Music Education Philosophy

2012 ◽  
pp. 62-86
Author(s):  
David J. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Community Music ◽  
International Literature ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Philosophy Of Music ◽  
Education Philosophy ◽  
School And Community

This article introduces the field called “the philosophy of music education,” or music education philosophy (MEP). The philosophy of music education is a relatively young field, with many music educators unaware of its existence, not to mention its nature and values. Indeed, specialized courses in MEP are still infrequent in undergraduate and graduate music education curricula in North America and most other nations. Nevertheless, there is a fairly sizeable and rapidly expanding international literature intended to (1) analyze, synthesize, debate, or “problematize” and “worry” all theoretical and practical aspects of music education and, thereby, to (2) inform teachers, university music education students, and scholars about fundamental concepts, conceptions, controversies, principles, and practices in school and community music education.

scholarly journals Teaching Under Pressure

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Sklar
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Instrumental Music ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Community Music ◽  
School Site ◽  
Music School

<p>The purpose of this comparative case study was to investigate, explore, and describe the methods and practices of secondary instrumental music education in a public school setting. Two sites, a Rhode Island public school and a Rhode Island community music school, were chosen for observation. Two major ensembles, a jazz band and a concert band, were observed at each site on four different occasions. Observations were organized by the National Standards of Music Education, although the study did not focus on whether or not the programs “met” the standards. Data was also placed into the category of non-musical factors. Observations and analysis found that the non-musical factors, and themes that emerged from those factors, were the largest noticeable difference between the two sites. These factors also contributed to the disparity in the two sites abilities to address the standards. Non-musical factors such as scheduling and interruptions were the major issues facing the public school site, including split rehearsal times between ensembles and missed rehearsals due to assemblies. Both sites had significant gaps in their addressing of the standards, although the community music school met more of the standards. This may just be a result of the increase in time spent in rehearsal. This research opens the questions of whether or not the constraints facing public school music educators are hindering their ability to fully educate their students. Research can also be performed to gauge the perceptions that secondary instrumental music educators have on the standards.</p>

The Kodály Concept in the United States: Early American Adaptations to Recent Evolutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Megan M. Sheridan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Music Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Philosophy Of Music ◽  
Zoltan Kodaly ◽  
Early American ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Kodaly Concept

Zoltán Kodály, a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, and music educator, is widely known for his philosophical and pedagogical contributions to music education. The purpose of this article was to trace the development of the Kodály movement in the United States from its implementation in the 1960s to present day. Questions that guided the research were (1) Who was Zoltán Kodály and what was his philosophy of music education? (2) Who were some of the American music educators who initially implemented the Kodály concept in the United States and what role did they play in the spread of the concept? and (3) How has the Kodály concept evolved in the United States? Following an overview of Kodály and his philosophy, the contributions of Mary Helen Richards, Denise Bacon, Lois Choksy, and Sr. Lorna Zemke during the early years of the Kodály movement are discussed. The evolution of the Kodály concept is discussed in relation to the work of Lois Choksy, Ann Eisen and Lamar Robertson, John Feierabend, Susan Brumfield, and Mícheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka. A conclusion includes suggestions for the advancement of the Kodály concept, including the need for research on the methods of the approach.

The Evolution of Music Education Philosophy from Utilitarian to Aesthetic

1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Mark
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Education Philosophy ◽  
Societal Needs ◽  
Evolution Of Music ◽  
The Many ◽  
Education And Society ◽  
The Relationship

Throughout Western history, various philosophies of music education have been articulated by intellectual, political, and religious leaders. A common factor in the various philosophies is the relationship between music education and society. Since the middle of the 20th century, writers on music education philosophy have been mostly music educators, rather than societal leaders. They have, for the most part, abandoned the many historical justifications of the profession in favor of aesthetic philosophy. The utilitarian values of music education that have formed its historical philosophical basis have been rejected during the last 30 years because they have little to do with music. Music is now taught for the sake of music, and the link that has historically connected aesthetics with societal needs has been broken.

Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Special Needs

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice M. Hammel ◽  
Ryan M. Hourigan
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Learning Differences ◽  
Students With Special Needs ◽  
Philosophy Of Music ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Music Classroom ◽  
The Individual

