Chinese Music Ensemble
Skidmore’s MP 198 Music Workshop: Asia (fall) and Chinese Ensemble (spring) courses provide students with the opportunity to learn string and wind instruments
and vocal styles from China, Mongolia, and other regions of East, South, and Inner
Asia. Instrument loans are provided and no prior musical experience is necessary!
Community members (ages 14+) are welcome to join. Instrument choices include Chinese
erhu, guzheng, dizi, xiao, zhongruan, sanxian, and zhonghu; as well as Mongolian morin
khuur, aman khuur, tovshuur, ikel, and tsuur.
In Music Workshop: Asia, students have the chance to learn a variety of Chinese and
Mongolian instrumental and vocal traditions throughout the semester and to rotate
between instruments regularly. Where possible, hands-on workshops with faculty and
guest artists from other regions of Asia (such as India, Japan, Tibet, and Indonesia)
are also arranged in this workshop class.
In the Chinese Ensemble course, students will choose a single instrument and/or vocal
style as their specialty for the semester. Less exploratory than Music Workshop: Asia,
this ensemble functions as a performance-oriented course and, still open to complete
beginners, focuses on helping students to gain fluency in Chinese cipher notation
and to develop their improvisation skills.
Students in both courses participate in the Global Music Showcase at the end of each
semester.