Critical Assessment: Arirang Included in the Existing Music Textbooks of Middle School

Arirang, with its implicit diversity for the most significant value, was listed in UNESCO s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in the 7th conference by World Heritage Committee held in France, December 6th, 2012.This study began from a question on how well the implicit diversity of Arirang is reflected in music education in schools. In order to investigate what is being taught in schools in regard to the subject, I have analysed the Arirang songs included in the music textbooks of middle school of 18 kinds. Mainly focusing on how well the implicit diversity of Arirang is reflected in the music textbooks, I intended to propose some effective methods for teaching the diversity of Arirang by finding out the merits and demerits of school education on Arirrang. As a result of the analysis of 18 music textbooks focusing mainly on its learning area, melodies, music scores and ornaments, I have found that the textbooks consist mainly of how to understand the melody of the Arirang songs and how to sing. Particularly, it leans too much towards on singing part, which is found to be less effective in educating the diversity of Arirang.In this paper, I have raised a question on educating the diversity of Arirang and claimed to reflect its comprehensive elements such as how to understand, sing, play and appreciate, including how to compose new Arirang songs. In addition, I have also proposed that the music textbooks of middle school should include contents that reflect such diversity of Arirang in a more cohesive and comprehensive manner in the future.Such approach to the diversity of Arirang in music education is to help students understand the difference of the Arirang songs from different regions and learn to harmonize them. More over, music education need to be angled towards the students to help them create new Arirang songs on their own in consequence.