Intercultural Musicking: A study of the dizi from a Western flute perspective

Abstract

This Masters dissertation is an auto-ethnographic study which details and reflects upon my personal journey of learning to perform the solo dizi 笛子 (Chinese bamboo flute) tradition from various teachers and performers of the dizi tradition over the past three years, and how I have integrated this knowledge to contribute to my developing performance practice as a Western and Chinese flute specialist. By sharing my personal learning experiences living inside and outside of China, I show how these experiences have enriched my overall performance practice, and ultimately transformed it into an intercultural one. The performance component of the thesis illustrates the gestalt of this transformation, an hour-long recital showcasing solo pieces from both the Chinese and Western flute canon. The preparation process for learning some of the pieces for the final recital is documented in this dissertation component.