by Daniel J.

Shevock

Satis Coleman—
A Spiritual Philosophy
for Music Education
Abstract: Satis Coleman (1878–1961) was a pioneering but underacknowledged teacher in
the history of American music education. Hers was a voice of teaching creativity in the twen-
tieth century, which occurred at the progressive Lincoln Lab School and Teachers College,
Columbia University, in New York City. This article considers Coleman’s music education
philosophy, which contained a distinctly spiritual characteristic. Parker Palmer’s definition of
spirituality, “the eternal human yearning to be connected with something larger than our own
egos,” offers a lens for examining Coleman’s spirituality, which included a distinctive view of
God, living simply, wholesome humility, emotions, and silence in nature. Our profession can
benefit from deeper understanding of the work of creative teachers, such as Coleman.
Keywords: creativity, music education, philosophy, Satis Coleman, silence in nature, spiritual-
Satis Coleman’s ity, wholesome humility, ecology
creative and spiritual
approach to music

S
heena’s fourth- and fifth-grade stu-
teaching offers a dents arrive at the start of first period,
perspective that may excited about the musical field trip to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they
enlighten present- will take pictures of world percussion instru-
day educators. ments and learn about the sociohistorical
contexts of these instruments. Next week,
Sheena will help students build replicas of
instruments they found interesting, such as
balafon from Ghana, a nagara from Turkey,
a taiko from Japan, a gourd marimba from
Guatemala, and a udukai from India. Part
of her curriculum will be dedicated to listen-
ing to recordings of traditional musics, but
Sheena’s general music curriculum is pre-
dominantly based on student improvisation,
including composing through number nota-
tion, a simplified music notation.
Sheena might sound like an exemplary
music educator of the twenty-first century,
one who is child-centered and creative.
You may identify familiar influences, such
as Orff, world music, and instrument con-
struction, which are available to twenty-first-
century music teachers.1 However, Sheena is
based on a real teacher, Satis Narrona Barton
Coleman (1878–1961), who developed her
method for teaching music in the 1920s. I
was struck with wonderment when I learned
about her music pedagogy, especially con-
sidering how little is written about it. Why
had I never heard of her when I was aware
of many male music pedagogues who have
created similarly interesting pedagogies,
such as Carl Orff’s use of improvisation for
general music teaching and Shinichi Suzuki’s
discussions of mother tongue? Our collec-
tive music education history is full of great
pedagogues whose names I know, most of
whom were male.2

Copyright © 2015 National Association

for Music Education
DOI: 10.1177/0027432115590182 Daniel J. Shevock has recently completed his doctorate in music education with a cognate in democratic music education at the
http://mej.sagepub.com Pennsylvania State University in State College. He can be contacted at djs541@psu.edu.

56 Music Educators Journal  September 2015

Downloaded from mej.sagepub.com at University of Victoria on December 20, 2015
 Coleman published extensively on her
creative approach to music education, but
the impact seems to have been limited.
Australian music education scholar Jane
Southcott claims Coleman’s books were
well esteemed, “popular and influen-
tial both nationally and internationally.”3
However, a contemporary of Coleman,
Anne Pierce, suggested that Coleman’s
approach was untenable since it required
too much time, “a flexible school pro-
gram, sympathetic administrators, and,
above all, a teacher of high musicianship
and training.”4 Southcott suggests Cole-
man’s teaching system might have been
regarded as heretical. For whatever rea-
son, Coleman’s approach did not catch on
widely in the United States.
