miyagi's koto works for children

The Donkey's Ears Go Flop, Flop: Miyagi Michio's Koto Works for ChildrenAuthor(s): Anne PrescottSource: Asian Music, Vol. 36, No. 1 (Winter - Spring, 2005), pp. 27-43Published by: University of Texas PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4098502 .

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The Donkey's Ears Go Flop, Flop: Miyagi Michio's Koto Works for Children

Anne Prescott

Abstract: Miyagi Michio gilA L (1894-1956), koto performer, composer, and educator, was a musical innovator who modified traditional instruments, incorporated new ideas into the body of work called s6kyoku Z 0,' and adopted compositional and playing techniques from Western music and instruments. He was also one of the first Japanese composers to create pedagogical materials and entertaining works that were appropriate for children, and those works are still widely used today to teach koto- playing to beginners, particularly children. This paper will provide an introduction to the Miyagi school of koto playing, examine the traditional method of teaching koto to children, investigate Miyagi's motivation for creating a pedagogical method for children, provide a historical overview of Miyagi's dakyoku @ (children's songs), and finally analyze several of these works.

The Miyagi School of Koto Playing

Koto players generally follow one of two major traditions of koto playing: Ikuta-ryti t (the Ikuta school), founded by Ikuta Kengy6

_• I t

f. (1656-

1715), or Yamada-ryf ti 1 fLj (the Yamada school), founded by Yamada Kengy6 [I t BH 3i (1757-1817). These two traditions are distinguished by differing reper- toires, playing techniques and patterns, and geographic origins.2 Only a few koten E-& (classical works) are shared by the two schools.

Grouped within each of these broadly defined schools are smaller associations or schools that trace their lineage to an esteemed teacher who was the founder of that association. These smaller associations are also often referred to as schools in English, and some of them develop into powerful groups, often

specializing in the compositions of the first or successive iemoto *- (head of the school). Geimei EE, artistic names, as well as the licenses that certify levels of achievement, are granted by the iemoto. Today perhaps the best-known associations within the Ikuta-ryz[ are the Miyagi Kai ij centered on Miyagi Michio, the Seiha H6gaku Kai IE?~hi , and the Sawai S6kyokuin ?jR#T-

Miyagi Michio was born and spent his early years in the foreign concession in Kobe. His father worked for a British tea company, so Miyagi grew up sur- rounded by people speaking foreign languages and he heard Western music

streaming from hotels, churches, and homes. He lost his sight by the age of

@ 2005 by the University of Texas Press, P.O. Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819



28 Asian Music: Winter/Spring 2005

seven and did not have the opportunity to attend school, so in 1902 his family apprenticed him to Nakajima Kengy6 II -i~t a11 , a renowned local koto

andjiuta iftO shamisen master of the Ikuta-ryti.3 Miyagi made rapid progress in his daily lessons; by 1905 he had reached an advanced license level and was

given the geimei Nakasuga Michio V~i•V ~. The Miyagi Kai considers 1905 to be the year that the Miyagi style of koto

playing was established, but the reforms and innovations that make this school distinctive did not begin to be put in place until four years later. The gene- sis of the Miyagi style occurred in the years from 1907 to 1917, when Miyagi taught and performed in Chosen (Korea), first in Inchon and then in Seoul. His father, Kunijiro, and the rest of his family had moved to Chosen in 1905, but Miyagi had stayed behind in Japan with his grandmother to continue his music studies. When Kunijir6 was injured and unable to work, he sent for his

young son to come and support the family by teaching koto. During his years in Chosen, Miyagi had many opportunities that would have been unavailable to him as a young koto player in Japan, where age and hierarchical restric- tions were strictly observed. From the organizational form and playing tech-

niques, to the lyrics (taken from his brother's science textbook), Miyagi's first work, "Mizu no Hentai" * 0) !ft (Transformations of Water, 1909) was un- like any koto composition by any composer prior to that time, and this marks the true beginning of the Miyagi style of koto playing. Miyagi's early expo- sure to Western music in Kobe, his further experience with Western and other

non-Japanese musics in Korea, and his removal from the strict traditions of

Japan gave him the freedom to compose his own works in a completely new

style, influenced by Western musical techniques, and to perform those works in public.

On his return to Japan in 1917, Miyagi's radical (for that time) new com-

positions soon came to the attention of both the traditional koto world and a number of musicians trained in Western music. While many traditional musicians initially shunned him, his music was welcomed and his activities were

supported by those trained in Western music. By the late 1920s, in the midst of a Westernization boom in Japan, traditional musicians also began to support Miyagi's new style of music. By the early 1930s Miyagi was securely established as the leader in the creation of a new style of music for the koto, and the Miyagi playing tradition was firmly in place.

