The current study examined experimental schools of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which were set up to research generic competency. The current study sought to clarify the relationships between generic competency and music-specific ability in theses experimental schools.
All of the schools and kindergartens examined in the current study aimed to foster generic competency in new domains and new subjects, and showed a clear connection between other existing subjects including music and these new domains and/or subjects. We founded the attributes, abilities, aims and content in music were connected to generic competency. Music was not just a tool to foster generic competency. As mentioned above, in all of the schools we examined, competency in specific subjects was not the focus. The current results raised several important suggestions for improving curriculum management.