Coleman’s Philosophy
Rooted in her own unique spirituality
and progressive educational thinking,
Satis Coleman believed that all chil-
dren have creative ability, best fostered
through developmentally appropriate
experiences. Her music education phi-
losophy was rooted in an understand-
ing that, from an early age, all children
should be involved in a range of creative
music endeavors. Coleman believed
that in musical evolution, children
began as primitives (a term we would
not use today) and were to play primi-
tive music and would gradually evolve
into performing more complex musical
expressions. She pitched a movie idea
to Walt Disney depicting “the evolution
of music” only to discover Disney was
already “producing short subjects deal-
ing with a similar idea,” an idea that may
have evolved into the film Fantasia.5
In New York City’s Lincoln Lab School,
an experimental school of Teachers Col-
lege, Columbia University, Coleman (like
many general music teachers today)
emphasized singing, improvisation, her
own notational system, and making sim-
ple instruments that students built and
then played.6 Coleman retired from the
Lincoln Lab School and Teachers Col-
lege in 1942.7 Though she embodied a
foundational influence of progressive,
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democratic, student-centered, and world Emphasis on Creativity
music education, she seemed to have
been partially lost to the annals of music Coleman viewed improvisation and
education history from her death in 1961 composition as essential to music edu-
until more recently. Coleman’s impor- cation and that the “main purpose” of
tance to our field was finally recognized music education was creativity. 12 To
in 2010, when she was inducted into the allow students to compose music at
Music Education Hall of Fame.8 With this home, she developed a simple music
fresh appreciation of Coleman’s contri- number notation system.13 In her class-
butions, I hope to share a small portion room, Coleman’s students performed
of her broader educational and spiritual music on instruments they built. Instru-
philosophy, which is a complicated and ment construction can be understood
fascinating mixture of the creative, the as one tool Coleman used to explore
multicultural, and the spiritual. music creativity. Students moved pro-
gressively from playing so-called primi-
Who but those who have really entered tive to complex instruments—from
into the world of arts and experienced its drums to xylophones, to panpipes, to
joys and exhilarations, its tranquility and lyres and violins. Her understanding
its peace, can adequately interpret any
of musical evolution and her teach-
form of faith? True art is man’s effort—
either conscious or unconscious effort—
ing of improvisation and composition
to express the divine that is in him.9 seemed to go hand in hand. Students
constructed instruments, created music
Progressive educators of the early twen- through improvisation and composition,
tieth century were concerned with edu- and then played their music on succes-
cating democratic citizens, and they sively more complex instruments in
emphasized developmentally appro- more complex ways.
priate, educative, child-centered expe-
riences for children. The progressive Emphasis on World Pedagogy
position was that education grows out
of experience and into larger and richer Coleman’s creative pedagogy can be
experience. The lofty purposes of pro- understood as a precursor to world
gressive education were honed in lab music pedagogy. Instrument construc-
schools, such as experimental schools tion was a distinctive aspect of Cole-
that John Dewey established at the Uni- man’s teaching approach. 14 At the
versity of Chicago and Teachers College. Lincoln School, Coleman took chil-
The Lincoln Lab School in New York dren on field trips to the Metropolitan
City was started with funds by the Gen- Museum of Art, where they examined
eral Education Board, which also funded native instruments,15 indigenous instru-
Dewey’s Progressive Education Asso- ments from cultures around the world.
ciation. Lab schools, like the Lincoln Students returned to school and built
Lab School, were heavily influenced replicas of these instruments. Music
by Dewey and were criticized by him education scholar Terese M. Volk sug-
when he felt they strayed from his phi- gested that instruments were introduced
losophy.10 Coleman was a central figure in a holistic way, taking into account
in the Lincoln Lab School—so central instrument history and folklore, and
that in a 2007 speech at Teacher’s Col- viewed this as a precursor to world
lege, Teachers College president Susan music pedagogy, important to educators
Fuhrman described children staging today. Coleman’s publications feature
musical productions “including, in one drawings and photographs of people
program, an excerpt from Beethoven’s around the world with musical instru-
Ninth Symphony played on pan-pipes ments and instructions for teachers who
of their own making,” likely referring to want to explore instrument construction
Coleman’s class.11 with students.16
57
Emphasis on Spirituality
Music educators have shown a renewed
interest in issues of spirituality in teach-
ing, especially in Music Educators Jour-
nal. 17 Parker Palmer is a well-known
“author, educator, and activist who
focuses on issues of education, leader-
ship, spirituality, and social change.”18
His definition of spirituality in teach-
ing provides a direct and uncompli-
cated framework for understanding
spirituality in music education. Palmer’s
definition of spirituality is “the eternal
human yearning to be connected with
something larger than our own egos.”19
Palmer argued that there is a spiritual
component to good teaching. He sug-
gested spirituality is at the core of a truly
liberal education, “the kind of education
that raises liberated people.”20 Much of
Coleman’s philosophy falls within the
purview of this definition:
Musical training has extraordinary edu-
cational value, but so long as we are
interested in music as an accomplish-
ment only, and so long as the motivating
power behind musical study is the wish
to impress others, we shall never realize
its greatest value.21
Coleman’s desire to teach music for val-
ues beyond impressing others seems to
well express Palmer’s definition of spiri-
tuality as being larger than our own egos.