Music Education in Japan

In Japan, musical training practices for traditional instruments and for Western instruments have long been kept separate. Policies enacted by the government



Prescott: Miyagi Michio's Koto Works 29

at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912) dictated that the music taught in schools would be Western, that the teaching would follow Western principles for music education, and that students would study Western composers, instruments, songs, and genres. In 1880 the Japanese government hired Ameri- can music educator Luther Whiting Mason to help set up a school-based music education system, and the Ongaku Torishirabe Gakari

ffA-{, (Music In-

vestigation Committee) was established in the same year (Berger 1991:19-20).4 One of the duties of the Ongaku Torishirabe Gakari was to compose new

songs in Japanese that were a blend of traditional Japanese and Western musical elements in order to acclimate schoolchildren to Western scales, melodies, and harmony. Accordingly, students were taught to sing Western songs or these

newly composed songs in a Western style and to play Western instruments such as the recorder and piano. Parents increasingly preferred that their children learn to play the piano or the violin rather than traditional instruments. By the

early twentieth century several generations of children had learned Western or

Western-style compositions, and the Western musical vocabulary had become the norm.

In recent years only three pieces of traditional Japanese music (one each from gagaku *?C, sokyoku, and kabuki )R~f) were included in the curriculum governing the nine years of compulsory education. Beginning with the new school year in April 2002, a change in the music curriculum mandated the addition of a full year of traditional music instruction in the second year of

junior high school. This instruction theoretically includes hands-on instruction as well as appreciation, but music teachers rarely have any training in either area. At this time traditional music instruction seems to be limited to whatever in-service training the teacher can obtain or the availability of suit- able resources in the local community.

There has been virtually no pedagogical interchange between Western and traditional music. Western musical learning follows European and American models, while koto, shamisen, and other traditional instruments and genres are still taught in the traditional manner popularized during the Edo period (1603-1867), in which students learn under the direction of a master to whom

they owe their musical loyalty. Lessons are based on the master-disciple model, where the teacher has the final word, and students play exactly as the teacher instructs, with no individuality in style or interpretation. Licenses are granted for levels of achievement, and geimei are still bestowed in some schools. Today some "culture schools," operated by local governments, department stores, or other entities also offer traditional music instruction, but students in those schools are still allied with the artistic school of the instructor, and traditional

teaching methods are used.




The Traditional Method for Training Beginners

Koto teachers today use a variety of beginning books, many following the same approach popularized by Miyagi. They begin with a volume contain-

ing introductory etudes that familiarize students with the strings and notation, introducing new techniques and playing patterns one or two at a time. Short, newly composed exercises and simple folk tunes (sometimes even non-

Japanese melodies) reinforce the techniques being taught. Gradually, longer newly composed songs are introduced as preparation for the traditional and modern performance repertoire. Adults, particularly those with previous musical training, may skip most of the preliminary etudes and immediately go to the traditional performance repertoire.

Prior to the 1910s there were no materials specifically meant for teaching koto to children or beginners,5 however teachers generally followed a similar

pattern for beginning instruction. Instructors first taught simple folk songs or other non-performance short tunes to familiarize students with the strings, but they soon moved into the primary performance repertoire. Although the

playing techniques and patterns of classical works are not usually particularly difficult, it is the length of these compositions, the complex interplay between the voice and koto, and the lyrics that are difficult for even educated adults to understand that make these pieces a challenge for beginners.

In her memoir, Hito to Gei y) L L, master koto player Yonekawa Fumiko

i)1 ) I i chronicles her early years of koto training. Born the same year as Miyagi (1894), Yonekawa began studying the koto at the age of three, and although she does not specifically mention which pieces she learned first, at the age of seven she mastered "ShOchikubai" •444r (Yonekawa 1996:260), a

lengthy piece that today is reserved for advanced adults. In order for her to

study this piece at the age of seven, she must have previously mastered a great deal of the classical repertoire. Although the individual playing techniques in this work are not notably more difficult than in other classical works, it is the

length of the piece coupled with its lyrics' archaic literary language that would make this a challenge for a young student. The lyrics include a passage that refers to the pine tree, a symbol of hope and good fortune, and cranes, aus-

picious birds symbolizing longevity. The "everlasting reign" in the last English line refers to that of the Emperor.

