Piano Pedagogy and Music Education
Anime Piano Music, more specifically the arrangements of Animenz has the potential to be used in music education and as a tool for responsive pedagogy.
During my internship at Unionville High School, I heard a student playing Animenz’s arrangement of Guren No Yumiya. Additionally, my piano teacher had a student who wanted to play Animenz’s arrangement of Laputa Castle in the Sky. I also briefly taught a student who wanted to play Animenz’s arrangement of Sincerely. With all this interest, it raises the question of responsive pedagogy and repertoire substitution.
I argue that Animenz’s arrangements could be used as a tool for responsive pedagogy. Most students who are interested in playing Animenz’s arrangements are already familiar with the original source material. Animenz incorporates a variety of classical techniques into his arrangements. This creates the perfect condition for responsive pedagogy as a teacher could teach classical techniques through an anime song that their student is already familiar with.
I also believe that Animenz’s arrangements could be used to introduce students to classical music as well as bridge the gap between popular music and classical music. From my own childhood experiences, I never liked classical music and I had trouble perceiving colour in music. However, the first colour I heard was purple and it was from listening to Animenz’s arrangement of This Game. Since this arrangement incorporates many classical techniques and influences, it changed the way I viewed classical music. I do not think my story is unique as Animenz’s arrangements have inspired a large number of pianists like myself to continue playing.
Many pianists often start with Hikaru Nara due to its intermediate difficulty and its significance with the anime Your Lie In April, which made classical music more accessible to the general public (Animenz 2022).
Animenz’s arrangements could be taught from a classical perspective since they incorporate many classical techniques. For example, since Animenz’s arrangements are polyphonic, one could approach it as a fugue. Animenz’s arrangements are four to eight minutes long but they contain many technical passages within that time frame.
The conservation of energy would be an important consideration because anime songs usually do not have moments of “rest” like in classical music. One should also take into account the inherent lyrical quality of Animenz’s arrangements. Being expressive and having a sensitive touch is important for imitating a singing voice. Teachers may have to consider the words of the original songs, the original story of the anime, and the opening or ending sequence to effectively capture the atmosphere of the arrangement.
Giving students a Choice
A possible performance practice for Animenz’s arrangements could involve creating a customizable sonata, suite or song cycle. Having students select movements from a list of pieces forces them to engage with the music and gives them ownership over their performance, allowing for more intimate control.
Students would need to think about the source material, the style, and other aspects to create the perfect order. In a way, this practice allows students to become composers themselves through the organization of music. Even if the teacher has no knowledge of anime piano music, they can work collaboratively with the student to help decide the order based on the student’s interpretations of the anime.
When learning these types of arrangements, Animenz stated:
“Try to be patient when you are practising my arrangements, because they may contain some technical hurdles, which need a lot of time to master. Remember that I was learning classical piano music for almost a decade before I even created my first anime piano arrangement.”
- Animenz 2024 (Email Interview)
For classically trained pianists who are interested in Animenz’s arrangements but do not know where to start, Animenz recommends his arrangements of Here, Merry Go Round of Life, and 5 Variations of Lit since they are classically inspired arrangements. Animenz stated that Here is personally his favourite classical-inspired arrangement since it represents the perfect fusion of classical and anime music (Animenz 2024).