Pop music takes root in Taiwan tertiary institutions

2015/06/12

The establishment of dedicated pop music departments in Taiwan’s tertiary institutions is helping give the local recording industry a shot in the arm and further promoting the nation as a cultural hub in Asia-Pacific.

Made possible through a recently launched NT$40 million (US$1.3 million) Ministry of Culture initiative aimed at strengthening the grassroots of pop music education, the trend saw Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology take national honors as the first to offer advanced diplomas in the fledgling field of study.

Chen Tzu-kuang, head of STUST’s Department of Popular Music Industry, said 300 candidates applied for 20 places in the inaugural four-year program commencing September at the Tainan City-based institution.

“Taiwan’s NT$10 billion pop music industry forms a crucial plank in the MOC’s cultural and creative industry flagship program,” Chen said. “We are facilitating access to the segment by bridging the academic and industrial sectors.”

As operator of the film and pop music center at Tainan Cultural and Creative Industry Park, Chen said STUST provides hands-on training while focusing on cultivating talents for intellectual property management, live performance and music recording. “Our graduates are expected to become full-fledged professionals making substantial contributions to the advancement of the industry.”

In northern Taiwan, Taipei Chengshih University of Science and Technology plans on rolling out a similar program in 2016. It is eyeing an initial intake of 50 students under veteran music producer Jamie Hsueh.

Similarly progressive is National Taiwan Normal University, which is going to the next level by offering a master’s degree in pop music industry.

NTNU program director Hope Lee believes that in collaborating with Eric Chen, celebrated producer of Holo music diva Jody Chiang, the postgraduate program can target the industry’s higher echelon. “We are building an academic base for experienced musicians, covering such topics as digital composition, performance and singing, and production and marketing.

This approach is introducing scientific methodology into the long neglected research of pop music development in Taiwan, Lee said, adding that he expects respective institutions to provide training meeting the requirements of a new Taiwan-dominated era in Mandopop.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=231399&ctNode=413)