A comparative study of the use of popular songs in school music education in Taiwan and Mainland China

This paper presents a comparative study of extra-musical learning of popular songs in the music classes in schools in Taiwan and Mainland China, where education is geared towards citizenship as a characteristic of national identity and social harmony for both communities. By analyzing fficial documents, selected music textbooks, and other relevant literatures, it is argued that the transmission of extra-musical learning of popular songs is essentially a response to the particular needs of these two Chinese historical-social contexts, which has witnessed a music curriculum that is securely grounded as part of the gradual recuperation of the concept of "the citizens." As reflected in song lyrics, Taiwan and Mainland China have attempted to promote a sense of national identity with a Confucian set of moral values to educate students in learning to live together as a central goal of school music education in the new global age.