Nicole Stewart

Ed 3601
February 3, 2013

Music Belongs to Everyone: A Philosophy of Music Education

By Nicole Stewart

Everyday, we are surrounded by music. It is on in our stereos as we drive to and

from work, we listen to it in through our headphones which are constantly in our ears, it
provides depth to the commercials we watch on television, and plays distantly in the
background as we shop for groceries. Some of us even sing while we do housework, or
regularly rehearse and perform with a music ensemble. In fact, there are very few people
who would deny finding enjoyment in music, yet if you were to ask someone what music
is, it becomes an entity that is nearly impossible to define. According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, music is defined as sounds that are sung by voices or played on a
musical instrument. Others may define music based on its components of defined pitch
and rhythm. These two viewpoints tend to be very dominant in Western cultures, although
a much more liberal view of music is held by many cultures and individuals around the
world. These people would tend to view music as sounds that are created in order to
produce a desired effect. In looking at this more liberal definition, it begins to become
clearer what humans fascination with music is. Music is the oldest form of connecting
with ourselves and connecting with others, for it allows us to communicate thoughts,
ideas, and emotions through a medium which resonates deeply within our biology and our
cultures. Music can sooth us or uplift us, it can help us find solitude or connect with
others, and it can improve our neurological function.
Scientific studies clearly show a correlation between studying music and marked
improvement in physical, emotional, and social health. Musicians often talk about the
importance of music in helping them feel emotionally well rounded, but an increasing
number of studies are beginning to back up these claims with scientific proof. Studies
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show that music can help students connect with their peers, have a deeper sense of self,
promote creativity, and provide a relaxation outlet (Kokotsaki & Hallam, 2013). There are
also numerous claims that music can physically alter the way the health of brain, helping
with things such as improving memory or concentration, or even helping reduce the effects
of dementia (Balakrishnan, Browne, Marley, & Heim, 2013). Music is also a subject area
where many students who typically are not defined as being a successful student, are
able to find something that they are passionate about and excel at. All of these reasons
make a compelling case for the importance of teaching children music.
Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, teacher, and philosopher Zoltan Kodaly once
wrote, Music belong to everyone, and it is the treasure of all. (Williams, 2013). When it
comes to being a music educator, these words guide my teaching more than any other, for
I truly believe that music is something that must be available for anyone and everyone to
study, enjoy, and experience. In everything I do professionally, I try to remember that it is
important to give all peopleespecially young peoplethe opportunity for an education
in music.
In knowing that I firmly believe that music should belong to everyone, it naturally
follows that I strongly support music being taught in schools, for if music is to belong to
everyone it must be accessible to everyone, and the only way to ensure this is to provide it
as part of a well rounded and comprehensive public education system. Too often, young
people miss out on the chance for musical education because of financial circumstances,
but this should not be the case. We live in a society that emphasizes the importance of
literate children in language, mathematics, politics, and scientific studies, yet we are all
surrounded by music on a daily basis but place little value on the importance of being
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musically literate. Scientist and musician Daniel J. Levitin touched on this cultural
phenomenon in his book This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession,
saying that:
When they find out what I do for a living, many people tell me they love music
listening, but their music lessons 'didn't take.' I think they're being too hard on
themselves. The chasm between musical experts and everyday musicians that has
grown so wide in our culture makes people feel discouraged, and for some reason
this is uniquely so with music. Even though most of us can't play basketball like
Shaquille O'Neal, or cook like Julia Child, we can still enjoy playing a friendly
backyard game of hoops, or cooking a holiday meal for our friends and family.
This performance chasm does seem to be cultural, specific to contemporary
Western society. And although many people say that music lessons didn't take,
cognitive neuroscientists have found otherwise in their laboratories. Even just a
small exposure to music lessons as a child creates neural circuits for music
processing that are enhanced and more efficient than for those who lack training.
Music lessons teach us to listen better, and they accelerate our ability to discern
structure and form in music, making it easier for us to tell what music we like and
what we don't like. (Daniel J. Levitin Quotes, 2013).
Levitin clearly believes that while music is a part of most peoples lives, our society holds
