The problem of this thesis was to determine how culturally representative repertoire of Mandarin Chinese music can be taught in a classroom setting rooted in Orff Schulwerk and Kodály pedagogy. The following research questions addressed this main problem of the thesis: What are the musical concepts contained in the selected repertoire that could be used pedagogically? and What media would be best served with certain musical concepts focused on from the selected Mandarin Chinese songs?
The rationales, purposes, and challenges educators face when using multicultural music education as well as the value of using folk or traditional music with Orff Schulwerk and Kodály based pedagogy will be discussed along with the perspective of other music educators. How to select, prepare, and perform music that represents culture with integrity will be highlighted and furthermore how to directly apply these things specifically to traditional Mandarin Chinese music incorporated into the elementary music classroom based in an Orff Schulwerk and Kodály pedagogy. Examples of five Mandarin Chinese songs will be analyzed and suggestions of how to use the Orff Schulwerk media of saying, singing, moving, and playing will be given as well as suggestions of rhythmic and melodic content and pedagogical uses from a Kodály based perspective.