YOUNGSTOWN Teacher: Music is mirror of culture

Du said studying music can lead to an understanding of different cultures.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Dr. Yaxiong Du asked the students to count the beat of the opera music.
As the Chinese singers on the TV screen hit their notes, the students who watched Friday in a Youngstown State University lecture hall sliced hands through the air in an effort to count. Others closed their eyes and tapped instrument cases.
Some smiled as they realized they were off, way off.
Dr. Du smiled too. He was making his point. It wasn't the Puccini he had played on the piano earlier. This music started off with short beats followed by long ones. Then there were a few parts that the students kept up with. Then another with the intermixed long and short beats.
One student wondered: If there's no rhythm, how do the singers and musicians stay together?
"You can't say there is no rhythm," Du answered. "But this rhythm is not your rhythm."
Like the language
The music, he said, is just like the Chinese language. Sometime there is no meter. Sometime the beat is not equal. Sometimes it's quick. The pitch can -- and must -- be changed.
"All these characteristics are linked with Chinese philosophy, Chinese language, our culture," Du said. "If you want to know Chinese music, if you want to study it, you must study our culture.
"To study any music, you have to study the philosophy, the religion, the language."
Du is visiting YSU for five weeks during his break from the Hang Zhou Normal University in China Conservatory of Music. He is teaching the first part of a World Music course. He was invited by Dr. George McCloud, dean of the College of Arts & amp; Sciences at YSU.
"In our ... time, I think we need to know each other. We need to understand each other's culture," Du said. "I think today, there is still misunderstanding between people; this can make problems and this is no good for anybody.
"Music is for people to describe their feelings and through music you can know another. ... I think today, the most important thing is to know each other."
Explained structure
To explain the differences to students, Du pointed out that Chinese music always follows a pentatonic or five-note scale and is often written in five parts. These quintets align with the Chinese philosophy that recognizes the five elements of fire, water, wood, earth and metal.
In contrast, music of Western cultures generally revolves around threes -- a mirror of Western religions that base their belief on the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
"For us, this one-two-three is quite strange. Why not five?" he said. "We don't know where to put it."
Exchange program
Du said McCloud invited him to YSU to help students explore these issues because students needed to have their eyes and minds opened to different cultures. As part of an exchange program, Du said, jazz musicians from YSU will visit the Hang Zhou university.
"I think the Chinese students need to know American jazz. From jazz, maybe we can know American people," he said. "I think jazz is the music representative of American people."
World travels
Du has traveled the world studying music and cultures; he has visited Africa, New Zealand, the former Soviet Union, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, various areas of China, America and Canada. At YSU, he will help students explore African, Indian and Chinese music as well as imparting ways to study music in different cultures.
"I'm not interested only in the music, but the culture, the background behind the music. I want to know 'what kind of music is this?' I want to know 'why?'" Du said. "I'm just curious. I always think about why."