Teaching about the Korean Ganggangsullae Folk Tradition in General Music Class

Abstract

Korean folk music has been rarely included in the Western music curriculum due to limited materials for music teachers to use. This article introduces Ganggangsullae, a prominent Korean folk tradition (called a “folk play” by Koreans) that incorporates singing and dancing, and discusses its historical background and the unique elements of Korean folk music that it illuminates: Korean rhythm, minyo singing, dancing, and dialogue play. In addition, this article offers practical teaching guidance for incorporating Ganggangsullae into the elementary general music classroom.

Developing Songs for Elementary School Students with the Support of Music Notation Software

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