Coleman believed that music education
was for all children, and she appeared
to be against testing for talent. “There
are still those who look upon musical
ability as a special gift, and think that
none but the talented need pursue the
study.”22 Coleman understood music as a
lifelong pursuit in which aesthetic devel-
opment, socialization through music
performance, and self-discipline were
essential. She trained children in music
knowledge, taste, skill, and habits.
Coleman believed music contained
“a spiritual influence” and discussed
music as a “spiritual art.”23 I conducted
a research study in which I examined
Coleman’s published writings and mate-
rials housed in the National Association
for Music Education (NAfME) Archives
58
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in College Park, Maryland (University
of Maryland Special Collections in Per-
forming Arts). Through this research,
five emergent themes came to the fore.
I divided this section into these five cat-
egories: a distinctive view of God, living
simply, wholesome humility, emotions,
and silence in nature. These categories
were constructed through descriptive
coding—reading through Coleman’s
texts and logging every instance of
spirituality, within the context of Palm-
er’s definition, and then sorting these
instances into categories.
A Distinctive View of God
Coleman believed the arts help to bring
children “closer to an understanding of
the divine Mystery.”24 Though she did not
define “divine Mystery,” she associated it
with notions of intuition and beauty, and
claimed the arts hold a matchless posi-
tion in understanding this mystery. “In
fact, our deepest yearnings we cannot
express except in some form of art.”25
She also viewed music as a way to praise
God when words are insufficient.
Coleman noted the pervasiveness
of music in worship throughout his-
tory. Coleman alleged, “From the days
of primitive man, the arts have been
employed by human beings for direct
communication with the Unseen  .  .  .
from the simple hymn to Bach’s Mass in
B minor.”26 Coleman’s understanding of
God seems to be intricate and paradoxi-
cal, allowing for spirituality and agnos-
ticism to coexist. She was as likely to
reference a Native American religion as
Martin Luther. She foresaw music help-
ing civilization “evolve in the direction
of altruism” and keeping balance in a
scientific world. 27 Coleman stipulated
that music could be regarded as a way
to know God beyond reason. I propose
Coleman’s God embodies Palmer’s con-
cept of paradox: “teachers must embrace
many paradoxes to do their work well.”28
Living Simply
While Coleman cannot be identified as
old-fashioned—she endorsed the use
Music Educators Journal  September 2015
of Victrolas—she disparaged certain
aspects of modernity and called for a
return to a simpler life. Coleman argued
against children’s pursuing too many
varied interests:
But according to our present customs
and points of view, all these things seem
essential to what we consider complete
living; and we will probably prefer to
wait until three-fourths of us are nervous
wrecks from the strain of these “essen-
tials” before the remaining fourth of us
decide that we can be happier without
some of them.29
Coleman continued by saying that
children should be presented creative
opportunities in music and with a wide
range of subjects, but if an honest interest
lies in another area, then music lessons
need not continue; a child may return to
music study with renewed vigor when
interest returns. Coleman proposed that
living simply meant living “richly and
completely.”30 Ultimately, she held that
professional ambitions in music could
hinder appreciation. Teachers wishing
to implement some of Coleman’s ideas
about simplicity could consider students
today, who are enrolled in music les-
sons, karate, swimming classes, soccer,
and a tutoring service to increase math-
ematics scores on standardized tests,
and then are given homework each
night. This type of busy treadmill seems
spiritually unhealthy for adults. It seems
also spiritually unhealthy for children.
Living simply may be essential to living
richly and completely. Music educators
can consider how their classes, bands,
orchestras, and choirs support or hinder
living simply.
