On “American Music for American Children”: The Contribution of Charles L. Seeger

Abstract

The distinguished music scholar Charles L. Seeger (1886–1979) viewed music education as playing a critical role in the development of American musical life. During his long career, he made an important contribution to the history, philosophy, and sociology of music education. The purpose of this study was to identify a primary aspect of Seeger's contribution by exploring one of his ongoing professional concerns— American music for American children. The study progresses from a profile of Seeger the music educator to his approach to music in American culture, his plan for revitalizing music in American education, and, finally, an appraisal of his criticisms and recommendations. Music in American education, he believed, would better serve American society if some vital connections with school music were activated or renewed. The writer identifies these as the child's own music, American vernacular music in general, other music professionals (and particularly musicologists), and the cultural-political context in which music and education function. Seeger played a significant role in introducing vernacular music into the schools, in extending the definition of American music in the curriculum, in presenting music as a cultural subject, and in assisting music educators in dealing with musical diversity in the classroom.