PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC EDUCATION

PRINCIPLES THAT INFLUENCE MUSIC EDUCATION

May 1, 2020

Rachel Mallon
 Education is a fundamental requirement for a functioning society. When people are given an
authentic education, it creates a society that is able to function socially as well as advancing the
knowledge of ourselves and the world around us. Education as a whole must be regarded as a
necessity that is available to all people in order for its purpose to occur. One aspect of education
and humanity is music. Music is a part of almost every person’s life, whether they are aware of it
or not. From listening to a commercial to playing the radio in the car, music is a fundamental
aspect of being human. Music affects people in many ways, despite just being sounds and
silences grouped together. Music education explores the role of music in the world around us as
well as why it affects people the way it does.

I value music as one of the rarest forms of communication that surpasses many other forms
of communication. Music education allows students to grow in nonconventional ways. One
example is the emotional impact of the Columbine Shooting in 1999. Frank Ticheli, a popular
instrumental band composer, wrote this piece for the Columbine High School Band and was
premiered a year after the shooting. Frank Ticheli wrote in his program notes, “An American
Elegy is, above all, an expression of hope. It was composed in memory of those who lost their
lives at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and to honor the survivors. It is offered as a
tribute to their great strength and courage in the face of a terrible tragedy. I hope the work can
also serve as one reminder of how fragile and precious life is and how intimately connected, we
all are as human beings.” Although this event is something students would learn in a
history/current events class, they would never connect with the situation as well as if they played
this piece. Music provides the ability to unite, connect, and share the unshareable.

Music education holds an important role in the community from a marching band performing
at the home football game to playing in community bands for all types of audiences. A
homecoming parade isn’t the same without a marching band playing a fight song. Although
community members may not realize, the music program plays a large role in a community.
When a music program is an integral part to a community, it brings in a variety of different
students and connections. Diversity is such an important role in education, especially from the
background of growing up in America. I believe this is necessary for all music educators in order
to promote diversity in music as well as supporting diversity of students. It’s important to include
music from different cultures as well as non-traditional music courses in your curriculum in
order to provide a well-rounded music education.

Music education is the facilitation of teaching and learning music that can occur in different
forms as well as environments. When observing students, it’s important to remember that people
are not meant to be static characters. People desire to learn and it’s the role of the educator to
nurture that desire and provide various inputs to facilitate it. That’s why education is so
important to people. I believe everyone should teach. All people possess the ability to pass
knowledge from one another. People who long to become great teachers, however, require a
passion for helping others as well as having personal knowledge of the subject they wish to teach
while having self-efficacy. That’s why it’s important for music educators to provide not only the
fundamentals of music, but also an authentic music experience. The role of the music educator is
to facilitate a music education experience to all students in some way/shape/or form.

In conclusion, music is a fundamental part to not only the education system, but as
society as a whole. Although not every student will participate in band/choir/orchestra, almost all
students will engage in music, listen to music, and engage with music at some point in their lives.
Students are entitled to an education that advances the understanding of themselves as well as the
world around them, and music plays a fundamental aspect. It connects people beyond text on a
page and creates a community among students. Without music, our education system is not
fulfilling students.