The Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra: A Case Study of Intercultural Music Transmission
by David Hebert
Journal of Research in Music Education
Instrumental music education in Japan has long emphasized wind bands, and in recent decades, Japanese bands have... more Instrumental music education in Japan has long emphasized wind bands, and in recent decades, Japanese bands have achieved a level of performing excellence that arguably rivals all other nations. This case study of Japan's premier wind ensemble provides insights applicable to bands throughout the nation. The study explores the influence of the ensemble's repertoire and educational activities, traces its religious origins, and examines Frederick Fennell's role as musical ambassador. The findings suggest that Japan has not only assimilated and mastered the band genre, but it has transformed the tradition. Moreover, the subculture of wind bands is argued to be a domain of internationalization that challenges Japanese notions of gender roles and ethnic identity.
Music Transculturation and Identity in a Maori Brass Band Tradition
by David Hebert
Hebert, D. G. (2008). Music Transculturation and Identity in a Maori Brass Band Tradition. In R. Camus & B. Habla, (Eds.), Alta Musica, 26 (pp. 173-200). Tutzing: Schneider.
Keywords: Maori music / Brass bands / Ratana bands / Juji Nakada
Genre: Original cross-national historical... more
Keywords: Maori music / Brass bands / Ratana bands / Juji Nakada
Genre: Original cross-national historical research.
Discusses: "some musical implications of the historical relations between Maori prophet Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana (1873-1939) and Japanese Rev. Juji Nakada (1870-1939), as reflected in contemporary brass bands and liturgical practices."
Alchemy of Brass: Wind Music and Spirituality in Japan
by David Hebert
Hebert, D. G. (2008). Alchemy of Brass: Wind Music and Spirituality in Japan. In E. M. Richards & K. Tanosaki (Eds.), Music of Japan Today (pp. 236-244). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Investigates how the wind band genre has been adopted, radically reinvented, and imbued with new meanings by the... more Investigates how the wind band genre has been adopted, radically reinvented, and imbued with new meanings by the Japanese. Wind band music only came to be popularized in Japan during recent generations, but the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra is now regarded as the world's leading professional wind ensemble, and the All-Japan Band Association (AJBA) national contest has become the world's largest music competition, with nearly 500,000 contestants. The role of spirituality within Japanese wind bands is considered (from grade school through professional levels) in their mission (outreach activities), practices (rehearsal strategies), and repertoire (hybrid repertoire by Japanese composers).
Wind Bands and Cultural Identity in Japanese Schools
by David Hebert
Hebert, D. G. (2012-published). Wind Bands and Cultural Identity in Japanese Schools. Dordrecht and New York: Springer. (Series–Landscapes: arts, aesthetics, education).
This well researched volume tells the story of music education in Japan and of the wind band contest organized by the... more
This well researched volume tells the story of music education in Japan and of the wind band contest organized by the All-Japan Band Association. Identified here for the first time as the world’s largest musical competition, it attracts 14,000 bands and well over 500,000 competitors. The book’s insightful contribution to our understanding of both music and education chronicles music learning in Japanese schools and communities. It examines the contest from a range of perspectives, including those of policy makers, adjudicators, conductors and young musicians. The book is an illuminating window on the world of Japanese wind bands, a unique hybrid tradition that comingles contemporary western idioms with traditional Japanese influences. In addition to its social history of Japanese school music programs, it shows how participation in Japanese school bands contributes to students’ sense of identity, and sheds new light on the process of learning to play European orchestral instruments.
Content Level » Research
David G. Hebert, PhD is a Professor of Music with the Grieg Academy, Bergen University College, Norway. He previously held academic positions with universities in the USA, Japan, Finland, Russia, and New Zealand, and has directed (or currently directs) music research projects on 6 continents. Widely published and cited as a scholar of global music education, he is chair of the Historical Ethnomusicology special interest group of the Society for Ethnomusicology.
Keywords » All-Japan Band Association - European orchestral instruments - Japanese composers - Japanese influences - Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra - Yamaha - japanese schools - music education - wind bands - young musicians
Foreword (by Bonnie Wade).- Part I: A social history of wind bands in Japanese schools. Chapter 1: Introduction: The world’s finest school bands and largest music competition.- Chapter 2: Where are these bands from?: An historical overview.- Part II: An ethnography of wind bands in Japanese schools. Chapter 3: An invitation to the Tokyo middle school.- Chapter 4: The band rehearsal ritual and its participants.- Chapter 5: Instruction in the Japanese school band.- Chapter 6: Scenes from the 50th AJBA national band competition.- Chapter 7: Winning in the band: Views from beneath and within.- Chapter 8: Winning in the band: Views from above and beyond.- Chapter 9: Japanese composers and wind band repertoire.- Chapter 10: Leadership and duty in the ensemble.- Chapter 11: Cooperative learning and mentorship in band.- Chapter 12: Organizational training of the Japanese band director.- Chapter 13: Corporate giants: Yamaha and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.- Chapter 14: Metaphors of a Japanese band community.- Chapter 15: Musical identity in the band: Social class and gender.- Chapter 16: National identity in the Japanese school band.- Chapter 17: Ensemble ethos: Theorizing cultures of musical achievement.- Chapter 18: Conclusions.- Afterword.- Glossary.- Index