Integrating Chinese and Foreign Musical Rhythms, Cultivating Humanistic Envoys—Cross-Cultural Practice and Innovation in the Basic Music Theory Course

Against the backdrop of inter-civilization exchanges and globalization, Beijing International Studies University has addressed the issues of “Sino-Western dual opposition”, “single classroom-based practice”, and “superficial interdisciplinary integration” in the traditional Basic Music Theory Course. With the goal of “integrating Chinese and foreign musical rhythms and cultivating humanistic envoys”, the university has conducted six years of exploration to build a cross-cultural practice system. By reconstructing a three-dimensional curriculum system of “Chinese foundation + Western theory + global diversity”, establishing a three-level practical platform of “classroom—campus—society”, deepening the interdisciplinary integration of “music + foreign languages/communication”, and adopting the “experience—collaboration—creation” three-stage teaching method, the course has transformed from mere music knowledge imparting to cross-cultural competence cultivation. After the reform, students have significantly improved their multicultural awareness and practical abilities, won multiple awards in competitions, and their multilingual musical works have been widely disseminated by the media. Additionally, the course has provided talent support for the “Belt and Road Initiative” and the construction of Beijing’s “Four Centers”. However, challenges remain, such as insufficient development of digital resources and an imperfect teaching evaluation system. In the future, efforts will be made to promote the integration of “music + digital intelligence” and optimize the evaluation system.