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The first and foremost objective of this research is to study the reason big band is not popular in the music scene in Kuala Lumpur. It is very common to randomly pick one music student and have him name one popular song or a western classical piece but it is almost a rare occasion to have a music student - who is not involved in a big band - name a big band repertoire. Discovering the reasons of unpopularity will then lead to the discovery of the causes of its fluctuating appearance as said by Jeep during fieldwork. Besides the study on reasons of unpopularity, this research is done to serve as an extra knowledge in jazz and specifically big band and more importantly its development here in Malaysia. The information the researcher has gathered in this dissertation is hoped to be a useful guide and source of reading material in the future for fellow Malaysian music students, musicians, or anyone who is interested to learn about big band and its development in Malaysia. Co-Writers: Dr. Bo-Kyung Kim, Dr. Loo Fung Ying.

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Ms. Choi Ee Von: Bachelor Degree in Performing Arts (Music), University of Malaya in 2009. Dr. Mohd Nasir Hashim, Ph.D: Studied Musicology at University of Southampton. Associate Professor and Director, Cultural Centre, University of Malaya, Dr. Young-Hwan Yeo. Doctor of Musical Arts: Associate Professor, Cultural Centre, University of Malaya.

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