Philosophy Of Music Education Research Articles

Christian perspectives on music education: A framework for teaching to reach heads, hearts, and hands

The purpose of this article is to present a Christian perspective on teaching music. Throughout history, Christianity has pervaded the field of music education, impacting the way and the reasons music is taught. This article presents a brief review of historical and theological concepts relating to the philosophy of music education, with specific attention given to orthodoxy, orthopathos, and orthopraxis (or in simpler terms, head, heart, and hands). A preliminary philosophical framework is presented for incorporating the concept of teaching music to educate heads, hearts, and hands.

A STUDY ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANCIENT CHINESE PHILOSOPHY REGARDING MUSIC EDUCATION

The work reveals the features of ancient Chinese philosophy in the context of music education. The specific characteristics of the corresponding ancient Chinese concepts are considered. The theories of music education in the works of the followers of Confucianism and Taoism are described. The development and evolution of thought regarding teaching the art of music to the younger generation is presented in a historical perspective. The author analyses the educational function of music in Chinese culture, as well as elements of the state official propaganda in music education in Ancient China. The influence of the traditions of Chinese philosophy on modern philosophy of music and music pedagogy in the People's Republic of China is considered. It is concluded that the Chinese philosophy of music education is based on harmony and aesthetic pleasure from performing and listening to a piece of music, as well as on performing various rituals.

The development of music education philosophy in mainland China during 1990–2022: A corpus-based thematic review

This study used corpus-based text analysis to examine the discourse on Music Education Philosophy (MEP) in 346 Chinese scholarly articles published after 1990. Applying topic modelling techniques, the study identified 685 key terms in the corpus that collectively established six prevailing themes: Aesthetics, Praxis, Confucianism, Teaching and Learning, Values of music education, and Influence factors of music education. It was discovered that Aesthetics, Praxis, and Confucianism were three streams in Chinese literature that significantly influenced the MEP study landscape. In contrast, the other three topics served as the ‘battleground’ for these competing philosophical paradigms. The study discussed the sources of contemporary MEP in China, where combined influences from European North American Chinese philosophies are evident. It was argued that music, education, and philosophy emerge as three equally critical components that collectively define the inherent ‘nature’ of MEP. Thus, while the nature of music does not predetermine the nature of music education, the foundation of music education was shaped collectively by understandings, judgements, and expectations of music and education in the Chinese context. In addition, corpus analysis presented a promising methodological approach for tracing the evolution of discourse over time and facilitating critical inquiries in MEP discourses.

Dialectics of Judgment in Music Education Philosophy: A Comparative Study and Educational Insights on Arendt and Kants Theories

This paper explores the application and relationship between Arendts political judgment and Kants aesthetic judgment in music education. Arendts theory emphasizes the agency and sense of responsibility of individuals in socio-political contexts, while Kants theory elucidates how individuals experience and evaluate beauty from an aesthetic perspective. The paper first separately elaborates on these two theories and their educational implications, then discusses their potential applications and challenges in music education. A comparative analysis reveals the complementarity and synergistic effects of both in music education, proposing an integrative educational model to facilitate students comprehensive development. This study enriches the theoretical foundation of music education and provides new teaching strategies. It is of significant importance for constructing a harmonious, just, and vibrant society, and also offers new perspectives and insights for the development of music education philosophy.

What Kant Really Said: Facts and Fiction in International Music Education Philosophy

Abstract: In international philosophy of music education, there are some philosophers who are important points of reference. One of them is the German Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). While his philosophy is complex, an oversimplified understanding of his ideas turned him into the “bad guy” of international music education philosophy, being in favor for instance of art for its own sake. His assumed ideas are thought to be the foundation of aesthetic education, in opposition to music education concepts promoting praxis and social change. The prominent role Kant plays leads to questions: Can an eighteenth-century philosopher be blamed for twentieth-century music education concepts and their supposed aberrations? And what did Kant really say? By addressing these and related questions, this paper offers fresh perspectives on Kant’s original concept and the role his assumed ideas play in international music education philosophy, aiming at revising some discourses around them. Furthermore, Kant as a case in point, can lead to general considerations about the function of philosophy in music education philosophy.

“The Whole City Must Never Cease Singing”: Plato and the Community of the Musical Nomos

Abstract: This paper explores the fundamental tenets of Plato’s philosophy of education, particularly his views on a practice of great educational potential: communal musical participation. According to Plato, music can attune the individual and the community to cosmic harmony and this, in turn, is the only way to form and maintain a community. The paper explores how the concepts of ethos and nomos are utilized to explain music’s role in community cohesion. It argues that Plato’s understanding of the power of immediate and pre-reflective participation in music can provide valuable insight for contemporary philosophy of music education. The concept of nomos , in particular, allows music educators to take this frame of thought to better understand the role of music in creating communities.

