“Fushizukuri Education” in Chayamachi Elementary School, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture : Fifth Grade Music Classroom Practice by General Teacher Setsuo Myoraku, 1977

“Fushizukuri Education,” the most successful music education approach in Japan, began in 1966 at Furukawa Elementary School in Hida, Gifu Prefecture. Fushizukuri Education was developed by a teachers’ group that did not contain a music teacher. In this respect, Fushizukuri Education is fundamentally different from the music education of Orff, Kodaly, and Jaques-Dalcroze. The characteristics of Fushizukuri Education are as follows: ① The independence of will of the learner is regarded as important, ② Class rules are completely secured, ③ Group activities are seriously considered, ④ Solos and remarks are secured, ⑤ Frequent use of repetition, ⑥ Reduced time for teacher remarks, and ⑦ Singing ability and performance power of the learners are excellent. Fushizukuri Education was adopted in many elementary schools, and was practiced in each place of Japan. In this article, we examine Fushizukuri Education as practiced in the fifth grade of Chayamachi Elementary School in 1997. Additionally, we review how the seven points of this style of education as performed at Furukawa Elementary are maintained or transformed

The Music Educational Philosophy of lchiro NAKAYA Supporting 'FUSHIZUKURI EDUCATION' as the Principal of FURUKAWA Elementary School in GIFU Prefecture (2)

'Fushizukuri Education' is a milestone in Japanese music education. It was practiced in Furukawa Elementary School in Yoshiki District, Gifu Prefecture and achieved a brilliant success. In 1966, Furukawa Elementary School was selected as a pilot school for elementary school music education. Ichiro Nakaya, a section chief in the local education office in Hida at that time, is the person who had a great influence on this selection. When Hiroshi Yamamoto, the supervisor of Gifu Prefecture, asked Nakaya's advice for the selection of a pilot school, Nakaya recommended Furukawa Elementary school where he graduated. In 1967, Nakaya became the principal of Furukawa Elementary School and showed his tremendous ability in school management. He consistently supported "Fushizukuri Education" and highly contributed to its development. This paper clarified the untold music educational philosophy of Principal Ichiro Nakaya

The Music Educational Philosophy of lchiro NAKAYA Supporting 'FUSHIZUKURI EDUCATION' as the Principal of FURUKAWA Elementary School in GIFU Prefecture (1)

'Fushizukuri Education' is a milestone in Japanese music education. It was practiced in Furukawa Elementary School in Yoshiki District, Gifu Prefecture and achieved a brilliant success. In 1966, Furukawa Elementary School was selected as a pilot school for elementary school music education. Ichiro Nakaya, a section chief in the local education office in Hida at that time, is the person who had a great influence on this selection. When Hiroshi Yamamoto, the supervisor of Gifu Prefecture, asked Nakaya's advice for the selection of a pilot school, Nakaya recommended Furukawa Elementary school where he graduated. In 1967, Nakaya became the principal of Furukawa Elementary School and showed his tremendous ability in school management. He consistently supported "Fushizukuri Education" and highly contributed to its development. This paper clarified the untold music educational philosophy of Principal Ichiro Nakaya

A Practical Study on the Application of “Fushizukuri Education” in Special Needs Schools for Students with Physical Disabilities at the High School Level: Warabeuta in Music Class for Students with Multiple Disabilities

The current study examined methods for encouraging students with disabilities to actively engage in learning using the “Fushizukuri Education” method. We used a musical activity named Warabeuta in this educational method in music classes for students with multiple disabilities at the high school level, at a special needs school for students with physical disabilities. We examined students’ learning and growth by focusing on musical ability and generic competency. Students enjoyed and actively engaged in Warabeuta. Based on the development of musical ability, the results revealed that students (1) used expanded rhythm and tones to compose short phrases, (2) changed their singing voice, and (3) improved their movement-based responses to the beat. Moreover, regarding the aspects linked with generic competency, we found that students (1) fulfilled their role of composing and singing short phrases in the activity, (2) paid attention to and listened carefully to other’s phrases and singing, and (3) made use of skills learned in the activity in everyday school life. We believe that several factors were involved in students’ growth: (a) Warabeuta in this educational method was easy to perform for students with disabilities and brought a sense of achievement; (b) students could use their favorite words for composing and share the phrases with others; (c) students could enjoy this simple improvisational activity; and (d) teachers involved with the activity were able to enhance their students’ learning in and out of music class