a sense of elitism around being musically literate. It is my belief that this would not be true if the
teaching of music to all children was valued more in a public education system. When a child
enters school, he or she may not initially show an aptitude for reading and writing, and yet we
would never say to that young child, Its okay. Reading is not your thing. Im sure youll be good
at other things. Instead we teach the child, believing in their abilities and fostering them to grow.
So too should it be with music education. Every child has the capacity to learn and grow if given
the right environment and supports, and these conditions should not be dependent on natural talent
or personal finances.
There are several manifestations in my practice of teaching that reflect my belief that
music should belong to everyone. Perhaps the most notable of these is that I firmly believe that
musical ensembles and classes in educational settings should be non-auditioned. There will be
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always be students who naturally show talent for music, but there will also always be students
who have great potential to benefit physically and emotionally from music, if only they are given
some time and guidance to develop their musical skills. If we write these children off because they
do not initially show aptitude, how can they ever improve? My job as a music educator is to
educate people about music and to help them grow, and thus I could never exclude anyone on the
basis of them not being good enough, for no one is perfect and we all have the capacity to grow
in different ways. For some children, this growth will happen in the area of musical performance
or creation, while for others it will happen in more subtle ways such as increased confidence,
critical listening skills, or improved neurological function as a result of being exposed to music.
All of these areas are important, and it should be the role of a music curriculum to touch on all of
them, whether directly or indirectly.
While I believe that music should be accessible for all to learn, I definitely do not believe
it should be accessible for all to teach. In this regard, I follow closely to the ideas of Zoltan
Kodaly, who once said that, It is much more important who is the music teacher in Kisvrda than
who is the director of the opera house in Budapest... for a poor music director fails once, but a
poor teacher keeps on failing for thirty years, killing the love of music in thirty generations of
children. (Choksy, 1999). This could not be truer. To properly scaffold music for the teaching of
young children, one must have an exceptional understanding of how music works, so that the
children can receive the most appropriate and meaningful musical experience. Kodaly and I also
share another sentiment regarding the teaching of music, and that is that music should be taught
from a bottom-up approach, in that the emphasis on quality music needs to be placed on the
children of the youngest age, for this is when they have the greatest capacity to learn and require
the most support. Kodaly also wrote on this subject, saying that, we have got to get rid of the
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pedagogic superstition that some sort of diluted substitute for art is good enough as the material
for teaching... Nobody should be above writing for children: on the contrary, we should strive to
become good enough to do so. What is needed is original music, works that by their words,
melody, and atmosphere are adapted to the voice and spirit of children. (Esze, 1962). While
Kodaly was specifically speaking about the literature to be used with children, the same principal
applies to the type of people who are teaching music.
I dream of living in a society where music becomes a part of a childs life before he or she
is even born. This interaction with music is fostered through the care and support of a music
education specialist who understands what is developmentally appropriate for the child to
progress, and who believes in the profound skills and capabilities of young children, instead of
thinking of them as being cute, but not worthy of being called a real musician. This music
education will continue all through grade school, and where desired, will extend into the childs
adult life. In order for this to happen, the teacher must ensure that he or she is providing the right
conditions for a child to develop. Leading educational theorist Sir Ken Robinson articulated this
belief well, saying that, Nobody else can make anybody else learn anything. You cannot make
them. Anymore than if you are a gardener you can make flowers grow; you dont make the
flowers grow. You dont sit there and stick the petals on and put the leaves on and paint it. You
dont so that. The flower grows itself. Your job if you are any good at it is to provide the optimum
conditions for it to do that, to allow it to grow itself. (Sir Ken Robinson's 10 Most Motivational
Quotes, 2013). A good music educator can provide these conditions for a child by providing them
with constant exposure to quality literature, engaging them in critical analysis of music, and
guiding them in performance skills such as ear training or instrumental technique. Most
importantly, a teacher can provide these conditions for a child by constantly providing them with
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Ed 3601
