Runninghead:APHILOSOPHYOFMUSICEDUCATION

A Philosophy of Music Education

Chlo Plamondon
Northern State University

APHILOSOPHYOFMUSICEDUCATION

APhilosophyofMusicEducation
Aphilosophyisaliving,breathingdocumentthatcanserveasacompasstoguide
devotedteachersinthepracticeofeducatingstudents.Ibelievethatinordertopractice
musiceducationresponsiblyandethicallyanongoingthoroughphilosophical
undertakingisnecessary.Meaningfulandethicalphilosophicalpracticeisalifelong
questthatinvolvescriticalprofessionaldialoguewithothersinthecommunityof
practice.Mypersonalphilosophy,outlinedinthispaper,willincludethoughts
surroundingthepurposeofeducation,thenatureofmusicmakingandvalueofamusic
educationinyoungpeopleslives.Ideaspresentedwilldrawoninspirationfrommy
experiencesteachinginaruralManitobaK12schoolandfiveyearsinahighschool
bandprograminthenorthendofWinnipeg,Manitoba.Attheforefrontofmycurrent
philosophicaldiscourseisabeliefandunderstanding,basedonseveralphilosophical
readingsandmyownpersonalexperienceintheclassroom,thateducationisthekeyto
progressivechangeinoursocietyandthatmusiceducationisessentialinthelivesofall
youth.Iwillarguethatparticipationinmusicmakingallowsstudentstopracticeand
developskillsthatinfluencecharacterdevelopmentandpersonalinnergrowth.
ThePurposeofEducation
Educationisvitalforallhumansbecauseitisanoutletforthebraintoremain
activeandobjectivethroughpersonaldiscoveryanddecisionmakingbasedonfactand
reason(Phillips,2013).IstronglyagreewithphilosopherNoamChomskywhobelieves
thatitisnotwhatiscoveredinclassthatisimportant,butwhatisdiscovered.Themost
effectiveeducationtakesplacewhenstudentscandeterminehowtolearnanddiscoveron

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theirownasaresultofanintereststimulatedthroughmaterialspresentedtothemby
effectiveteaching(BrownMartin,2012).Ibelievethatapositiveandricheducation
canmotivatestudentstobebetterhumansandcanprovidethemwithskillsnecessaryto
changetheworldinanindividualanduniqueway.Educatorshavetheabilitytoinstilla
wonderaboutthenaturalworldwhileattendingtostudentswholeexistence,notonly
theirskillsinaparticularsubject.IagreewithJohnDewey(2012)whenhesaysthat
educationisaplaceforstudentstoriseabovethesocioeconomicstatustowhichthey
wereborn,andthateducationisthekeytoefficaciousgrowthinoursociety.
Ihavecometorecognizethatamajorpurposeofeducationistoteacheveryperson
inasocietytobeautonomouscitizenswhocanparticipateinallfacetsoflifewith
meaningandunderstanding.Agoodeducationcanequipstudentswithskillsand
practicalknowledgeallowingthemtothinkforthemselvesandaccomplishindividual
goalsleadingtopositivechangesintheirlivesandcommunities(Hammond,2004).
Educationisasysteminwhichallmembershavetheabilitytohelpeachotherbe
successfulandgrowasmembersofsociety.Ibelievethataneducationcandevelopa
moralresponsibilitytoliveassocialmembersofsocietysothatwhatsoeverwereceive
fromothersbalanceswithwhatwehavetocontribute(Stauffer,2011).
Music
Musicisapersonalexperienceandcognitiveactivityuniquetoanyother.Music
allowspeopletodevelopendlessaspectsoftheirmindsbecauseitisamultifacetedform
ofexpressionthatcanbeusedtogainbetterinsightintotheworld(Fiske,2011).Music
isundeniablyimportantbecauseittriggerstheuniquelyhumanexperienceofempathyfor

