Music-learning practices and music-making attitudes of Chaozhou Xianshi musicians and popular musicians in Hong Kong

The socio-musical groups of Chaozhou Xianshi musicians and local popular musicians with informal music-learning practices are active in music-making in Hong Kong. Chaozhou Xianshi musicians originated in the region of Chaozhou area of Guangdong Province in South China. They are male musicians who belong to the tradition of amateur music-making from diverse social backgrounds and occupations. They learn the instruments and the music for self-cultivation, which was highly valued in the traditional Chinese society. After settling in this city from Mainland China, they continue their regular performance and music tradition in Chaozhou communities of Hong Kong. The other selected group for the study is the locally born Hong Kong popular musicians with informal music-learning backgrounds. They are amateur musicians ranging from teenagers to working adults who play their music and set up their own band at their spare time. The scenario of their world of music-learning and music-making in Hong Kong is in a way similar to Chaozhou Xianshi musicians though they do not have a community of adult experts to induct them into the skills and knowledge. Though different in their musical cultures, both socio-musical groups go through their musical enculturation in an informal, if slightly different ways yet they demonstrate to be active musicians with spirit and proficiency in their music-making. They also have high levels of commitment and enjoyment of music-making. By interviewing and observations, this paper will discuss how these informal or encultured-learning backgrounds influence them to make the difference in their positive attitudes towards music-making.