A Philosophy for Music Education

In a moment of growing cultural divisions and mounting progressive movements, there is a unified call for a new generation that can mend divisions and foster continued progress toward equality. Whether it is developing mindfulness, embracing ambiguity, or deconstructing aesthetic hierarchies, the role of music education is to provide students with the experience, knowledge, and capability to contribute responsibility toward the greater good of society. From heighten senses to cultural critiques; the music classroom is responsive to the needs of those who it serves, the students.

Mindfulness

Music education enable’s mindfulness by heightening the awareness within our senses and consciousness. Described as the “qualitative state.” Eisner (2002) says that understanding and the process for which we understand, shapes our personal identity. Given this, our senses shape who we are. Music allows students to foster new meanings and challenge preconceived notions by expanding their awareness of their environment. As we develop awareness, we develop our capability to be an agent for change. As Eisner suggests, a culture with great constraints on imagination will see little change due to the lack of imagined possibilities.

Ambiguity

Through criticism students are subjected to an authentic experience of music within culture. The world in which we live is experienced in terms of complexity and ambiguity. Therefore, by fostering criticism within the classroom, students are bound to embrace the ambiguities of reality. By cultivating an experience of complexity and variability within the artistic experience, students are better prepared for the realities they will face in their lives outside of school and promote liberty and just and the improvement of the human condition.

Aesthetic Hierarchy

Progress begins with challenging the status quo. And within music, we can start by deconstructing aesthetic hierarchies. The role of music education is to challenge the perceptions we carry about music and the culture in which it inhabits. Music education should foster conversations as to how music is experienced and perceived within our cultures to allow for cross-cultural understanding.