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andwithothers.Musicisasocialcohesionthatbondspeopletogetherandbrings
societiestogetherinactsofsolidarity(Small,1977).AccordingtoFiske(2011),a
musicalexperienceissimultaneouslycognitive,emotionalandphysical.This
suppositionprovidesanavenueonwhichtobaseafoundationoftheimportanceof
involvementinmusiclearning.Entrainmentisaperfectalignmentofcoincident
neurologicalactivitycognitive,motorandaffective.Itmeansthatthemembersofan
ensemblearethinkingalike,coordinatinginanactofphysicaldexterityandcognitive
(neurological)calculationssuchthat,rhythmicallyandharmonicallyatleast,themusical
outcomeisasingularevent.Therefore,playingmusicinanensembleisanexercisein
entrainment,anddeephumanbondsarecreatedsimplythoughparticipatinginmusic
togetherasateam.Inorderforstudentstorealizeexperiencesofentrainmentandlearn
tolivewithempathy,Ibelievethatitisessentialthattheydevelopabilitiesinperforming,
listening,creatingandinterpretingmusicinanensemblesetting.
MusicEducation
MusicEducationgivesstudentstheopportunitytobecomeactivemembersofa
positive,encouragingandhighachievingcommunity.Beingapartofacommunityof
learnerssuchasthiscangivestudentsampleopportunitytodiscoveranappreciationof
music,respectformankindandtolearnthepowerofhardwork,commitment,and
dedicationtoateam.Intheseways,musiceducationallowsstudentstoexpresstheir
needsanddesiresthroughmusicandtoconnecttooneanotherthroughentrainmentand
empathy.Ihaverecognizedinmypersonalexperiencesthatthroughtheprocessof
makingandlearningaboutmusic,studentshavesufficientopportunitytofoster

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relationships,challengethemselvestoexcel,encourageotherstoworkhardanddevelop
cognitively,emotionally,andphysically.
PerformancesarenottheenduntowhichIteach,butaresimplyapartofthe
cognitiveprocessofmusicing,whichisdoingandlisteninginmusic(Small,1977).I
believethatthemusiceducationprofessionmustnotonlyvaluemusiceducationasan
aestheticeducationbutalsostarttalkingaboutitasalegitimateandnecessarysubjectin
termsofthecompletedevelopmentofouryouth.Inorderforthistohappen,itis
essentialthatmusicteacherspracticeanethicofcaretowardseachandeverystudentwho
entersintothemusicclassroom.InacandidconversationwithDavidElliot,hesolidified
formethatwemustrealizethepersonbehindthemusicinourclassroomsineverysingle
momentofteaching.Throughexperiencesinmusic,studentsdeveloptheabilitytomake
valuejudgments,tofunctionlogicallyaswellasintuitively,andtoutilizetheirinnate
creativity.Participationinmusiceducationencouragesinitiativeandleadership,
stimulatesgoalorientedthoughtprocesses,createsanappreciationandrespectforthe
effortsofothersandsupportsstudentsindevelopingasenseofresponsibilityto
themselves,theorganizationandsociety.
AccordingtoBennettReimer(Daughtery,1996),musicshouldbetaughtbecauseit
developsaformofintelligencethatisbothmeaningfulandcognitivethatisnotavailable
inanyotherway,andthattakingpartinmusicrefinesthementalsensationoffeeling.
Involvementinmusicallowshumanstodevelopahealthymentalstatethroughtheactof
facingandlearningabouttheirfeelingswithothers.Beinginvolvedinmusicdirectly
impactshumangrowthanddevelopmentandthistypeofgrowthishighlyvaluedinmy

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classroom.Myjobasamusiceducatorisnottohaveahaveperfectperformance,butto
guideyoungpeopleintheirjourneystowardsbecomingbetterhumanbeingsintheworld
becauseoftheirexperiencesinmusiceducation.
Conclusion

Musicparticipationaddressesthecoreofwhatismeanstobeacompassionate

humanbeinginourcurrentsocietyandshouldthereforebeanessential,nonnegotiable
subjectofferedtostudentsfromkindergartenthoughtogradetwelve.Mywishisthatone
day,musicteacherswillnolongerhavetodefendmusicprogramsintheeyesof
humanity,butallowtherelevancyofmusicallearningtospeakforitselftoallofsociety
(Regelski,2011).Meaningfulphilosophicaldiscourseleadstomorequestionsthan
answers,asIhavefoundthroughtheprocessofpreparingthisphilosophystatement.In
ordertoremainrelevantandconnectedtoourreality,wemustcontinuetoaskquestions
ofourselvesandofourstudents(Bowman,2011).Ibelievethatthemostimportant
factorinourteachingisthesafetyandpersonalgrowthofeachandeverystudentwho
stepsfootinthemusicclassroom.Education,whenitisstudentcenteredandconcerned
withdevelopment,individualgrowth,discoveryandcreativityhastheincrediblepower
andresponsibilitytomaketheworldabetterplace.

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