REVITALIZING LILING FOLK SONGS: VOCAL PERFORMANCE PRACTICES AND MUSIC EDUCATION-ORIENTED INNOVATIONS

This study investigates the vocal performance practices of Liling folk songs, a representativeform of traditional music from Hunan Province, China, with the overarching aim of preserving andrevitalizing this unique regional intangible cultural heritage. The research is guided by three coreobjectives: (1) to document and analyze the original stylistic and structural characteristics of Liling folksongs; (2) to re-arrange and reinterpret selected traditional works through modern compositional techniquesand contemporary performance strategies; and (3) to create and present new folk-inspired compositions thatextend the cultural and educational value of Liling music traditions.To achieve these aims, acomprehensive methodology was adopted, integrating literature review, ethnographic fieldwork, interviewswith local culture bearers, and practice-based musical experimentation. The findings reveal that Liling folksongs are distinguished by their pentatonic-based modal systems, speech-like melodic contours, andexpressive vocal timbres that reflect the region’s linguistic and cultural identity. Through creative rearrangement,traditional pieces such as The Song of Persuasion for Marriage and Mountain People Love toPlay Dongdong Pan were transformed into concert-ready formats that preserve their cultural essence whileembracing innovative orchestration and stage presentation.In addition, original compositions—includingThe Flowering Family of Spring and I Am Waiting for You in Liling—were created by drawing inspirationfrom local poetry, cultural symbols, and musical aesthetics. These works were presented in the themedconcert New Sound of Ancient Ballads using a lecture-performance model, which enhanced audienceengagement and deepened cultural understanding. Expert evaluations and audience satisfaction surveysconfirmed the effectiveness of this approach in fostering renewed interest in Liling’s folk heritage.Thestudy concludes that vocal performance can simultaneously serve as a tool for cultural preservation, artisticinnovation, and educational dissemination. It further advocates sustainable strategies such asinterdisciplinary collaboration, integration of folk song studies into music curricula, and the development ofevaluative frameworks for practice-based research to ensure the continued vitality of Liling folk traditions.