A pine tree of One thousand years Now decorated and

Celebrated by everyone, Will live for endless generations,




With the sound of the wind. On the venerable pine branches

Thriving, freshly green, A pair of cranes Nest and dance In celebration Of the everlasting reign.6

- (Tsuge 1983:94)

Today koto students usually begin their study of the instrument with collec- tions of 6tudes and short tunes that have been compiled into various books for

beginning students. The first works that are taught after those beginning books have been completed are from the classical repertoire, and these are likely those that were taught to beginners, both children and adults, prior to Miyagi's de-

velopment of pedagogical materials. "Kurokami" M%7 is often one of the first

pieces learned by Ikuta-ryii koto players, although it is rarely programmed in concerts. It is relatively short, has few vocal ornaments, and the vocal melody follows the koto part quite closely. The lyrics, which begin, "It is the pillow we shared that night, when I let down my jet-black hair. That is the cause of my lament when I sleep alone with my single robe to cover me. 'You are mine,' he said" (Tsuge 1983:81), are straightforward and easily understood, but are

perhaps not entirely appropriate for a young child.

"Yfigao" j 7A is a much-performed work that is also typically one of the earliest classical pieces studied. "Yugao" was composed for shamisen in the first half of the nineteenth century by Kikuoka Kengy6 'V F 0 N (1792-1847) and the koto part was added by Yaezaki Kengy6

A~Vlgi~.r (1776?-1848). The lyrics

are by an unknown author but are based on the "Ytigao" chapter in the Genji Monogatari

Aqt, (Tale of Genji).

Who lives here? He has a servant inquire in the twilight, Genji's cart comes to a halt. Let's peek through a crevice In the high hedge-fence by this tasteful house to which persons rarely come.

Holding a fan permeated with faint scent Of fragrant incense, The owner of the house offers Genji a blossom of the "Evening Faces"

Glittering with pale dew. In a brief dream, he is bound together with Yiigao, a flower ever more beautiful. When he awakes, he feels keenly The chilly winds of midnight.8

- (Tsuge 1983:101)




"Yfigao" begins with the voice entering alone, a trait found in many traditional

Ikuta-ryai works. Although not a daunting challenge for experienced players, beginners must learn how to find their pitch before beginning and enter with confidence before hearing the first tone of accompaniment. As is typical of the traditional repertoire, the voice often sings a melodic pitch that is unrelated to the koto part, often in close dissonance such as a major or minor second, and this is a major difficulty for the beginner. There are also difficult stereotypi- cal ornaments that must be realized with precision against a contrasting koto accompaniment.

Miyagi's Motivation for Composing for Children

Miyagi wrote and published numerous volumes of essays that chronicle his life and works, and he writes at length of the three main reasons he composed musical works for children. The primary incentive was his own sometimes traumatic experiences learning to play the koto as a child, the second was his encounter with the koto works for children authored by Suzuki Koson

S*t 1l (1875-1931),' and the third was a desire to counter the decline in the number of children studying the koto as a result of the Westernization of Japanese society in general and specifically the intrusion of Western music instruction into the schools. His success in these ventures was aided by his association with the writer Kuzuhara Shigeru iA I L I ,6, his general success as a composer and performer, and the cultural environment of Japan in the 1920s that prompted a widespread interest in creating literature and music for children.10

Before the Meiji Restoration of 1868 there had been a long history of blind musicians in Japan. The government in the Edo period had enacted laws to protect certain professions, including that of koto master, for the blind to en- sure that they could support themselves. Although these laws were lifted in 1868, the tradition continued through the beginning of the twentieth century. Miyagi's teacher, who was himself blind, made it a rule never to teach his blind students anything twice in order to "toughen them up." Withholding meals or not allowing the student to return home until he recalled a passage perfectly were usually considered to be effective ways of ensuring that a young learner concentrated and remembered everything the first time around. The first koto piece that Miyagi learned was reportedly "Shiki no Hana" Ve90 4 (Flowers of the Four Seasons) (Kikkawa 1990:62), a short, easy piece with the following lyrics: "Spring is sakura, Summer is citrus, Autumn is chrysanthemum, Winter is daffodil and plum blossoms."

