Improvisation Based on Audience Requests: Pedagogical Possibilities of the Application “Sanka Play” for Performer and Audience Interaction in Elementary School Music Classes

In 2017, I developed a computer application entitled “Sanka Play,” which enables audience members to participate in improvisational performances by making real-time requests to performers. In most cases of free improvisation, the audience atmosphere influences performers. While audience–performer interaction is generally nonverbal, Sanka Play allows timeous written verbal interaction. This study determines the positive pedagogical possibilities of using Sanka Play for elementary school music classes. It was expected that using Sanka Play for group improvisation activities in music classes would encourage various styles of expression among the students. Sanka Play was used in two fifth grade (age 10–11 years) music classes in a Japanese elementary school. Observation of class videos revealed that the application induced students to use various modes of expression, such as music, dance, theatrical acting, and even karate. Furthermore, various requests the students made not only improved performance in general but also helped highlight particular strengths in each student’s performing ability. The observations reveal Sanka Play’s pedagogical usefulness and several factors that teachers should consider when using the application. This research illustrates the possibilities of employing a new teaching approach to encourage students to creatively use their inherent expressive abilities.

Elementary School Pupils' Music Preferences for Classical Music / Glazbene sklonosti prema klasičnoj glazbi učenika osnovne škole

The paper explores music preferences of elementary school pupils for classical music and the influence of familiarity with music on their music preferences. As a part of the research, a questionnaire, and a sound questionnaire as its integral part, was administered to 238 pupils attending the second, the fifth and the eighth grade of elementary school. The results confirm that younger pupils, compared to the older ones, show greater preferences for classical music. In addition, the influence of gender on preferences for classical music was also confirmed, while attendance of extracurricular music lessons was not proven to be a significant predictor of the pupils’ preferences for classical music. It was also noted that familiarity with music is a significant factor influencing pupils’ music preferences. The results confirm that pupils show the lowest music preferences for the 20th-century music, which has significant implications for music-pedagogical theory and practice.Key words: classical music; elementary school; music preferences---U ovom radu istražuju se glazbene sklonosti učenika osnovne škole prema klasičnoj glazbi i utjecaj poznavanja glazbe na njihove glazbene sklonosti. U sklopu istraživanja, upitnik i glazbeni upitnik su primijenjeni na 238 učenika drugog, petog i osmog razreda osnovne škole. Rezultati su potvrdili da mlađi učenici pokazuju veće sklonosti prema klasičnoj glazbi od starijih. Osim toga, utvrđen je i utjecaj spola na sklonosti prema klasičnoj glazbi, a pohađanje izvannastavnih glazbenih aktivnosti nije se pokazalo kao značajan prediktor učeničkih sklonosti prema klasičnoj glazbi. Rezultati upućuju na to da učenici pokazuju najmanje sklonosti prema glazbi 20. stoljeća, što ima značajne posljedice za glazbeno-pedagošku teoriju i praksu.Ključne riječi: glazbene sklonosti; klasična glazba; osnovna škola