Wholesome Humility
Coleman’s notion of humility was con-
nected to her aversion to testing talent
in music. “It is not necessary to know
exactly into what stage of the evolu-
tion of music a child will fit.”31 Coleman
continued that on one hand, musically
talented individuals might develop into
exhibitionists and, on the other, embrace
wholesome humility. “Where exploiting
influences are absent, great talent is usu-
ally found in a person of unaffected and
humble nature.”32 For Coleman, natu-
rally talented individuals may not need
to flaunt their skills to receive approval,
and humility is in direct opposition to
a need to show off. Coleman viewed
group music-making as balancing the
dichotomy between “basic urges and the
cultured side of one’s nature.”33
The challenge of showing off is not
unique to Coleman’s era: it is as relevant
today as it was in the 1920s. While Cole-
man’s understanding of humility seems
to create a paradox between humility
and talent, Parker Palmer identified
humility and greatness as a paradox—
great things can be seen only through a
humble lens.34 With this in mind, music
students can see their potentially great
music-making only if we foster in them
a sense of humility. Being relevant today
in a world where children might first
experience music through American
Idol or The Voice, fostering humility in a
competitive musical world can be partic-
ularly difficult for teachers. Competitive
musical experiences seem to be only
surface-deep musical experiences, and
showing off can hinder our ability to
experience cooperative and communal
group musical experiences by replacing
amicable teamwork with a hierarchy of
winners and losers.
Emotions
To Coleman, armies, physicians, places
of worship, and parents have at times
exploited the power of music over chil-
dren’s emotions. “[Music] may sometimes
plunge one into the depths of sadness,
and again fire the ambitions toward
either worthy or unworthy ends.”35 With
overwhelming facility, music impacts
human emotions. Parker Palmer identi-
fied intellect and emotion as a paradox
for teachers. “Intellect works in concert
with feeling, so if I hope to open my
students’ minds, I must open their emo-
tions as well.”36 Since, according to this
paradox, teachers guide students’ think-
ing through the emotional content of
songs selected, Coleman’s warning is
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apropos. Music teachers are positioned which more than half of the world’s
to choose repertoire that leads students population lives in cities and, as of 2012,
to worthy ends. urban areas “account for 80.7 percent of
Consistent with her appeal for humil- the U.S. population.”41
ity, Coleman observed that parents and Often, schooling may fundamentally
music teachers are able to misuse a disconnect people from nature. In sug-
child’s natural emotions toward music gesting that “many students come to
to inculcate a habit of showing off. schools and colleges already feeling a
However, “one of the great aims of the profound sense of disconnection” and
parent and teacher should be to lead a “schooling that does not honor the
child to find joy in his work, whether needs of the spirit simply intensifies
anyone knows about his work or not.”37 that sense of being lost, of being unable
Coleman’s conception of emotion con- to connect,” the postmodern feminist
nects with her conception of wholesome educator and social activist Bell Hooks
humility. We music teachers want our (known by her pen name, bell hooks)
students to flourish musically, but we challenges educators to educate in ways
also want them to avoid showing off. that connect.42 If music teachers teach
This can create another paradox music a deep understanding for the music
teachers face. Individual activities and of nature, as Coleman recommended,
musical competitions can single out classroom music has the opportunity
stars (and, negatively, our struggling to be connecting in meaningful ways.
students) instead of fostering a spirit of It can connect students to the world
cooperation. around them through musical experi-
ences and for broader goals, such as
developing ecological consciousness,
Silence in Nature
stewardship of the environment, learn-
Coleman believed that modern living, ing about their local community, empa-
particularly in cities, hindered spiritual thizing with the other, or understanding
development. “Only there in sweet their family histories.