Although this earliest recollection of learning to play the koto was pleasant, Miyagi's experiences soon turned painful. Miyagi found the piece "Musume




D6joji" M #1 to be so difficult that regardless of the threatened conse- quences, he was unable to memorize the lyrics. After finally admitting to his teacher that it was impossible for him to recall this piece, his teacher replied, "You can't remember it because you don't understand the meaning" (Kikkawa 1990:67). This is a portion of the lyrics with which Miyagi struggled: "The great temple bell harbors myriad malices. Struck at midnight, the bell echoes the evanescence of all things. Struck at the ghost hour, the bell echoes the birth and death of all beings. Struck at daybreak, the bell echoes supreme enlightenment. Struck at sunset, the bell echoes the gospel of Nirvana" (Tsuge 1983:77).12

The English version is clearer than the original Japanese, but even in English it requires some effort to understand. Imagine then a ten-year-old child who, because he was blind, had never attended school, had never studied classical literature and archaic language, and had never seen the kabuki play from which this jiuta piece is thought to have been taken. No wonder Miyagi had difficulty remembering the lyrics. Miyagi often mentioned this particular experience in his writings and conversations, and he cited this as one of the main reasons he took to composing simple works with lyrics that were attractive to and easily understood by children.

During the time that Miyagi lived in Chosen (1907-1917), he encountered the works of the koto composer and performer Suzuki Koson. In particular, Suzuki's concerts in Seoul on June 5 and 6, 1915, were very important to Mi- yagi's future compositional activities. One of the works performed by Suzuki on those two days was his composition for children called "Karigane to Tsu- bame" Vb a Q ~ (Kikkawa 1990:150), which may have been the earliest koto work composed specifically for children. After hearing that work, Miyagi told a friend that he would like to try to write a piece for children (Kikkawa 1990:150), and Miyagi often cited this experience as a central factor that motivated him to write children's pieces.

The third reason Miyagi wrote works for children was to attract more young students to the study of koto. The Meiji-era educational reforms mentioned above that favored Western music led to a decline in the number of children, particularly girls, studying the koto. This decline, coupled with the dearth of compositions appropriate for young learners, led to a dramatic decline in the number of young koto students. Miyagi reasoned that works that children would enjoy hearing and would want to learn to play might help to slow or even reverse that decline.

The History of Miyagi's DAkyoku

Miyagi categorized his works for beginners as "teaching pieces" and dokyoku

=t i (children's songs). Children's songs in general are usually referred to as




d6yo _i,

an older term whose meaning has changed throughout history, and

today it is most often used to mean Western-style children's songs composed in the twentieth century for the purpose of teaching children the principles of Western music. Miyagi chose to use the term dikyoku, coined by Suzuki Koson, which he thought was a more neutral, modern-sounding name for his

compositions. There are 117 extant dbkyoku by Miyagi, and it is quite probable that he wrote

many more. A number of Miyagi's manuscripts were lost during World War II, and it is likely that there were some dakyoku among them. He also sometimes wrote little pieces for a specific child, and some of those pieces are likely to have been lost. Eighty-six of his extant ddkyoku date from the period 1926 to 1936, with 1931 being his most prolific year, seeing thirteen dbkyoku composed. The

year 1918 was also significant; of his thirteen compositions that year, nearly all

(eight d6kyoku and two training pieces) were for beginners. After 1937 Miyagi wrote only seven dokyoku. Miyagi's first simpler work for beginners was "Fue no Ne" i~0i (Sound of the Flute), written in 1913 and called a teaching piece. This work was composed even before he heard Suzuki Koson's works for children and demonstrates his early commitment to education. The first works which Miyagi specifically called

dokyoku were "Oumu" 5 -5 d (Parrot) from

1917 or 1918 and "O-Saru" k5 (Monkey) written in 1918. "O-Saru" and "Haru no Ame" * a )i (Spring Rain) were performed in

Tokyo at the first concert of Miyagi's compositions on May 16, 1919.13 Many in the audience were musicians and scholars who were trained in Western music,

Miyagi's initial supporters in his quest to create a new kind of music for the koto. "O-Saru," the first of Miyagi's d6kyoku ever performed in concert, drew

laughter from the audience, who were accustomed to restrained, formal, and serious koto music. Having never heard Suzuki's children's songs, they never dreamed that koto music could be light and "cute" (Kikkawa 1990:221-2).

An event that occurred soon after Miyagi moved from Seoul to Tokyo in

April 1917 had a significant impact on his compositions for children. One of his first acquaintances in Tokyo was Kuzuhara Shigeru, a teacher and author of children's nursery rhymes and poems. When Miyagi first heard Kuzuhara's

nursery rhymes, he felt that they were perfectly suited for children. The two became friends and professional associates, and the lyrics to 102 of Miyagi's 117

surviving d6kyoku were written by Kuzuhara. Another reason Miyagi's dikyoku were so successful was the almost simulta-

neous boom in newly composed Western-style songs specifically for children. This movement, called the Akai Tori

, ,, or "red bird," movement,14 saw

the composition of hundreds of children's songs. Miyagi's supporters like to

point out that the first public performance of Miyagi's dikyoku pre-date by a




few weeks the publication of the first of the Akai Tori children's songs, thus

boasting that Miyagi was in fact ahead of his times.

