PHILOSOPY !

Philosophy of Music Education

Cleo M. Keener

Oregon State University

PHILOSOPY !2

The primary goal of education is to provide general knowledge to society. This gives

adequate opportunity for understanding and interacting with the world surrounding us. With this

understanding at hand, we are able to become well-balanced individuals and therefore sustain the

functionality of society, as well as afford opportunities to explore personal interests. With

personal interests and values in mind, education enhances the quality of life as a whole. The

environment of education in itself contributes to social learning and growth within the individual.

An education in music provides skills and understanding that foster the development of a

well-balanced human being. With the open and critical perspective that is gained, individuals are

able to sustain cultural contributions to society and afford opportunities to explore music as a

form of personal expression. Being able to express oneself in a creative way contributes to the

social practice of making music, through being able to communicate through performance, as

well as having the ability to work as a team. This knowledge, in relationship to the aesthetic of

consuming and producing music in itself, leads to the enhancement of the quality of life.

Education is valued in societies around the world. This is partially attributed to the

acknowledgment that when educated, humans are more productive parts of society. Education

allows students to become well-balanced individuals, which is important for a functioning

society (Mark, 2013). The term well-balanced implies that students are being taught a diverse

plethora of knowledge and therefore have a basic understanding of the world. When these

students are given a massive variety of information, they are eventually able to make their own

decisions and explore their personal interests. In other words, individuals are given the

opportunity to find their passions and values because they have been educated on the basics of

different concepts. During the process of finding one’s interests and values, along with the social
PHILOSOPY !3

learning and growth that occurs in education, an individual is able to build their personal identity.

This process would not be complete without the pure social environment that education fulfills.

With all of these details in mind, education enhances the quality of life. Russell V. Morgan

(1953), president of the Music Educators National Conference, stated, “The many fields of

knowledge that we have are but windows through which the human soul can look out upon a

significant and beautiful universe” (p. 2). Knowledge learned through education gives

individuals the context to see, understand, and value the world about them, therefore giving them

the tools to have a meaningful and enjoyable life.

Why Music?

Although education as a whole is focused on forming students into their highest potential,

music education is an important part of this process. Music study helps students gain skills and

understanding that foster the development of a well-balanced human being, or in other words,

“musical experiences are necessary for all people if their essential humanness is to be

realized” (Daugherty, 1996, p. 30). Studying music allows individuals to become critical

consumers and producers of music, which affects the quality of meaning that one is able to offer

to music (Gordon, 2003). In addition to this, music fosters understanding, sharing, and accepting

one’s own culture, as well as makes sense of the values of other cultures (Daugherty 1996).

When students listen to, participate in, and learn about music from differing cultures, they

experience the history and truth of each one and therefore are able to value each culture that is

presented to them. This skill is massively important for becoming a well-balanced human being.
PHILOSOPY !4

Music education articulates opportunities to explore music as a form of personal

expression. The musical experience serves as a unique way of expressing and/or communicating

ideas and feelings students otherwise may not know how to address. The process also makes way

for fostering creativity while students express themselves. This has been shown in outbursts of

emotional expression for a long time. From outlets for protesting in the 1960s to pieces written in

memory of the loss of a loved one, music has given a way for expressing overwhelming feelings

of love, grief, joy, and any other emotional feeling that one can experience (Radocy & Boyle,

2012).

Studying music contributes to the social practice of making music, as music is social in

nature. Through this, students gain further understanding and experience of working in a team, as

well as communicating through performance of music. In a report on arts education, the National

Endowment for the Arts (1988) stated, “art forms also have languages through which artists

speak to audiences…young people must be given an education enabling them to understand

these languages and to analyze their meanings” (p. 15). Musical pieces can communicate through

use of text, but also through nonverbal attributes portrayed in the music, and students must be

given opportunities to learn and experience this.

Music for music’s sake is a longtime argument for the purpose of music education. The

aesthetic enjoyment given evokes beauty, meaning, and has the power to evoke feeling (Radocy

& Boyle, 2012). In this way, music affects people and makes them feel in ways that only music

can (Reimer, 2000). The organized sound that music affords is precious and immediately

accessible, therefore being a quick enhancement to the quality of life. Russell van Dyke Morgan

(1953) illustrates this further: “the aesthetic and emotional enjoyment of the fine arts will always
PHILOSOPY !5

have an important place in living, and…those who have equipped themselves with this power to

understand and appreciate music, literature, and art have achieved on of the great fundamentals

for a happy and successful life” (p. 3). This clarifies the point that music education is important

for a high quality life.