silence, could you feel the harmony
of the spheres that the Greeks talked A Relevant Philosophy
about, hear the rhythmic beat of Nature,
and have a bit of understanding of the The uniquely spiritual aspects of Satis
voice of God.”38 Parker Palmer also iden- Coleman’s music education philoso-
tified silence as essential to the inner phy provided a fulfilling area of study
landscape of teaching: “silence itself can for me. I firmly believe Coleman’s rec-
be a sort of speech, emerging from the ommendations provide today’s music
deepest parts of ourselves, of others, of teachers with an opportunity to make
the world.”39 For Coleman, this experi- music teaching meaningful for them-
ence with silence in nature was musical. selves and their students. She seems to
She suggested that people should walk be underrepresented in the music edu-
in nature and hear the music of “dry cation literature and invisible to our his-
leaves . . . the whirr of the bird . . . the tory. However, this article was possible
song which the bird sings . . . the wind because Coleman was a prolific author,
blowing through the branches . . . [and] a fact hidden in our music education
the musical babble of the stream rushing history.
over the stones.”40 She advised children Coleman believed in musical evo-
be taught to love nature through listen- lution, “music developed from simple
ing to nature’s music. Such an education expressions through folk idioms to
can be an experience of connection, complex forms.”43 Coleman’s discussion
while modern living often disconnects of musical evolution, especially her use
us from nature, our communities, and of the term primitive, seems expressly
our true selves. This is especially true imperialistic. The very idea of music
in an increasingly urbanized world, in evolving creates a hierarchy of musics.
59
In such a hierarchy, some musical cul-
tures are valued above others. However,
it is too easy to fall into the fallacy that
because today’s language avoids words
like primitive, which Coleman used
extensively, and does not conceive of
an evolution that privileges Eurocentric
music instruments, we have overcome
our imperialistic history. Postcolo-
nial theorist Edward Said tells us that
each era “produces its own distorted
knowledge of the other.” 44 Today, we
might use terms like Third World or
the oppressed.45 These seem to put the
musics of the other in a lesser position,
where they lack something another
music has. Coleman’s writing repre-
sents the “distorted” understanding of
“the other” common in the 1920s. While
this is undeniable and seems inexcus-
able, within these same writings, Cole-
man expresses her own desire to reach
out and understand “the other” in a way
that many music educators fail at, even
today. Coleman seemed to be answer-
ing a need; in her day, immigration was
extensive and it was important to under-
stand “the other.” Because we also live
in an era of extensive immigration, Cole-
man’s pedagogy seems to be particularly
useful to us.
Coleman’s emphasis on creativity
and world pedagogy informed her spir-
ituality, and likewise, her spiritual posi-
tioning informed her pedagogy. The
integration of spiritual life and teach-
ing life allowed for teaching as a holis-
tic expression of her philosophy. Her
distinctive view of God, a God of many
peoples and cultures, makes natural her
world pedagogy, in which she took stu-
dents on field trips to the museum in
order to experience the other. Her belief
in living simply leads to her allowing stu-
dents time to build the instruments they
saw at the museum. To foster wholesome
humility, she emphasized cooperative
music-making in the classroom. Cole-
man’s philosophy was a holistic, inte-
grated, personal philosophy of music
education—wholesome humility—and is
integrated with her beliefs in balanced
emotions and in allowing experiences of
silence in nature.
60
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Coleman observed parents and chil- our journals. Perhaps the current move-
dren stretched thin. I have observed this ment toward more student-centered (as
same problem today, and our students opposed to music-centered) teaching
might benefit if we take her humble places renewed importance on Cole-
suggestions to heart. Learning is action man. Music educators may find voices
and reflection. Today’s busy educational other than Coleman’s, also silenced by
climate stresses action but leaves little our gendered history, so that the pio-
time for student reflection. A Coleman- neering philosophies of these innovative
inspired music education pedagogy fos- women might also be brought to light.