An Analysis of Some of Miyagi's Works for Children

The Miyagi Michio Shokyoku ShGi 9• i~_•R

M * , in two volumes, is a pedagogical collection of short dikyoku, teaching pieces, and exercises written

by Miyagi for beginners, particularly children.'5 The works included in the

Shokyoku Sha were composed between 1913 and 1934, and they are arranged so that playing and singing techniques are introduced one or two at a time, with the length of the pieces increasing gradually. The texts for sixteen of the

pieces are by Kuzuhara Shigeru, and the lyrics for the other works are by con-

temporary poets, or are taken from relatively simple and well-known classical literature. Miyagi's inclusion of these classical texts may have been a reaction to criticism early in his career that he was not able to compose in the "traditional

style." Today the original two volumes are published together as one volume, and include seven etudes, thirteen dokyoku, and seventeen teaching pieces.

Miyagi's approach was to begin by teaching students to sing in unison with the koto, and the first eight songs in the Shbkyoku Shuf do just that. Gradually extra unison and melodic notes are added in the voice or koto, and then vocal and koto ornaments are added. The Shokyoku Sha begins with works as short as

eight measures and ends with compositions that approach in length the shorter works in the classical repertoire. Exercises interspersed throughout the book offer practice with various rhythms, as well as traditional playing patterns and

techniques. These small steps in learning to play and sing together make it much easier to master this art, particularly today when koto music is not as

prevalent as it once was. There are no instructions on how new playing tech-

niques are realized, so the Shjkyoku Sha cannot be used as a self-instruction manual; the learner must have the guidance of a teacher in order to use the book effectively.

"Roba-san" t• / +-7f > , or "Mr. Donkey," the first song in the Shokyoku Shh, was composed in 1931 to lyrics by Kuzuhara Shigeru. The two verses are: "Mr.

Donkey, Mr. Donkey, clop, clop, your ears go flop, flop, clop, clop. Ring-a- ling, ring-a-ling, the bell around your neck. Your ears go flop, flop, clop, clop." This is a far cry from "The great temple bell harbors myriad malices." The voice follows the koto exactly, making it easy for the beginner to get used to

singing and playing at the same time. There are over 10,000 members of the

Miyagi Koto Association, and virtually all of them began their koto studies

with "Roba-san." Add to that the many non-Miyagi koto players who also used his book early in their studies, and you have a great number of koto players




1.Ro - ba san Ro - ba san to - ko - tot - to 2.Ka - ra - ran Ka - ra - ran ku - bi nosu zu

O - mi - mi pyo - ko pyo - ko to - ko - tot to O - mi - mi pyo - ko pyo - ko to - ko - tot to

Figure 1: "Roba-san"

To - sa - ma tsu - zu - mi o chot - to ka - shi - te

Figure 2: "O-Sh6gatsu Desu Kara," measures 1-4

in Japan who can sing, "Roba-san, roba-san . . ." The twelve songs follow-

ing "Roba-san" follow the same pattern of easily understood lyrics and vocal lines that are the same as the koto line. Occasionally the voice will sing two identical pitches against one note of the same pitch in the koto (see Figure 2, m. 4, beats 1 and 2). Some of the early songs also include an optional shamisen part, which is available in the beginning shamisen book. The koto version can be played as a solo, however, and the only indication that there is a shamisen version is in notes at the end of those pieces, with instructions on tuning the shamisen and koto when they play together. The first thirteen songs con- centrate on introducing various koto-playing techniques while the voice and the koto melodies are the same. These playing techniques include the whole

press, which raises the pitch one whole step (Figure 3); the half press, which raises the pitch one half step (Figure 4); octaves (Figure 4); shan > -? '/, which is simultaneously striking two adjacent strings with the third finger (Figure 4); upstrokes, or plucking the string in a motion toward the body (Figure 5); and sha-sha -> -i- , simultaneously plucking two adjacent strings in rapid suc- cession, first with the second and then with the third finger (Figure 5). Their

potential appeal to children is seen in the titles, for example, "O-Sh6gatsu Desu Kara" $B IEI f -C- V 6 (Because It's New Year's Day), "Yuki no Penki-ya" -o

S (Mr. Snow Painter), and "Ko-tanuki, Ko-usagi" -T499 (Little Rac- coon, Little Rabbit). There are four renshu i * (exercise) pieces among the first thirteen songs in the collection. The first renshii in the book familiarizes students with the strings; the second, between songs six and seven, introduces the eighth note played with downstrokes (the thumb plucking away from the




O - mi - ya ni na - ni ga a - ri - ma - su ka

Figure 3: "O-Miya to O-Tera," measures 1-4; t-=

whole press

A - II

I~ I I

Figure 4: "Yoshino Yama," measures 13-16; 7 = half press; / -v '/= shan

NI, --_ ,

- - ,I I .

