Enrichment of Students' Learning through Guest Teachers' Participation in the Instruction of Music : Lessons in Creative Performance with Gagaku for Students in the Third Year of Junior High School

Abstract

The staff and students of Fuzoku school have been fortunate enough to invite a local expert in Gagaku to teach and enrich our understanding of the traditional artform.We have been trying to create a celebration of the sunrise based on traditional Gagaku music and have been in need of some assistance. Thanks to the instruction and example of the guest teachers we have been able to evaluate the students understanding and skillls of Gagaku. As a result, we observed: 1. The students initially experienced difficulties and needed assistance, the guest teachers were able to support the students' request, and then the students overcame the problems. 2. The students had the opportunity to watch the visiting teachers perform and benefited even more by their example. Students' expression and understanding of the music developed because of their time spent with the visiting teachers.