The Composition and Cultural Impact of Modern School Songs against the Background of the Eastward Spread of Western Music

Abstract

The wave of ‘Western music spreading eastwards’ from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century constituted a crucial historical context for the transformation of modern Chinese music. School songs, which emerged against this backdrop, represented the first musical cultural phenomenon in modern China to exert widespread social influence. They not only facilitated the initial dissemination and localisation of Western musical culture in China but also served as a vital vehicle for conveying demands for social reform and reshaping the national spirit. Taking the ‘Eastward Spread of Western Music’ as its starting point, this paper systematically traces the developmental trajectory of modern school song composition, examining core dimensions such as the composition of creative agents, the origins of melodies and lyric-writing strategies, and the selection of thematic content. It provides an in-depth analysis of the multifaceted cultural impacts of these songs on the construction of the music education system, the intellectual enlightenment of the populace, the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, and the modernisation of Chinese music.