A-sa fu-ru Yu - ki wa sa a - ra sa- ra ki no ha ki no ha ni

Jf•I I v ....

1 , ..

'"'" JI I: F I ...... ,• .. . ... ,• ,, ,- -_• • , . i - -- i --i--- ----.

sa - a6- ra sa -w-.-

t sa a -ra sa - ra

Figure 5: "Asa no Yuki, Hiru no Yuki, Ban no Yuki," measures 1-6; A= upstroke; - -Pv --= sha-sha

body); the third, between songs eight and nine, introduces the dotted half note and dotted quarter note rhythms, and the fourth, between songs nine and ten,

provides practice playing octaves and the shan (simultaneous striking of two

adjacent strings with the third finger) technique. Three of these exercises are reinforced by the inclusion of that playing technique or rhythm in the song immediately following the exercise.

"Hana Saka Jijii" , the fourteenth song in the Shokyoku Shfi, is the first example in that volume of a work in which the koto and voice melodies differ substantially. This dckyoku was written in 1934, with lyrics by Kuzuhara. The koto plays pitches that reinforce the voice melody, but the voice part is

sparsely supported throughout (Figure 6), and the voice often enters before the koto plays the same pitch (Figure 6). This is one of the typical styles of traditional koto music. The voice part does not, however, contain any of the vocal ornaments typically found in traditional pieces, so the beginner has only to




m m i .a .I

ka-re - ki no -e da ni mo ea-chi-ra

no e - da ni i U

Figure 6: "Hana Saka ]ijii," measures 5-8; Koto: whole notes; voice: quarter notes

A• ? l II r i I I I ' voice, '' a--'j- - -- -- tsu - - - yu - u na - a-ga - a-ra

koto 3 -d

Figure 7: "Kazashi no Kiku," measures 1-2

cope with holding his or her own against the koto accompaniment. In "Hina Matsuri" * r) (Doll Festival) and "Katta Kame no Ko" V - tt:•-O9- (The Little Tortoise that Won), a second koto part is added, but the first koto part closely follows the voice, providing support for the beginning player. In "Hina Matsuri," the first (beginner) part is in the most common tuning, hira j6shi

49.3-T, but the second (teacher's) part is in the tuning kumoijoshi ~A)~M# at a lower pitch level, which is a typical scenario for duets in the classical repertoire.16 In all of the other duets in volumes I and II, both koto parts are in hira j6shi. In "Kazashi no Kiku" b ? L ,o3~ (Decorative Chrysanthemum), the twenty-third piece, the voice has a solo pick-up note before the koto entrance (Figure 7). It also includes some typical ornaments, including what would be considered a dissonance in Western music but is quite typical between vocal and instrumental lines in koto and shamisen music. Figure 7 shows one in- stance of this near dissonance. On beat 4 of measure 1 the student first plays the Eb to D pattern, but half a beat later must be careful to sing the F to D clearly and precisely. The three renshi pieces in the last half of volume I emphasize ear training for playing half and whole presses in tune, fingering exercises, descending patterns played with the thumb, and sixteenth notes. These serve to round out the playing patterns and techniques that are necessary to play the works in the following volume that today are published together in a single book with those appearing in the first volume. The seven compositions in volume II, beginning with "Yama to Kumo"

tJ ~ (Mountains and Clouds), are

longer, and they combine all of the koto and vocal techniques found in vol-




ume I to prepare students for the standard repertoire. The final piece, "Kaid6" A 9, is the first opportunity for the beginning student to play in a variant tun-

ing, kumoi joshi. Without a doubt, the student will have had the opportunity to hear this tuning in the second koto part of "Hina Matsuri," but since this is the first piece the student has played in that tuning, there is a note explain- ing that kumoi jbshi is created by starting with hira jbshi and tuning the fourth and ninth strings up a whole step and the third and eighth strings down a half step.17

Another Miyagi dikyoku, "Yoru no Daiku-san"k D 1)iI _ &/ (Evening Car-

penter), which is not included in the Shokyoku Shui, was written in 1927. Be- cause they were written specifically as pedagogical tools or to entertain chil-

dren, most of Miyagi's children's songs are not performed in concert. "Yoru no Daiku-san," however, is programmed occasionally to showcase very young children with exceptional talent, or for a known performer to show off his or her own children's abilities. "Yoru no Daiku-san" can be performed as a solo, with the koto and voice parts nearly the same, or as a duet with two koto parts and voice. The part added to make it a duet is the more difficult, and this part is

usually played by an adult, usually the teacher, or an older child. The lyrics are

always sung by a child- either one of the performers, or sometimes children who are not playing. When children play and/or sing "Yoru no Daiku-san" as a

duet, they learn how to sing against an entirely different koto accompaniment. Yet one koto part is still playing their melody, giving them a sense of security.

