Music education as the herald of a cosmopolitan collective imperative: On being human

Even though scholars have pointedly embraced ethical matters in music education within the global context, there has been relatively little attention paid to the concept of cosmopolitanism. While keeping in mind that the concept of cosmopolitanism is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that can be read and implemented in many ways, the aim of the current narrative inquiry is to highlight the significance of the human connection—a notable feature of moral cosmopolitanism, and by extension, cosmopolitanism from below—inherent in, and possibly the most prominent aspect of music education practices, regardless of their position in the formal–informal spectrum of such practices. In this context, music education becomes a lifestyle—whose participants cultivate their ethical sensitivities toward human connection—that has the capacity to alleviate the human sufferings occurring globally. By telling the life stories of Behzad Khiavchi, the lead musician of a trans-Iranian band, this article aims to highlight the cosmopolitan collective imperative, a fundamental characteristic of music education, as the harbinger of a more caring world.