tering our students’ spiritual well-being As a final thought, the Common
might call us to slow down and renew Core, standardized testing, and teacher
the time we dedicate to reflection. Fur- evaluation restrict today’s music teach-
thermore, such a spirit-infused music ers in a way no historical figure could
education calls us to foster humble have predicted. Nonetheless, in a broad
pride in developing musical abilities and way, we can learn from historical fig-
avoid the need to show off.46 ures, like Coleman, whose spiritual
Why did I not know Coleman’s name influences seem to represent a holistic
before examining her work? After all, I teacher, one who teaches one’s values
am familiar with many of her male con- in the music classroom. Our children
temporaries: Carl Seashore, Carl Orff, spend considerable time on standard-
James Mursell, Émile Jacques-Dalcroze, ized testing and related activities that
and Donald Pond, to name a few. I do seem to point to a fixation on “product”
not have the answer for this question. over “artistic process.” Contemporary
There could be many explanations for education theorists, like Parker Palmer
her disappearance. It may have been and Bell Hooks, provide frameworks for
sexism (historical and systematic rather holistic teaching today. Music teachers
than a claim of personal sexism), or it who have successfully navigated today’s
may have been the move in music edu- unique difficulties need to be found and
cation from progressive to aesthetic phi- to share their techniques with our pro-
losophies later in the twentieth century. fession so that teachers are able to live in
It might also have been a rejection of the same holistic way as Satis Coleman,
spirituality in her writings (in favor of integrating spirituality and pedagogy.
preferred secular terminology), or some-
thing else.
As a profession, music education Notes
has more women than men. “Sixty-four   1. An example of a university course that
percent of the founders of MSNC were requires instrument construction is
women.” 47 And yet, Coleman is one Matt Thibeault’s ukulele course (see
of only fourteen women (of seventy- http://matthewthibeault.files.wordpress
three total honorees) enshrined in the .com/2013/12/string-theorist.jpg).
NAfME Music Educators Hall of Fame.   2. I learned names of a number of great
The disparity between the 64 percent men during my music education stud-
ies, including pedagogues, like Lowell
(women at our organization’s found-
Mason, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Carl Orff,
ing) and the 19 percent (percentage of and Charles Leonard. More recently,
women honored in the Music Educa- Edwin Gordon and Bennett Reimer influ-
tors Hall of Fame) seems to place the enced my teaching in public schools.
burden of proof on anyone claiming I believe that one vocation for music
our history is not sexist. This disparity educators must be to find women’s
may be due to factors other than sex- voices lost to our gendered music educa-
tion history. Since a robust portrayal of
ism, and yet my bias is that sexism has
any historical figure must include much
been a factor throughout our history. beyond mere technical and pedagogi-
And since Coleman is a part of such a cal considerations, my portrayal of the
small group of women in our history, spiritual aspects of Satis Coleman’s
she deserves robust reconsideration in philosophy might be one step toward
Music Educators Journal  September 2015
 these ends, for one underheard voice of a
historical music educator.
  3. Jane Southcott, “The Seeking Attitude:
Ideas that Influenced Satis N. Coleman,”
Journal of Historical Research in Music
Education 31, no. 1 (2009): 25.
  4. Anne E. Pierce, “A Children’s
Symphony: As Developed in the
Creative Music Classes of Lincoln
School of Teachers College with the
Themes Composed Entirely by Children
of Elementary School, and Played by
Them on Instruments of Their Own
Making and Other Simple Instruments
by Satis N. Coleman; Review by Anne
E. Pierce,” Elementary School Journal
32 (1932): 788, http://www.jstor.org/
stable/996496.
  5. Arthur Redner, “Letter from Arthur
Redner,” n.d., NAfME Archives: Special
Collections in Performing Arts, 25-2-22,
Satis Coleman Collection, College Park,
Maryland.
  6. Terese M. Volk, “Satis Coleman’s
‘Creative Music’: Hands-On Music
Education for Children Was the Goal
of the Innovative Music Educator
Satis Coleman. Her Legacy Enriches
Today’s Classrooms.” Music Educators
Journal 82, no. 6 (May 1996): 31–47,
doi:10.2307/3398949.
  7. “Collegiate Newsletter,” Music
Educators Journal 42, no. 2 (November/
December 1955): 42–43.
  8. National Association for Music Education
(NAfME), “National Association for
Music Education: Music Educators
Hall of Fame Honorees,” 2012,
http://musiced.nafme.org/about/
music-educators-hall-of-fame/honorees.
  9. Satis N. Coleman, Your Child’s Music
(New York: Van Rees Press, 1939), 11.
10. Dewey’s book Experience and Education,
written in 1938, is an extended criticism
of both traditional and progressive edu-
cation. See http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/
ndemers/colloquium/experienceducation
dewey.pdf.
11. Susan. H. Fuhrman, “Living up to the
Legacy of Teachers College” (speech,
Teachers College, New York, February 2,
2007).