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positive support and encouragement. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs teaches us that before anyone
can reach the stages of being where learning occurs, they must first have their security needs met.
In the case of music education, this means having a teacher who does not doubt their ability to
learn, and who fosters their education instead of telling them that they are not good enough.
Learning of any kind is a vulnerable process, but music can be especially so because it is by
nature a physical and emotional subject. The best way to learn is by trying something, but no one
will try something if they are too afraid to make a mistake. Thus, the teacher needs to create a
positive learning environment where the sounds of learning, which often sound a lot like mistakes
to the trained ear, are appreciated as progress, not as an undesirable sound.
As may be apparent to a reader of this paper, I am a strong supporter of the Kodaly
Method of Music Education. I believe that this method, created by Kodalys followers and based
on his music philosophies and teachings, is an incredibly well rounded approach to music
education that teaches children in a natural and appropriate way, while also lending itself to the
application of its principals in many different musical situations. First and foremost, I like that the
Kodaly approach emphasizes sound before sight, in the same way that a child must learn how to
read, but first they must learn how to talk. This approach seems so obvious, and yet most of my
music education experiences were not taught in this way. I also love that the Kodaly approach
emphasizes the importance of working with young musicians, and the value of providing them
with quality instruction and materials under which they can flourish. By starting at the beginning,
we set students up for nothing but success as they move forwards in their musical journey.
Finally, the Kodaly method resonates with me for it emphasizes the importance of singing for two
reasons: accessibility and audiation. The process of singing internalizes music, and thus seems
like the most natural way to create a solid foundation for aspiring musicians. In addition, everyone
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has a voice, and teachers of the Kodaly method recognize that unless a child has a physical or
mental exceptionality, all children can be taught how to sing. By teaching an early music program
based in singing, a program is created that is attainable to anyone with a good teacher, regardless
of financial circumstances. I recognize that the teachings of Kodaly are not perfect, for they were
designed to be used in a country trying to create a nationalistic music culture and to be taught to
people with a single cultural background, but I also believe that the main principles can be
adapted to Canadian schools to still create a meaningful methodology. In addition, I also believe
that just because there is an official method does not mean that it should be taught as such. Most
teachers will tell you that no single strategy works to address the needs of all learners, and so it
should follow that no single method should be used exclusively for teaching. Though I rely most
heavily on the teachings of Kodaly when I work with young singers, I also incorporate strategies
from other ideologies such as Orff, and I combine them with techniques that I have learned from
my own experiences to create a method that works for the personalities of me and my students.
Music is a part of our culture and society; it always has been, and it always will be.
Knowing this, it seems obvious that we must teach your younger generations to be intelligent
consumers of music. In addition, the research clearly shows that experiences with music have
physical and psychological benefits for people of all ages, both short-term and long-term. To not
foster musical training in young people is to do a serious disservice to them, and this type of
education must be delivered in schools for it is there that all students are guaranteed to receive it
regardless of financial circumstances. Under the guidance of a knowledgeable and passionate
teacher, these young people will grow up to be people who appreciate, understanding, and perhaps
even actively engage in this art medium that is the oldest and most universal form of human
expression to ever exist.
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Ed 3601
February 3, 2013

Works Cited
Balakrishnan, N. R., Browne, W., Marley, J., & Heim, C. (2013). Music and dementia. Degenerative
Neurological & Neuromuscular Disease, 47-51.
Choksy, L. (1999). The Kodaly Method I: Comprehensive Music Education. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice Hill Inc.
Daniel J. Levitin Quotes. (2013, January 30). Retrieved from Good Reads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/81619.Daniel_J_Levitin
Esze, L. (1962). Zoltn Kodaly: His Life and Work. London: Collet's.
Kokotsaki, D., & Hallam, S. (2013). The perceived benefits of partcipative music making for non-music
university students: a comparison with music students. Music Education Research, 149-172.
Sir Ken Robinson's 10 Most Motivational Quotes. (2013, September 13). Retrieved from Ditch that
Textbook: http://ditchthattextbook.com/2013/09/12/sir-ken-robinsons-10-most-motivationalquotes/
Williams, M. (2013). Philosophical Foundations of the Kodaly Approach to Education. Kodaly Envoy, 6-9.

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