ABSTRACT
Globalisation is evident in every aspect of human activity. As a result of crossborder information exchange, school music education policies in Asian countries have developed various trends. This paper investigates how these trends are adopted in music education policies and how they are influencing music teachers in Asian countries. The paper argues that the recent policy shifts in these countries reflect their desire to catch up with the global trend of educational values rather than responding to the realities of teachers in each respective country. It is also argued that the emphasis on cultural diversity has doubled music teachers’ task in many Asian countries because teachers now have to cope with two different types of music: western music as a global common musical language as well as their own traditional music as the source of their national identity.
