The Myth of Superiority: Western Classical Music Versus Cultural Music
Classical music has a reputation for being exclusionary and overwhelmingly white. This
is a reputation which, unfortunately, seems to be supported in Yoshihara’s article. She talks
about the concept of “authenticity” within music and composition, which is marred by
whitewashing - her opening anecdote about Japanese violinist Hiroko Yajima illustrates this
perfectly. It is depressing that something as universal as music can be whitewashed and subject
to gatekeeping in such a way; as Yoshihara mentions, race or ethnicity should technically be
irrelevant when it comes to classical performance. Still, Asians and Asian-Americans are
considered “outsiders” of the classical music world, regardless of their background and cultural
experience.
While many of the musicians Yoshihara cites state that they enjoy classical music
because of its universal popularity and appeal, one statement in particular struck me as
problematic. Frederick Lau is quoted as believing that Chinese music was “backward, low-class”
music when he was growing up in Hong Kong, preferring Western classical music until he
attended graduate school and became exposed to ethnomusicology (Yoshihara). This is in line
with the author’s exploration of the concept of “authenticity” in classical music. In the eyes of a
young Lau, and many other musicians and music fans from a multitude of backgrounds,
Western classical is “authentic” because of its long, celebrated history tied to society rather than
culture. Non-western music, according to the same individuals, is a separate, inferior category
because it is simply a cultural relic.
The concept of Western music being far more celebrated than non-Western music is not
new, and perhaps this is the most upsetting part of Yoshihara’s article. Asian music, in
particular, is part of a rich cultural history tied tightly to both societal change and long-standing
tradition and belief, and should be celebrated for this reason. Asian and Asian-American
musicians should feel comfortable performing pieces by musicians from any and all
backgrounds, but should embrace the music of their ethnic background rather than be turned
away from it due to its reputation as inferior to Western music. The exclusionary culture
surrounding classical music must be overturned to give way to pure expressionistic artistry.
Works Cited
Yoshihara, Mari. “A Voice of One’s Own” Musicians from a Different Shore. Temple University
Press, 2007. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/book/9460.