What Should be Taught?

In a music education program, there are many different details that should be taught.

Music theory is an important factor, including music notation, aural skills, and music literature.

The National Endowment for the Arts (1988) specifies, “Arts education must include the

vocabularies and basic skills which produced the great works of the past so that young people

can build on those who came before” (p. 15). In this, students need an understanding for the

basic music theory principles and concepts in order to appreciate the music that they hear and

participate in, and to grow within it.

Fostering creativity among students is a crucial factor in teaching music skills and having

a comprehensive music curriculum. When students are taught to be creative, through

improvisational and compositional activities, the individuals are given lessons that help them be

creative beings for the rest of their lives. In addition, giving the time for improvising in a

classroom setting helps students be comfortable with vulnerability, as well as acceptance of their

peers’ ideas.

A diverse combination of music literature is momentous in the musical learning of

students. Music of all periods, styles, forms, and cultures must be involved in the curriculum in

order to provide students with a complete education, as well as to relate to a diverse body of
PHILOSOPY !6

students. Specifically, this means involving Western classical music, as it is a musical tradition,

represents many cultures, has participation and interest in musicians and audiences

internationally, and has a rich repertory. This genre also includes a diverse combination of

instruments, compositions, theories, and performers, and enables one to connect to past traditions

(Jorgensen, 2003). Non-Western, pop, jazz, and folk music must all be included in the curriculum

as well, in order to allocate a balanced education and to attain student interest and engagement.

Non-Western music, which could be considered music from different cultures, helps give

students an understanding of a plethora of cultures and therefore the collective mores of society.

The National Endowment for the Arts (1988) agrees by stating, “Basic arts education must give

students the essence of our civilization, the civilizations which have contributed to ours, and the

more distant civilizations which enrich world civilizations as a whole” (p. 13). Involving music

of several cultures supplies students with understanding of these civilizations, therefore widening

their overall view of the world. Popular music, however, helps students create their self-

definition and their place in society. Including it in the curriculum allows opportunities for

students to manage their relationship between their private and public emotional lives, as well as

feel a sense of musical ownership (Choate, 1968).

Who Should Teach?

Music teachers must be qualified teachers, as well as musicians. In the report of the Yale

Seminar on Music Education, Claude V. Palisca (1964) states, “Training in music should be

given to teachers who are not musicians, training in teaching to musicians who are not teachers,

and retraining in music to teachers now teaching music” (p. 54). It is extremely important that
PHILOSOPY !7

the teacher is knowledgable in their subject matter, but also able to relate their content to the

world around them while keeping their students engaged. In this, the music teacher must be able

to manage their classroom and establish their lesson techniques and schedules, in order to keep

their students in a mindset to learn (Kelly, 2009).

In some work settings it is common to become stagnant once comfortable within the

context of the job. Teaching music, however, is not a career that allows this; music teachers must

be dedicated to becoming a better educator. This includes professional development, both in

regards to understanding students and specific musical qualities. The process offers perspective

for working through classroom situations, new ideas of concepts and activities to use in class, as

well as a supportive group of educators to collaborate with. This allows the teacher to

consistently work at affecting their students’ learning and therefore becoming the most

successful teacher that they can be (Lehman, P., Mark, M., Reimer, B., 2000).

Who Should Learn?

“All persons, regardless of age, cultural heritage, ability, venue, or financial circumstance

deserve to participate fully in the best music experiences possible” (Lehman, P., Mark, M.,

Reimer, B., 2000). Music education should aim to provide for all students, not only those who

are gifted and talented, as they are not the only ones who deserve a full education. Music is also

an intelligence that is possessed by every person, meaning that every individual has potential for

music ability (Kelly, 2009). In addition, music study is not purely for forming professional

musicians, it is for providing basic music education, as well as for giving students a chance to
PHILOSOPY !8

explore and express themselves creatively. Accordingly, every single student deserves this

opportunity.

When Should Music be Taught?

Individuals can experience music at any time, but their level of understanding depends on

their stage of cognitive development. Steve Kelly (2009) suggests that, “all students have some

capacity to learn if material is presented in a manner that can be understood during the

appropriate time in development” (p. 90). Therefore, students are grouped into differing

categories, in hopes of teaching them during the correct stage of development: elementary

school, secondary school and post-school. In each of these examples, music should be explored

at different levels. Elementary general music should be a requirement for all students, as the

basic knowledge produced is important for every person. At the secondary level, there should be

a diversity of elective music classes that students can choose from. Lastly, post-school music

includes community ensembles and groups that any community member can participate in.

