Friends in music

The Chao Feng Chinese Orchestra was established in Melbourne, Australia, in 1982 and since that time has provided a space for cultural and musical continuance for its members who fall into two groups: Chinese-Australians keen to maintain their traditions, and overseas Chinese-heritage students who sojourn in Melbourne while studying who seek a home for their music making within a linguistic, cultural, and social setting. All members of the ensemble are expert players who learnt their craft mostly when young in their home countries (such as China and Malaysia) before coming to Australia. In our qualitative study, we interviewed foundation members and sojourners in Mandarin or English (according to their preference). One of the researchers was an ensemble member, a Taiwanese pipa player, who was a cultural insider; the other researcher is an Anglo-Celtic Australian with a long record of research in community music and music education. Together we brought multiple interpretive lenses to our interview and observational data. We present our findings as Fellowship and Musicking, theorised by phenomenological notions of alterity, acceptance, and generosity. We offer one way in which community music enriches both the music makers and the wider community both Chinese and non-Chinese. In a society that aspires to cultural inclusivity, the Chao Feng is one long-established example of how this may occur, offering insights that may inform others.