12. Volk, “Satis Coleman’s ‘Creative Music,’” 32.
www.nafme.org
Downloaded from mej.sagepub.com at University of Victoria on December 20, 2015
13. Coleman, Your Child’s Music. 33. Ibid., 64.
14. Satis N. Coleman, Creative Music for 34. Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach:
Children: A Plan of Training Based on the Exploring the Inner Landscape of a
Natural Evolution of Music Including the Teacher’s Life (San Francisco: Jossey-
Making and Playing of Instruments (New Bass, 2007), 110.
York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1922). 35. Coleman, Your Child’s Music, 50.
15. Volk, “Satis Coleman’s ‘Creative Music.’”
36. Palmer, The Courage to Teach, 66.
16. Satis N. Coleman, The Drum Book (New
37. Coleman, Your Child’s Music, 53.
York: John Day Co., 1931); and Satis N.
Coleman, The Book of Bells (New York: 38. Ibid., 92.
John Day Co., 1938). 39. Palmer, The Courage to Teach, 80.
17. Iris M. Yob, “If We Knew What 40. Coleman, Your Child’s Music, 95.
Spirituality Was, We Would Teach
41. United Nations Population Fund, Linking
for It,” Music Educators Journal 98,
Population, Poverty and Development
no. 2 (December 2011): 41–47,
(n.d.), http://www.unfpa.org/pds/urban
doi:10.1177/0027432111425959;
ization.htm; and U.S. Census Bureau,
and June Boyce-Tillman, “Another
Growth in Urban Populations Outpaces
Perspective: And Still I Wander . . .
Rest of Nation, Census Bureau Reports
A Look at Western Music Education
(March 26, 2012), http://www.census
through Greek Mythology,” Music
.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010
Educators Journal 99, no. 3 (March
_census/cb12-50.html.
2013): 29–33, http://www.jstor.org/
stable/23364258; Deborah Freedman, 42. Bell Hooks, Teaching Community: A
“Professional Notes: In Search of Pedagogy of Hope (New York: Routledge,
Ecstasy: The Musician’s Dream,” Music 2003), 180.
Educators Journal 99, no. 2 (December 43. Volk, “Satis Coleman’s ‘Creative Music,’”
2012): 22–24, http://www.jstor.org/ 31.
stable/23364281.
44. Edward Said, “Orientalism Once More,”
18. “Parker Palmer,” Wikipedia (n.d.), http:// Development and Change 35, no. 5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Palmer. (2004): 874.
19. Parker J. Palmer, “Teaching with Heart
45. For an extensive analysis of the coloniz-
and Soul: Reflections on Spirituality
ing nature of the terms Third World and
in Teacher Education,” Journal of
the oppressed, see Madhu Suri Prakash
Teacher Education 54 (2003): 376–85,
and Gustavo Esteva, Escaping Education:
doi:10.1177/0022487103257359, 377.
Living as Learning within Grassroots
20. Palmer, “Teaching with Heart and Soul,” Cultures (New York: Peter Land, 2008).
378.
46. The concept of “humble pride” seems
21. Coleman, Creative Music for Children, 9. paradoxical, and paradox seems to have
22. Ibid., 6. become an important spiritual concept
through Palmer’s and Coleman’s phi-
23. Coleman, Your Child’s Music, 3, 85.
losophies. Music seems to also involve
24. Ibid., 11. the opportunity for individual acclaim,
25. Ibid., 11. but also seems to need humble coopera-
tion—hence the need to foster humble
26. Ibid., 11–12.
pride in music classrooms.
27. Ibid., 13.
47. Music Supervisor’s National Conference
28. Palmer, “Teaching with Heart and Soul,” (MSNC) was the precursor to NAfME.
381. Sondra Wieland Howe, “An Historical
29. Coleman, Your Child’s Music, 37. Perspective on Contributions of American
Women Music Educators,” Journal of
30. Ibid., 38.
Historical Research in Music Education,
31. Ibid., 29. 22, no. 2 (2001): 147–58, http://www
32. Ibid., 31. .jstor.org/stable/41300440.
61