Investigating Popular Music Education in Hong Kong

In the face of the challenges posed by the creative economy, many regions have taken proactive measures to boost their cultural industries. While Hong Kong has given due attention to the design and film industries, the sustainable development of popular music, a significant genre within the creative industries, has been overlooked. Hong Kong was once a market leader and trendsetter in the Chinese and Asian music industries, but its influence has diminished in the new millennium due to the changing global media landscape. While other regions have begun conducting policy studies and exploring ways to promote the music industry and engage young people in it, Hong Kong has yet to conduct in-depth research in this area.

As popular music continues to play a growing role in education, both formally and informally, popular music education has emerged as a field of study. This project aims to identify the key issues in popular music education in Hong Kong by referencing relevant studies and programs in other regions. Through a series of case studies, the project will examine the effectiveness of popular music education programs in nurturing young music talents, and explore the possibilities for popular music education in Hong Kong.

To thoroughly examine the current state of popular music education in Hong Kong, this project will employ three research methods: literature review and case studies, questionnaire surveys, and in-depth/focus group interviews. Chapter 2 will collect and organize reference materials and details about similar programs in the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, and South Korea, providing insights into the situation in Hong Kong. Key issues will then be identified for further examination in the survey and interviews. Chapter 3 will clarify the design and process of the questionnaire survey, presenting the major findings and their implications across various categories, including opinions on the Hong Kong popular music industry and education, perceptions and suggestions from participants and stakeholders, and the impact of popular music on young people. Chapter 4 will discuss the findings of the in-depth and focus group interviews. After introducing the design of the interview questions and providing background information on the interviewees, various popular music education programs will be analyzed to explore their limitations and potentials. Chapter 5 will conclude by using the key findings from previous chapters to propose policy implications and short-term/long-term recommendations (see below for concrete recommendations). The research findings demonstrate that the opportunity to produce and/or perform popular music not only develops students' creative and social skills but also contributes to their personal growth. One major finding is that the future of Hong Kong popular music would look brighter if more emphasis is placed on nurturing young talents and if the industry provides support at its foundation.

In summary, this project focuses on creativity and knowledge transfer. By examining how popular music education programs nurture young talents, it aims to explore mechanisms for knowledge transfer in Hong Kong popular music. This, in turn, will provide insights into how appropriate cultural policies can facilitate the development of popular music education in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the research findings will inspire long-term policies to foster creativity, culture, and the arts in Hong Kong.