Influenced by his own bad experiences as a child, the works of Suzuki Koson, and the decline in the number of children playing koto, Miyagi Michio was one of the first Japanese composers to write for children, and he composed more koto works for children than any other koto composer. Some of these

dbkyoku were assembled into a volume called the Miyagi Michio Shikyoku Shai, which is organized so that through itudes, pedagogical songs, and dbkyoku, beginners are gradually introduced to koto-playing and singing techniques. The works in the Shbkyoku Shiu are rarely performed on stage, but some of

Miyagi's other dbkyoku, particularly "Yoru no Daiku-san," are programmed as showcases for talented young performers. Although other koto composers followed Miyagi's lead in writing works for children, Miyagi remains one of the earliest, the most prolific, and the most often-performed composer of children's koto works.

East Asian Studies Center, Indiana University




Appendix A

Contents of Miyagi Michio Shikyoku Shia, Volumes I and II

Volume I

Exercise: familiarizes students with strings "Roba-san" m / t

+- /: solo with voice (2 verses) "Ten Temari" t- •'/ -7 1) : solo with voice (2 verses)

"Fukujus6" NiM5: solo with optional shamisen duet, voice (1 verse)

"O-Sh6gatsu Desu Kara" -3IE T~ -4-•

)6: solo with voice (4 verses) "O-Miya to O-Tera" L & L ?3: solo with voice (2 verses) "Yoshino Yama" f UfO: solo with optional shamisen duet, voice (1 verse)

Exercise: familiarizes students with eighth-note downstrokes "Kobato" +J%)Q: solo with voice (1 verse) "Iwa Moru Mizu" t t5 * : solo with voice (1 verse)

Exercise: familiarizes students with dotted half note, dotted quarter note "Yuki no Penki-ya" - 0-~' / + : solo with voice (1 verse)

Exercise: octave, shan practice "Haru no Sono" a>0 i: solo with optional shamisen duet, voice (1 verse) "Ko-tanuki, Ko-usagi" -iA _ .:

koto duet with voice (2 verses) "Asa no Yuki, Hiru no Yuki, Ban no Yuki" }4•l o) dE Ro): koto duet with

voice (3 verses) "Kimi no Megumi" o t ) <" : solo with optional shamisen duet, voice

(1 verse) "Hana Saka Jijii" Eflffif: solo, 2 verses

"Harugasumi" A: solo with optional shamisen duet, voice (1 verse)

Exercise: ear training, practice in playing presses for P5, half press/whole press differentiation practice "Hina Matsuri" ~ •, : duet with voice (3 verses) "Ichiban-boshi, Niban-boshi" --*I-#V: duet with voice (1 verse) "Orochi Taiji" )ttEi: solo with voice (2 verses) "Katta Kame no Ko" f- -L

'-M : duet with voice (2 verses)

Exercise: traditional fingering pattern practice "Oigawa" t4)1ll: solo with optional shamisen duet (1 verse) "Hana yori Akuru" E V 0 ~ V < 6: solo with optional shamisen duet (1 verse)




Exercise: descending sixteenth note practice "Iwama Tojishi" tr@ M t; L: solo with optional shamisen duet (1 verse) "Kazashi no Kiku" h' ?" L ,

j : solo with voice (1 verse)

Volume II

"Yama to Kumo" [h ~ 2: solo with voice (1 verse)

"Fuji no Hana" 4-L:

solo with voice "Yama no Ue" L

?_?: duet with voice (2 verses)

"Yuki no Kumo" -

I : solo with 2 tegoto (instrumental sections); can be

played as a duet with one person playing each tegoto "Fue no Ne" o ): solo with voice (3 verses)

"Fuji no Takane" DA i- ,Rah: solo with voice

"Kaid6" iAi: solo with voice

Notes

ILiterally meaning "koto music," sakyoku V # is the term used to refer to music

played on the koto. 2The Ikuta-ryui originated in the Osaka/Kyoto area of western Japan, while the

Yamada-ryii is associated with the area around Tokyo in eastern Japan. Since World War II, both styles have been found throughout the country, with the Ikuta-ryci having the larger number of followers today.