How Should Music be Taught?

According to Jean Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development (Kelly, 2009), every person

passes through four stages: sensorimotor, proportional, concrete operational, and formal

operational. Through these sequential stages, individuals are developing specific skills and

understanding that contribute to their learning potential. Therefore, musical learning should be a

sequential process that builds on previous knowledge, following Benjamin Bruner’s Spiral

Curriculum. When this process is followed, the skills or information required by the students
PHILOSOPY !9

should be challenging, but not too difficult, keeping students from becoming bored or

overwhelmingly frustrated (Kelly, 2009).

Musical learning should take place in a social setting, as Lev Vygotsky’s theory shows

that humans learn better in collaboration with others (Kelly, 2009). When students work with

their peers, they are able to gain knowledge from other perspectives and see a bigger context of

learning. The common school mode of education also has a very clear place in a music

classroom. This model gives every student a chance to try music at their own level by “exploring

their unique relationship to the experience” (Kelly, 2009, p. 74). Involving time for students to

improvise and experiment with music individually is important for helping them grow a unique

relationship with musical experiences. This way, they can build their own personal value for

music.

Teaching music also needs to involve the acknowledgment of diverse learners. Through

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, one can recognize that different students have

differing strengths and learning strategies. Accordingly, students need to be given multiple ways

to learn concepts. Through this, music classes must involve processes for addressing visual

learners, kinesthetic learners, and auditory learners, by including lessons that account for each

type of learning.

Summary

Education as a whole is a mandatory part of our society, through forming well-balanced

individuals, and providing opportunities to explore personal interests, social learning, and the

quality of life. Music education contributes to this process by teaching skills and understanding
PHILOSOPY !10

that are required for becoming well-balanced, exploring personal expression, contributing to

social music, and aesthetically enhancing the quality of life. In this process, music study involves

concepts such as music theory, creativity, and a diverse combination of musical literature. This is

an important experience, and it must be forged by a qualified music teacher who is consistently

dedicated to becoming a better teacher, and who understands that all persons deserve to learn.

Music plays an important role in many people’s lives, and many times this experience begins in

an elementary music classroom. These general classes must be required for all students, although

they become elective once students are in secondary schools. However, music is a lifelong

journey and community groups are a significant way to continue these experiences. Music must

be taught in ways relatable to all types of diverse learners, while providing times for students to

form a personal relationship with music. Once these details are understood and performed, music

education, and education all-together, becomes a fulfilling experience in the lives of people

around the world. 


PHILOSOPY !11

References

Choate, R. (1968). The tanglewood symposium: A philosophy of the arts for an emerging

society. In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education: Source readings from ancient Greece to

today (pp. 191-192). New York, NY: Routledge.

Daugherty, J. F. (1996). Why music matters: The cognitive personalism of Reimer and Elliot.

Australian Journal of Music Education, 1, 29-37.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Philadelphia, PA:

Basic Books.

Gordon, E. E. (2003). Audiation. In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education: Source readings from

ancient Greece to today (pp. 176-177). New York, NY: Routledge.

Jorgensen, E. R. (2003). Western classical music and general education. Philosophy of Music

Education Review, 11(2), 130-140.

Kelly, S. N. (2009). Teaching music in American society. New York, NY: Routledge.

Lehman, P., Mark, M., Reimer, B. (2000). The MENC vision 2020 symposium: The housewright

declaration. In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education: Source readings from ancient Greece

to today (pp. 193-194). New York, NY: Routledge.

Mark, M. L. (2013). Music education: Source readings from ancient Greece to today. New York,

NY: Routledge.

Morgan, R. (1953). Music: A living power in education— basic philosophy for music education.

In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education: Source readings from ancient Greece to today

(pp. 102-105). New York, NY: Routledge.

PHILOSOPY !12

National Endowment for the Arts. (1988). The national endowment for the arts: Toward

civilization: A report on arts education. In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education: Source

readings from ancient Greece to today (pp. 299-302). New York, NY: Routledge.

Palisca, C. V. (1964). The yale seminar on music education: Music in our schools: A search for

improvement. In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education: Source readings from ancient

Greece to today (pp. 189-190). New York, NY: Routledge.

Radocy, R. E., Boyle, J. D. (2012). Psychological foundations of musical behavior. Springfield,

Illinois: Charles C Thomas.

Reimer, B. (2000). Why do humans value music?. In Mark, M. L. (Ed.), Music education:

Source readings from ancient Greece to today (pp. 118-121). New York, NY: Routledge.