Japanese elementary schools follow national curriculum guidelines that standardize educational content across the country, and music classes are mandatory from the first grade of elementary school (age 6-7) to the sixth grade (age 11-12). Classes are conducted using textbooks that conform to these guidelines. The Music Appreciation curriculum is designed to expose students to a variety of genres, including classical music, ethnic music, Japanese traditional music, and local folk music.Passive learning of appreciation has conventionally been cited as one of the challenges to music education in Japan; however, since the COVID-19 crisis, music classes in schools in recent years have been shifting to active learning.All elementary, junior high, high, and special needs schools in Japan were temporarily closed starting March 2, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, information and communication technology (ICT)-based education methods received increased attention. Around this time, Japan also implemented the “1 device per student” policy under the Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) School Program, which rapidly expanded ICT-based learning for children. Even now, as COVID-19 shows signs of abating, ICT remains an indispensable tool in education.ICT has diverse uses in music education; it can be used to record performances of each child to enable them to objectively reflect on their performance, and these recordings can be compiled into portfolios as records of growth through continuous documentation. Furthermore, digital data can be shared with parents. In appreciation classes, children can engage in music appreciation in individually optimal environments. This is because, in addition to the traditional class-wide listening of music through classroom speakers, students can listen individually using personal ICT devices. Children can also individually listen to music repeatedly based on their interests.Music appreciation classes conventionally had a patterned structure where teachers provided explanations about the works, followed by listening to CDs or DVDs, and the children would describe their impressions of the works heard, which was identified as an issue. How did music education in schools change after the COVID-19 crisis? In this presentation the author considers current trends in music appreciation in Japan.