3Ikuta-ryai adherents also play jiuta-style shamisen, itself also associated with the

Osaka/Kyoto region. 4 The Ongaku Torishirabe Gakari effectively operated as a school of music, with stu-

dents and teachers working together to create, master, and disseminate music in a new

style blended with Western music. 5 Before the twentieth century (and in some cases as late as 1945) the use of notation

was limited, and works were taught by rote.

7The jiuta version of Kurokami is an adaptation of a kouta ,]\•by Koide Ichijfrii6

?-fi--+8 (d. 1800). Versions for several other styles of shamisen playing also exist.

9Today Suzuki Koson is remembered primarily for his influence on Miyagi. 10 Other than those written by Miyagi, most of these musical efforts were in a West-

ern musical form, as the government made a concerted effort to teach children Western

musical principles.




' Several versions of this work exist, and it is unclear which version Miyagi first learned. The Musume Dojoji story appears in both the Noh and kabuki repertories in various versions. The basic story line involves the dedication of a new bell at the temple

D6joji. The former bell was destroyed when a young woman, Kiyohime, fell in love with a Buddhist priest, who had taken vows of celibacy. The woman pursued him relent-

lessly, and her hate and jealousy turned her into a serpent. The priest took refuge in the

temple and the temple abbot lowered the bell over him. The frustrated serpent/woman coiled itself around the bell, and the flames from its jaws destroyed both the bell and the priest. As a result, a ban was imposed on women entering the temple.

In the most common formulations of the story, a beautiful temple dancer appears at the dedication of the new bell and asks to dance in order to raise funds for a temple destroyed by fire. At first the monks refuse her offer because of the ban on women in the temple, but they relent when they see her disappointment. She changes her costume nine times in the dance, and the priests become uneasy as they recall that the snake was

supposed to have shed its skin nine times. They try to drive her from the temple, but she climbs on the bell and reveals that she is Kiyohime and has come to destroy the new bell.

12 Z_

,' i •j

_,Ji. (Kikkawa 1990:66).

13 This was the first koto concert consisting entirely of works that were composed by the performer. It was widely shunned by traditional musicians, who could not accept the radically new style of Miyagi's compositions. His earliest supporters, however, who

gave the concert rave reviews, were those who had been trained in Western music. 14 This movement was named for the magazine Akai Tori, which published literature

and songs for children.

15This book is still widely used to teach beginners. 16 The pitches for hira joshi in this piece (beginning with string 1 on C) are C F G Ab

C Db F G AL C Db F G; for kumoijoshi (beginning with string 1 on G) are G C Db F G Ab C Db F G Ab C Db.

17 All players memorize the intervallic structure of hirajoshi, but beginning and inter- mediate players rarely memorize the other named tunings. Experienced koto players also memorize other commonly used named tunings, such as kumoi jbshi. It is common, however, for all koto players to think of all tunings in relation to how they differ from hira j6shi, and this is how they are usually noted in printed scores. Newly created

tunings may be noted in relation to hira j6shi, or more likely the tuning is given on a five-line staff or using solfege syllables.

References Cited

Berger, Donald Paul 1991 Sh6ka and D6yi: Songs of an Educational Policy and a Children's Song Move-

ment of Japan: 1910-1926. Ph.D. Dissertation, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.




Chiba Junnosuke and Chiba Yuiko, eds. 1999 Miyagi Michio Ongaku Sakuhin Mokuroku ?4:R•M HRUR [Catalogue

of the Music of Miyagi Michio]. Tokyo: H6gakusha. Kikkawa Eishi

1990 Miyagi Michio Den ;MA f [Biography of Miyagi Michio]. rev. ed. Tokyo:

H6gakusha. Kikkawa Eishi and Kamisango Yfik6, eds.

1979 Miyagi Michio Sakuhin Kaisetsu Zensho 9 JA 01 * A A*3 0 [Annotated

Catalogue of the Compositions of Miyagi Michio]. Tokyo: H6gakusha. Prescott, Anne

1997 Miyagi Michio, The Father of Modern Koto Music. Ph.D. Dissertation, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.

Tsuge Gen'ichi 1983 Anthology of S&kyoku and Jiuta Song Texts. Tokyo: Academia Music Ltd.

Yonekawa Fumiko 1996 Hito to Gei )A k [My Life and Art]. Tokyo: H6gakusha.



miyagi's koto works for children

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