“Amateur” and “Professional” Musical Culture in Socialist and Post-Socialist China

This paper examines the transformation of amateur music-making in socialist and post-socialist China, focusing on its role in blurring the boundaries between professionalism and amateurism while fostering cultural resistance against elitist control of creative expression. During the socialist era, the masses were encouraged to participate in music creation alongside trained cultural workers. Amateur musicians performed folk and revolutionary songs in factories, communes, workers’ clubs and cultural palaces, embodying collective zeal and rhythm. Documentaries such as China! (1965) by Felix Greene and Land of Dawn (1967) by Toshie Tokieda captured these vibrant scenes, paralleling similar movements in global socialist and leftist contexts.

The 1985 Chinese film Roadside Guitar Band (dir. Chang Yan) reflects a shift as amateur guitarists challenge cultural norms of professionalism and societal prejudices through original compositions, asserting youthful creativity. However, the post-1990s transition to capitalism, marked by privatization and widespread layoffs, diminished working-class amateur music-making. Since the 2000s, retirees have revived these traditions in urban parks, performing “red” songs with instruments such as saxophones and drums, evoking sonic memory and China’s socialist legacy. This article explores how amateur musical practices, from 1980s guitar bands to contemporary elderly ensembles, articulate social identities, foster community, and reclaim commodified public spaces. By challenging hierarchies between professionalism and amateurism, these practices embody cultural resistance. Employing an interdisciplinary lens across cinema and media, sound, and historical studies, this research underscores the enduring impact of China’s amateur musical culture and its parallels with global traditions of collective music-making.