Philosophy of Music Education

 

    Music has been a part of every world culture for thousands of years. Early cave paintings depict figures with musical instruments, and philosophers like Plato and Aristotle mentioned music in their writings. Whether it is on the radio while in the car, shopping in the store, or at a ceremony, music is part of our every day lives. All humans possess musical intelligence. Gardner, in his theory of multiple intelligences, lists music as one of the intelligences that everyone possesses. This shows that all students have a musical aptitude that should be nurtured so that the students have full access to the musical ability that they possess. It is for these reasons that music should be taught in schools. Music possesses a power of expression that is hard to find in areas outside of the performing arts. It is a unique form of expression that can express any emotion, and provides an emotional outlet for students to express themselves. Through musical instruction in the classroom, students can find ways to express themselves that they may not have considered before.

    Music teaches students more than just how to sing or play instruments well, or repeat rhythms. When students are performing in ensembles they get a sense of teamwork and are learning how to work well with others, and through solo performance also help themselves grow individually as musicians. Through practice and performance, students also learn how to discipline themselves and manage their time. Being involved with a musical group gives students a strong sense of community in the school and can provide a good social network for students. For students who are not in performing ensembles, the general music classroom also provides opportunities to improve children’s self-esteem and harbor feelings of teamwork (such as when singing a song with the class). The general music classroom also allows students to grow musically through playing of different instruments (such as Orff instruments or guitars), as well as singing and performing in class.

Children should be exposed to music in the classroom starting at a young age. Gardner’s theory of intelligences shows that the musical aptitude stabilizes around the age of 9 years. Therefore, children should be exposed to music before they reach this age. Any musical influences that a child has will help with his or her development of musical aptitude before the age of 9. It is important that these musical influences happen in the classroom because a child may not have such influences outside of the classroom setting. Students in the music classroom should learn about musical concepts such as tempo, dynamics, and articulation and should also learn how to read musical notation. Each of these ideas should vary in difficulty depending on the age group of the students.

    Music education in schools can do many things for students, both intrinsically and extrinsically. Through musical instruction students can develop their musical aptitude while also learning how to express themselves through the music. It also gives students a sense of community and can teach them discipline and teamwork, activities that they will use throughout their lives.