The Music High School Attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts (Geiko) held the 8th SGH Lecture Meeting on Global Career on Thursday, November 9, 2017.

The lecture started at 1 p.m. at the 201 hall. Ms. Sachie Saito and Ms. Yoko Yokota, who are project associate professors of Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai) Faculty of Music Global Support Center, spoke about the standard procedures to study abroad for music students at Tokyo Geidai, and how Geiko students should prepare for such opportunities.

The lecture was divided in four parts, which are summarized as follows;

1. Why do you study abroad? How to decide your study abroad destination.

Students of Tokyo Geidai have different motivations for studying abroad such as upskilling, recommendation by parents, or influence of senior students. It is suggested that students find professors they want to learn from and apply for the program where the professors are teaching, which allow them to clarify their respective goals of studying abroad. Nowadays, high school students can meet foreign professors through various occasions such as special lessons for high schoolers and concerts that are held during their stay in Japan. The Geiko students seemed to have been inspired by the advice that students eying to study abroad should proactively make contact with such visiting professors.

2. When is the best timing to study abroad

Students can chose a timing that best suits their respective career plans. Some students take a temporary leave from university, while others leave Japan soon after their graduation from high school or university. Students considering studying music in France should bear in mind that French conservatories often have an age restriction depending on the instrument.

3. What level of language proficiency is required

Each institution has its own language requirements. It is important to note that British institutions especially place emphasis on English language skills along with performance skills. Moreover, it is important for all music students, either they go abroad for studies or not, to acquire a certain level of foreign language skills. Even students of traditional Japanese instruments are often reminded of the necessity of learning foreign languages at occasions such as overseas concerts where they need to appeal their instruments and music to foreign audiences. At Tokyo Geidai’s Training Center for Foreign Language and Diction, students can learn with native instructors different foreign languages according to their respective levels of proficiency.

4. Cost of studying abroad

The cost of studying abroad can vary from destination to destination. The range of tuition fees can be as broad as from 200,000 yen to 3 million yen. In addition, rent and living expenses are also incurred. Staying at a dormitory or room sharing can be an option to economize such expenses. A variety of scholarships are also available to students going abroad on different programs. Not only Geidai and the Japanese government, but also destination universities and various foundations in Japan are providing financial support to students. Students are therefore recommended to actively collect and use scholarship information.

After the lecture finished, students in different grades asked a series of questions. The lecture meeting seemed to give a good opportunity for the participating Geiko students to make themselves clear about what they were vaguely thinking about studying abroad, while considering the significance of working on the global stage and the abilities required to act and communicate globally.

About Super Global High school: http://www.sghc.jp/en/

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 (SGH) initiative by MEXT. 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　and collaborating with Tokyo Geidai, which was selected in 2014 for the Top Global University Project by MEXT.

For more details of Geiko’s SGH activities, please visit here.
Original article: http://geiko.geidai.ac.jp/sghentry/2017/12/2920/