Musicology and Music Informatics
Faculty of Music, Department of Music Cultures & Education, Music Culture and Education Major, Musicology and Music Informatics
Collecting information, interpreting it, and disseminating it widely to society
This major comprehensively treats the content of various specialized fields of music research - music history, music theory, music aesthetics, ethnomusicology, instrumentology, acoustics, and more - as "music information," and organizes it into the processes of collecting, interpreting, editing, and disseminating information. Students will acquire literacy to access information and literacy to interpret sheet music and text, and acquire the ability to express themselves in a way that reaches their audience. In the foundation course, students will gain a broad understanding of musical culture from all over the world, past and present, and hone their techniques for gathering and interpreting information. In the specialized course, students will focus on shaping the information they have gathered through discussions and presentations, and then publishing it in magazines, websites, or as graduation research.
Point
I feel safe because I have the support of my teachers.
Internship training
This program allows students to take company training courses, which are typically offered during job hunting. With the support of faculty, students can learn about the realities of various jobs, such as music publishing, the distribution industry, and management of music agencies and concert halls.
Actual training locations (recent examples)
Zen-On Music Publishers Co., Ltd. / New National Theatre, Tokyo / Kioi Hall / Tokorozawa Civic Cultural Center Muse / Tempo Primo Co., Ltd. (music agency) / Shunpusha Co., Ltd. (academic publishing)
Specialization
Class and Activity Introduction
Music Information Research Methods
After attending lectures on various areas of musicology from experts in each field, students will choose their own themes and advance their research through presentations and discussions.
Traditional Japanese Music Expression
Through performances of instruments such as the shamisen, gagaku, koto, and hayashi, students will learn about the unique styles and expressions of Japanese music, while also exploring the similarities and differences between Western and Japanese music.
Western Early Music Expression
Students will learn about Western music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods through performances on the recorder, viola da gamba, and harpsichord.
Specialized Seminar
Students will learn the basics of singing and accompaniment, primarily on the piano, and acquire basic vocal and performance techniques suited to clinical situations.
Graduation Research
[Examples of research topics]
- "Proposal for a cross-curricular lesson using piano during integrated learning period"
- "The Role of Music at the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II"
- "Survey on impressions of video and music synchronization"
in Focus - A class that broadens your musical world
Introduction to Musicology:
This course provides an overview of the contemporary expansion of research subjects and methods in musicology, which has its roots in modern Western music, while grasping the characteristics of this field. Classes are taught by faculty members specializing in a variety of fields, including ethnomusicology, instrumental studies, early Western music, acoustics, musical aesthetics, Japanese music studies, and popular music.
Work research A~D:
Faculty members thoroughly explain the appeal of their fields of expertise. A wide variety of classes are offered, including Disney film music, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Sibelius' symphonies, and the Gidayu Kyogen play Kanadehon Chushingura.
Student's Voice
Choir, Western early music, Japanese instruments...
Experience a variety of music according to your interests
SASANUMA Riko
Department of Music Cultures & Education, Musicology and Music Informatics, 4th year
Graduated from Seisen Jogakuin High School, Kanagawa
Musicology and Music Informatics + Japanese Traditional Music Course
Our teachers are experts in a wide range of fields, allowing me to experience music from a variety of angles. My three favorite classes are "Choral Expression" (Common Elective Subjects), which improved my ability to analyze music; "Early Western Music Expression," where I experienced playing the viola da gamba; and "Traditional Japanese Music Expression," where I got to experience traditional Japanese instruments like the sho, koto, and biwa. While these classes may seem disparate at first glance, they share a common theme: ensemble playing. It's fun to see how the classes influence each other. The body movements I learned in choir helped me with my posture when playing the sho, and the knowledge of medieval customs I learned in Early Western Music can be applied to choir singing. It was a delightful discovery to see how the classes influence each other.
Faculty Message
Gain a broad perspective by accessing specialized knowledge in a wide range of fields
TSUKADA Hanae
Musicology and Music Informatics
Specialty: Musicology
In Musicology and Music Informatics, you will have access to specialized knowledge of music across multiple fields, and you will gain the broad perspective necessary to contribute to the development of culture in various fields after graduation. This is a utopia where people filled with love, respect, and intellectual curiosity for music culture gather. In daily classes, I hope to share and pass on knowledge as your "comrades."
Educational Goals
This program involves broadly exploring music-related information in society, critically examining the origins and structure of music, and the role of music in society, based on musicological methods, and learning how to disseminate the results to society. Through work in journalism, research, planning, production, and management, the program cultivates talented individuals who can play an active role in music-related fields not only in the music industry but also in a wide range of areas of society.
Admissions Policy
We are looking for people who have a curiosity and inquisitiveness about music and who wish to work in fields such as journalism, research, planning, production, and management through music-related information.
Curriculum Policy
In the basic course, students will acquire basic musical skills while also learning the basics of collecting, reading, and disseminating music information, as well as the basics of instruments and acoustics. In the specialized course, students will build on what they have learned in the basic course by acquiring practical and applied skills in a variety of areas, including practical learning in editing and management, work experience through internships, lectures and seminars on musicology, and instrument making.
In the third year, students will hold a joint research presentation, and in the fourth year, they will present the results of their individual research as graduation research (thesis, artwork, performance, etc.).
Diploma Policy
Acquire the ability to proactively collect information, examine, interpret, and process it appropriately, and then use it to benefit society.
Specialized Leaflet
