I'm Nina and I have started this blog to track my research for my senior capstone independent research project on the rock music genre in China. I hope to examine the influence of gender in rock music in China from the 1980s to the present. As music diversified in mainland China following the decreased restrictions on the arts and culture, the rock genre grew dramatically with the help of Western influence and was able to continuously expand due to greater freedom of expression for musicians. No longer was music solely for the purpose and support of the nation; artists began singing about topics that previously would not have been allowed.
As the rock music genre developed, singers like Cui Jian became representative of the growing genre. Although female rock groups developed as well, there seemed to be no equivalent female rock star to Cui Jian. In my research, I will be examining the effects of gender on the rock music scene in China and focus on the female rock singers that generally have been underexamined in academic literature so far. I will compare and contrast influences behind both male and female rock band members and motivations and goals for creating rock music in China. I also would like to research whether or not the content of songs written by male and female rockers was different.
I will be able to use the Chinese skills I have learned throughout my academic career by examining articles and lyrics in Chinese. This independent research project will definitely be a culminating experience for me as a student concentrating in the East Asian Studies department. I will be able to tie together the knowledge I have gained in my classes and experiences abroad in China and fuse this knowledge with my interests in China and music into my final academic challenge.
