A Study On The Music And Educational Function Of The Funeral Rituals Of The Yi People In

At present, the investigation of Yi nationality original religious ritual music and education is still on the infant stage. There is little information about its details and features. Compared with the widely used and vigorous original religious music of many nationalities lives in southwest, Yi nationality ritual music research is a weak research field or even a blank. The study of this kind of special religious ritual music and heritage will not only help to expand and deepen our understanding of the overall pattern of Chinese religious music and inheritance, but also provide certain reference and inspiration materials for the education of present folk music in China. This is also the aim of this research.Based on abundant literature materials, nearly four months’ on-the-spot living, one and a half years’ investigation, some first-hand information has been possessed. Taking San Guan Yi Zhai in Datun Village of Bijie city, Guizhou province as a sample case, by comprehensively using the writing and research method of ethnography of Music, music analysis method, and national education analysis method, this essay makes a detailed explanation on funeral rites music of San Guan Yi Zhai and its educational activity, musical forms characteristics, educational functions and the meaning of ritual music respectively.According to the research:1. There is more than300years history of San Guan Yi nationality funeral ritual. The ritual program is well-organized and has a complex process. It was divided into three parts. The first part is "Bo Mo"(the main priest) singing, reading,doing. The second part is "Ma Xie"(ceremony program host) and "Bai Tu"(organizer of the ceremony) leading the singing, reading, dancing. The third part is the band’s performance invited by the host in mourning hall or relatives from each "Huo Tang". The three parts carry on independently and at the same time have overlaps. In the performance of music content, the executors and the participants have interactions, and there is an educational relationship between them. Their common purpose is releasing the souls of dead, and helping return to the ancestral seat, and blessing the alive generation’s luck. From the angle of original religious concept (animism, ancestor worship), ritual process (the means of priest and control to reach the final goal) and the main priest (Bo Mo), we can say that San Guan Yi nationality’s funeral ritual is still belong to the original religious ritual.2.The funeral ritual music composed of singing and playing parts. From the result of music character analysis, they are belongs to two kinds of system styles. The former is stronger in the religious sacred sense, while the latter is stronger in the secular sense. The singing part is mainly Bo Mo song which was sung by funeral ritual host "Bo Mo", and the words content of the song pay attention to the propaganda of the ancestors history,life principle and filial piety. The music structure has a system of cyclic variations, mainly singing, at the same time chanting, and the melody is simple and plain. The mood is partial to solemn and single. The original style of Alto North sound system is much reserved. This embodies the characteristic of the original religious ritual music of Yi people and is the core part of funeral ritual music used for Mang-Ja.The playing part is the music of Mo-hen played by the local "Chui Shi", and its content reflects love and sends messages. It has a form of Qupai and is divided into "Xin Pu",".Lao Pu" and "Cao Pu". Each kind can be subdivided into varieties of Qu Pai forms. Their core tones are "Zhai Sheng Yun", and the form of music is generally variation with endings, or divertimento of Qu Pai Ti. The themes of the development of techniques are diverse, and is mainly repetition, variation, tail and voice comparison. The general sounds of music is beautiful and euphemism, and the overall regional style belongs to Nanyin system which reflect the influence of multiracial long-term frequent migration and communication. It has a characteristic of "secular" folk music.3. As the Bo Mo song has a sacred characteristic, it is closely combined with the rites, and its coordinate with the rites forms a holy, serious and solemn field. The awe of the participants to ancestors and elders was inspired. And the national self-identity was enhanced in the long-term repeated performance of funeral rites. The moral education is achieved in an unconscious environment.The Mo-hen music creates a busy atmosphere in the rite field, which stronger the thoughts of "serious spiritual discovery". At the same time, the artistic charm it reflects has an influence of aesthetic education to the local people, especially the children. The Mo-hen music is long-term repeatedly played in the rites field environment, the local children felt beauty, identify with beauty in an unconscious environment. Then they take on the role of performing beauty after initiative learning, and re-develop and re-create it. The process of beauty education is achieved.Under the influence of these functions, Bo Mo and Mo-hen music became effective education methods, the funeral rites culture is effectively maintained..4. The educational models of Bo Mo song and Mo-hen music are summarized into two styles. The former is mainly about the traditional educational model of "handing, helping, taking", while the latter reflects the characteristic of "constructive learning theory". The two models also reflect the characteristics of situation education and high level of learning autonomy. It is a very important reference to present musical education:pay attention to create learning environment, so as to inspire the learner’s strong interest in learning, and a prominent theme in the teaching and learning process.This essay makes a systematic and in-depth research on the original religious ritual music of Yi nationality and its inheritance. The essay offers reliable and detailed new materials, new angles and new ideas for the promotion of national minority’s original religious ritual music. This is the first detailed research about form of funeral ritual music of Yi nationality. This also is the first time reveals the function of musical education under the background of Yi nationality funeral ritual. It is the first exploratory summary on the educational model of Yi nationality funeral ritual music. The research idea and method of this essay can be referenced for similar research. The conclusion can be used as comparison material for related investigation in different places.