Every successful music educator has a curriculum that contains a scope (overarching goals) and sequence (how we will achieve our goals and in what order) that are critical to reaching meaningful educational goals within the music classroom. Walker and Soltis (2004) state: “Working with the curriculum is an integral part of all teachers’ daily lives”. When specific curricula are not mandated (by the state, or federal government), most music educators use a set of standards or guidelines to devise a scope and sequence for classroom teaching (i.e., the National Standards). It is important as music educators to consider their curriculum when preparing to teach all students, not just students with learning challenges. This is what separates an educator from a therapist or a service provider. The questions that we will address in this chapter include: How do music educators maintain a focus on their own curricular goals while adapting that same curriculum to the individual needs of students? And how do we assess and reflect on these goals to make adjustments in our curriculum? These are difficult questions to answer. In fact, this has been a challenge for teachers since the inclusion of students with special needs began following the passage of P.L. 94–142 more than 35 years ago. Walker and Soltis explain, “While many teachers supported the goal, many were offended that rigid regulations were imposed on them without their consent”. All these issues require a thoughtful and sequential approach when preparing, presenting, and assessing instruction in the music classroom. However, the stronger the underlying curricular focus is, the easier it will be to adapt and modify your existing curriculum to individualize instruction for students who have learning differences. Your specific curriculum, if not mandated by your state or school system, will be a result of your philosophy of music education. Even when utilizing prescribed curricula, your choices in scope and sequence will reflect your values in the classroom. These same values will be reflected in the choices you make in modifying your curricula for students with special needs.

The Effect of Instruction on Music Educators' Attitudes toward Students with Disabilities

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Wilson ◽  
Jan McCrary
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Teaching Music ◽  
Attitudes Toward Students ◽  
University Course

Before and after completing a university course for teaching music to special education learners, master's-level music education students ( N = 18) were given a measure examining their attitudes toward students with disabilities. The survey instrument consisted of 20 statements describing five different groups of students; these were learners with emotional, physical, multiple, mental, or no impairments. The participants were directed to indicate strength of agreement or disagreement with the following statements: “I would feel comfortable in interacting with this individual,” “I would be willing to work with this individual,” and “I would feel capable in working professionally with this individual.” Results showed an increase in the participants' responses to the statement “I would feel more capable in working professionally” but a statistically significant decrease ( p < . 05) to the statement “I would be willing to work” with special-needs learners after the completion of training.

The Preparation of Music Teacher Educators: A Critical Link

2012 ◽  
pp. 684-688
Author(s):  
David J. Teachout
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Closed Loop System ◽  
Education Students

This article discusses the “ecosystem” within music education that defines teacher education, and reminds educators of their obligation to give music education students the tools needed for them to supersede current practices. It argues that music education is encased in a “closed-loop” system, where teachers teach how they were taught; and where opportunities for transformative change rarely occur within teacher education programs. Breaking this cycle is a key to developing more effective music educators who can question past practices and deal with current and future realities.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical and Qualitative Assessment in Music Education

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Community Music ◽  
Music Teaching ◽  
Education Assessment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical and Qualitative Assessment in Music Education offers global, comprehensive, and critical perspectives on a wide range of conceptual and practical issues in music education assessment, evaluation, and feedback as these apply to various forms of music education within schools and communities. The central aims of this Handbook focus on broadening and deepening readers’ understandings of and critical thinking about the problems, opportunities, “spaces and places,” concepts, and practical strategies that music educators and community music facilitators employ, develop, and deploy to improve various aspects of music teaching and learning around the world.

A Comparative Content Analysis of Music Educators Journal and Philosophy of Music Education Review (1993–2012)

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Stambaugh ◽  
Brian E. Dyson
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Topic Area ◽  
Philosophy Of Music ◽  
Creativity Research ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Chi Square Analysis ◽  
Comparative Content ◽  
Education Review

Two journals reflecting the interests and concerns of music educators are Music Educators Journal ( MEJ) and Philosophy of Music Education Review ( PMER). The purpose of this study was to explore the interests of P–12 music teachers and university faculty as represented by the topics of articles in MEJ and PMER from 1993 to 2012. After identifying the primary topic of articles at least two pages in length ( N = 889), we determined the number of articles and pages published in each topic area within each journal. A chi-square analysis indicated topics within journals did not occur with equal probability ( p < .001). The most frequently occurring topics in MEJ were curriculum (21.15%), performance (15.86%), and fieldwork (9.02%). The most frequently occurring topics in PMER were interview (15.45%), philosophy to school (11.79%), and performance (10.57%). Performance was the only topic common to both journals for their five most frequently occurring topics. Topics also were examined in 5-year increments, showing topic frequency was more consistent across time for MEJ than for PMER. In MEJ, the topics creativity and technology appeared less frequently over time, while performance and social justice increased. In PMER, marginalization articles decreased, while creativity, research/critical inquiry, and performance increased.

Pride and Professionalism in Music Education

2012 ◽  
pp. 606-611
Author(s):  
Richard Colwell
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Education Major ◽  
Perceptual Change ◽  
Big Picture

This article explores what appears to be music educators' lack of pride for their chosen profession. Studies show that even before entering the profession, music education students prefer to be identified as something other than a music education major, such as a bassoonist or a tenor. To gain respect, many music educators pay more attention to events in education than to events in music. Attracting better individuals to the profession requires a perceptual change that emphasizes scholarship and musicianship in music education. Music education also needs self-criticism and professional argumentation for music educators to take pride in its “big picture.”

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