1-4 Brief Overview of the Music Education in Kaohsiung City
1. Music Education in Music Gifted Class—Formal School
TrackThe music-gifted class in Taiwan is often implemented as a distinguished and separated class from the normal class, meaning, students are often single out and put in the same music-gifted class, which is rarely found comparing to other countries. For instance, in the U.S. and many art-specialized colleges in China, they use specialized college school setting, such as Idyllwild Arts Academy in South California, U.S. This type of school is considered as a specialized music school providing students who devote themselves into the music career and the curriculum usually focuses on music stage performance, developing self-talents, and students are often divided into the following majors: (1) strings, (2) keyboard, (3) vocal, (4) percussion, (5) Jazz, and (6) composition.
The music talented classes in Kaohsiung City are only held by around 10 junior high schools in regular public school settings including: Sinsing Senior High School-Junior high school division, Feng-si Junior High School, Chienchin Junior High School, Ying-Ming Junior High School and etc. Comparing with the music talented class of formal school settings in the U.S. and China, the Artistic Gifted and Talented Program in Kaohsiung City is still relatively more academia oriented and focuses more on preparing students’ capability to enter top 1 music talented class in Kaohsiung City. Therefore, the curriculum of the music talented class for junior high school students centers on music instruments performances and content knowledge. Besides strict trainings on individual student’s major musical instrument, the Manual for Ear Training and Sigh, Music Theory, Theory of Harmony and the rest of the basic music skills are also highly emphasized.
2. Curriculum
The Art and Music Gifted specialized curriculum is the foundation of artists and musicians trainings and education in Taiwan and it has significant impacts the art and music education in our country. According to advice suggested by art and music teachers in various cities and counties in Taiwan, the improvements on Art and Music Gifted curriculum are suggested as the following: (1) Design different tasks and materials to cope with students’ various learning styles and personalities, (2) Cultivate and train students on conducting independent studies, (3) Research on interdisciplinary and diverse cultural application as well topic and content based teaching development, (4) Increase students’ art and creative thinking. In order to address the above suggestions, creating websites and utilizing videos can greatly bring positive impacts on the creativity of the education on the Art and Music Gifted curriculum.
3.The Course Overview of the Music Gifted Class at HHHS
| Grade level | Course name | Class meeting / Time per week |
| 7 | Music Theory | 1 / 45 minutes |
| Appreciation of classical music | 1 / 45 minutes | |
| Manual for Ear Training and Sigh | 2/ 90 minutes | |
| Chorus | 1 / 45 minutes | |
| Instrumental ensembles | 3/ 135 minutes | |
| 8 | Theory of harmony | 1/ 45 minutes |
| Manual for Ear Training and Sigh | 2/ 90 minutes | |
| Chorus | 1 / 45 minutes | |
| Instrumental ensembles | 3/ 135 minutes | |
| 9 | Theory of harmony | 1 / 45 minutes |
| Manual for Ear Training and Sigh | 2/ 90 minutes | |
| Chorus | 1 / 45 minutes | |
| Instrumental ensembles | 3/ 135 minutes |