Labeling Music: Context and Culture
Digging further into the idea of how music is labeled, I read an essay by Emily Yun Wang , which explored the importance of how music is used and whether that can impact how we label it.
Wang’s article introduces the “Butterfly Lover’s Concerto'' a Violin concerto composed by two students at the Shanghai Conservatory, which blends Chinese and Western elements. This piece, instantly recognizable to many Chinese American violinists, including Wang herself, draws its inspiration from the beloved Chinese folktale of Liang Zhu. This tragic love story, addressing themes of gender and class, culminates in the lovers' transformation into butterflies, embodying a powerful message of overcoming social barriers and conventions. The piece notably was adapted into an award-winning movie soundtrack that played a role in activism across Toronto’s Chinese diaspora. You can listen to a recording here.
During the COVID lockdown, she heard the concerto being played at a local park and found a diverse group of seniors practicing Tai Chi to the music. For them, the piece had no historical or cultural context, but was merely the soundtrack that helped them remember what positions to move to next and how long they had to hold each pose for. This unexpected context prompted Wang to reflect on the diverse ways in which a single piece of music can resonate with different audiences. It caused Wang to wonder, “How do [the listener’s] projections and imaginations move her, and how do mine move me? And what new ways of listening and knowing might exist in the differences between our movements?” (Wang 581).
As I read the article I thought about how context impacts music. Does it influence what kind of music it is? How do we label it? Is it even important to the listener how music is labeled or what the historical, cultural or social context is? If so, why? Does the labeling of music influence our perception and experience of it? Does it shape our expectations? Does it impact our willingness to engage with the music?
It also made me wonder about the unintended uses of music. How does music transcend its intended context and find new meaning in unexpected settings? Does this enrich the music itself? Does the interaction between different cultures reshape and revitalize artistic traditions? Does this create a new, hybrid form of classical music? This also brought up the idea of classical music being reborn through Asian American influence.
Yang ultimately concludes her article by asserting that, despite the Chinese history and musical elements, the Butterfly Concerto can be considered American music due to the purpose it serves in her local community.
Wang, Yun Emily. “Doing Tai Chi with ‘American Music.’” American Music 40, no. 4 (Dec. 2022): 576–82
