In 2016, the Music High School attached to the Faculty of Music of Tokyo University of the Arts (known as “Geiko”) was selected as one of the designated high schools for the Super Global High School (SGU) initiative by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

As the only national high school of music in Japan, Geiko has always strived to offer the highest level of music education in Japan. Under the SGH scheme, it aims to nurture globally successful young musicians who attract audience with “the power of music”; the pupils learn from a number of world-renowned musicians who visit the high school, and study to develop their foreign language skills, while receiving support to establish a global career.

Geiko puts emphasis on practical education, collaborating with Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai), which was selected in 2014 for the Top Global University Project by MEXT. It is expected that Geiko will turn out global leaders who have the ability to create, communicate, and design their own career, through various forms of collaboration with our university. GEIDAI×GLOBAL will also keep an eye on Geiko’s activities as a SGH designated high school. The first post is about their trip to the U.K., during which the second graders performed and Tokyo Geidai President Kazuki Sawa conducted.

Basic Information

Participants: 41 second grade students of the Music High School (Geiko)
Location: London, the U.K.
Period: Sep. 25 – Oct 2, 2017

Achievements

A solo concert by Geiko pupils and a master class at the Royal Academy of Music

The pupils visited the Royal Academy of Music for the two days of September 27 and 28. On the first day, all the pupils majoring in western music attended master classes by professors of the academy. They enjoyed and inspired by the classes, paying the greatest attention to the passionate instructions and words by the professors.

On the second day, they staged a solo concert altogether. It was held at the Duke’s Hall, the academy’s main concert hall with a long history. The performing pupils made speeches in English before each piece of music was performed. Pupils majoring traditional Japanese music introduced their instruments in English and demonstrated how to play them for the audience. The pupils were responsible for preparing everything for the concert, from writing speeches to building the programme, and repeatedly practiced the speeches as well as music. They learned through a trial and error process, withstood various difficulties, and successfully achieved great performance. When they returned to the back stage area with the joy of achievement after receiving big applause from the local audience, they were appreciating each other’s efforts and hardworking.

All the pupils were able to develop themselves and experienced indescribable joy through the days of preparation and the actual activities in the U.K. They also understood the importance of English language skills and ability to communicate their own ideas, which are indispensable to became a globally successful musician. The foreign cultural experience allowed the Japanese pupils to acquire new perspectives towards music and step onto the next stage.

Exchange concert with The Purcell School

From September 26 to 29, 2017, the Geiko Pupils visited The Purcell School, a private specialist music school in Hertfordshire, England. When they arrived at the school a little later than noon, they were welcomed with a musical performance by pupils at The Purcell School. Prior to a social meeting that started at 2 pm, they had lunch with local teachers and pupils and went on a guided campus tour with some pupils.

In the social meeting, they introduced their school in English, and later played a card game featuring famous composers with host pupils. The Japanese pupils showed how to play the game, and all the participants had fun together. This was the very moment when all their efforts were rewarded; under the leadership of a specially formed task force, they had been committed to preparing for this trip, from planning the social meeting to drafting speeches and presentations, and even making the card game.

The concert on the following day was attended by many local people. They were attentively listening to the introductory speeches and performance by the pupils of traditional Japanese instruments. The pupils had repeatedly practiced the speeches in English and they got better every time they face a new audience. Later, pupils of both schools played together the Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 by Tchaikovsky, conducted by a teacher of The Purcell School, which allowed them to have an inspirational experience of overcoming a language barrier through co-working. While there were some issues with their performance on the first day, they were corrected for the real stage. The pupils achieved great performance at the fifty-minute concert, during which two countries were united through the power of music.

For more details of Geiko’s SGH activities, please visit here.
Original article: http://geiko.geidai.ac.jp/sghentry/2017/11/2763/

Read in English