A Practice of “Fushizukuri Education”: Focusing on Rhythm Learning at Hiroshima Municipal Hesaka Elementary School

“Fushizukuri Education” is the most successful music education method in Japan, started in 1966 at Furukawa Elementary School in Hida area, Gifu Prefecture. This method was developed by a group of teachers who were not specialized in music. The characteristics of this method are as follows: (1) the curriculum consists of 30 phases, 102 steps; (2) adopting dual approach comprised of performance and music basics; (3) the learners themselves progress the class with minimum intervention by the teacher; (4) special emphasize is placed on hearing; (5) sufficient opportunities for solo singings and remarks are guaranteed for all learners, (6) the teacher’s remarks are minimized, and (7) the learners eventually demonstrate excellent musical and performance ability. This study aims to find how to install “Fushizukuri Education” effectively into current school music curricula in Japan. Both practical and experimental approaches are employed. Children participated in this study were the third graders at Hesaka Elementary School. The four classes were randomly divided into two groups comprised of two classes each. Children in one group learned using conventional staff notation system, whereas children in the other group learned using the “maru-fu” (circle notes) notation system. Rhythm learning activities were organized for both groups based on the “Fushizukuri Education” method. A pretest and a posttest were carried out in July and late September 2017, respectively. Both tests measured each child’s abilities of rhythm reproduction and rhythm reading. In the rhythm reading pretest, both groups were tested with one-line staff materials. In the rhythm reading posttest, the “maru-fu” group was tested with “maru-fu” materials, whereas the staff group was tested with one-line staff materials. Following results were obtained. (1) Both groups have developed abilities of rhythm reproduction and rhythm reading through rhythm learning activities, although the number of activities was not so many. (2) In the pretest, the staff group outperformed the “maru-fu” group on both reproduction task and reading task. (3) It is presumed that the learners have been familiarized with five-line or one-line staff notation system up to the third grade, whereas they might feel novelty in the “maru-fu” notation system. (4) Therefore, the “maru-fu” notation system should be used in the first grade.三村真弓教授退職記念号 Special Number Commemorating the Retirement of Professor Mayumi Mimur

Common Teaching Materials in Japanese School Music Education: The Moldau in Junior High Schools

Common teaching materials for singing, which are particular songs for generations set by the Ministry of Education in Japan, have been employed for the curriculum guideline. Since 1998, common teaching materials for appraising, which are particular pieces of music set by ministry of education, have not employed for the curriculum guideline. This change came about as a result of fewer music lessons being provided in Japanese schools; it was not because there was any question over the essential significance of the common teaching materials presented. We reviewed the significance of common teaching materials in a previous study. There, we examined how the Fate motif in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was dealt with in textbooks and teacher manuals. In the present study, we examined The Moldau by Smetana in the same way

The Relationship between Generic Competency and Music-Specific Attributes and Abilities: Experimental Schools of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The current study examined experimental schools of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which were set up to research generic competency. The current study sought to clarify the relationships between generic competency and music-specific ability in theses experimental schools. All of the schools and kindergartens examined in the current study aimed to foster generic competency in new domains and new subjects, and showed a clear connection between other existing subjects including music and these new domains and/or subjects. We founded the attributes, abilities, aims and content in music were connected to generic competency. Music was not just a tool to foster generic competency. As mentioned above, in all of the schools we examined, competency in specific subjects was not the focus. The current results raised several important suggestions for improving curriculum management

Music Education Curriculum in Various Countries: Comparison of Curricula with Respect to Content- and Competency-Based Ideas

In education, awareness has grown in recent years about the importance of cultivating competency (quality and ability) in addition to content (knowledge and skills). Accordingly, there is increased emphasis on a competency-based—rather than content-based—curriculum for all subjects. Competency here consists of generic competencies as well as subject-specific competencies. The present study aimed to clarify differences in the music curriculum of a number of countries with a focus on the content with respect to appraising and listening to music. The targeted countries were Japan, Germany (Hamburg), England, and the United States. This study attempted to define the subject-specific competencies in school music education in those places and examine whether they had content-based or competency-based music curricula. The curriculum in England includes many subject-specific competencies with respect to school music education. However, the curriculum does not include generic competencies. The school music curriculum in Germany includes subject-specific competencies. Some of those competencies are also connected to generic competencies. The music curriculum in the United States includes many generic competencies. Music knowledge is included among the content- based elements of the US curriculum, but there is no evidence of skill-related content. Japan has mainly a content-based music curriculum: there are no subject-specific or generic competencies in school music education