people from different countries due to the fact that we will be
biased to the certain type of music we grew up and were taught with. The Chinese
and Japanese culture developed in a systematic and controlled way with discipline,
as shown through their history wherein these nations were communist and fascist
respectively during World War II which may have led to the very precise and
disciplined movements that Chinese and Japanese musicians do when playing their
respective instruments. The western countries on the other hand, usually became
democratic, free, and were not very restricted, this may have also led to the
innovations of popular western music now due to the great amounts of freedom to
creatively express oneself.