Memoria, Contuitus, et Expectatio : Revisiting Augustine of Hippo

Abstract: Since the Middle Ages, Augustine and the wealth of his writings have had an enormous impact on Western philosophical thinking. His approach to time and memory, which he sets out in his eleventh book of the Confessions , is one of the most important sources for research about the philosophy of time. Augustine describes time as a permanent movement in which the future passes unceasingly through an unrelated present into the past. Only the very present moment exists, but this present moment is infinitely short. If the past is no more, the future is not yet, and the present is indivisibly brief, memoria becomes the determining factor of human consciousness. Augustine’s theory of memory and time reveals an epistemological connection with the functioning of human consciousness. Since his understanding of time and memory is already of great relevance in many interdisciplinary approaches, it can also become important to the philosophy of music education. Revisiting Augustine’s concept of memoria can give us new impetus on questions about aesthetic education, cancel culture, and utopian thinking.

A Philosophical Inquiry into Practical Music Education in the Digital Age

Abstract Starting from the perspectives of constructivist philosophy and process philosophy, this paper uses descriptive analysis to explore the philosophy concept of practical music education, and concludes that practical music philosophy is the result of the comprehensive effect of many factors in music education. On the basis of the philosophy concept of music education, combining the characteristic parameters and objective function and similarity algorithm to construct a practical music education philosophy resource recommendation model to realize the construction of practical music education philosophy in colleges and universities, and adopting the method of statistical analysis to research and analyze the practical music education philosophy in the digital era. The results show that the score of instrumental performance students (4.0431) is significantly lower than that of students of other majors, and the difference is significant, with higher humanistic literacy in art and sports and a better foundation in cultural courses. The order of correlation between the scores of emotional identity dimension and the factors influencing the work of values cultivation in the philosophy of practical music education is, in descending order, the object of education (0.499), the subject of education (0.451), the mediator of education (0.476), and the ring of education (0.287), which indicates that the object of education (college students) is the most important factor influencing the work of values cultivation in the philosophy of practical music education. The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning and significance of practical music education philosophy, which is a significant source of inspiration for music education in China today.

Music motivation depends on what to motivate: research review of Gumm’s music teaching and conducting models

The history and philosophy of music education are traced with varied efforts to hone, enhance, and shift a strong tradition of performance-based instruction. The purpose of this study is to summarize the research of Gumm’s empirical models of eight music teaching and six conducting approaches and their application in the profession across three decades toward varied philosophical aims. Each approach coordinates a distinct set of instructional and motivational behaviors toward a particular learning effect or outcome. Different balances of approaches reveal broader aims, such as performance, comprehensive musicianship, cooperative, discovery, and affective learning, or even basic on-task behavior. Broader yet are two overarching aims found in common to both music teaching and conducting—to control or release. Controlling music teaching asserts correct on-task behavior through clear task directions and corrective feedback, motivates attention to task nonverbally, efficiently fills time with active tasks, and clarifies and affirms positive learning. In contrast, cooperative group leadership releases interdependent learning, questioning fosters music concept learning, imagery and movement release artistry, and discussing unique perspectives releases independent ideas and feelings. In conducting, precise gestures control accurate timing, signals and alerts motivate attention, and mimicry of musician exertions controls physical tone production; whereas shaping of phrases and score markings release musical expression, psychosocially familiarized gestures foster interdependence, and tension-easing gestures release freer independent tone production. Control-oriented teaching is most prevalent across the field, yet links to greater burnout and appeals to accommodating students motivated by effort and ability more than students motivated by social and affective enjoyment of music. In conducting, music-oriented precision and expression are more prevalent than musician-oriented approaches. Releasing approaches are more prevalent in Western than Eastern culture, upper levels, early rehearsals well before concerts, smaller ensembles, competitive ensembles, and teachers and conductors with greater experience or varied movement training. Conclusive implications are that the key to motivation is to draw attention to specific and intentional forms of learning, and that whatever is motivated to attention also motivates a particular philosophy of music education. Future research is suggested in general music and ethnic, folk, popular, community, and professional music ensembles.

Soundscape exploring through choral performance and music creation

With a profound concern for the local environment and culture in Taiwan, this project integrated collected soundscape clips and mobile devices to compose and perform a cross-domain audiovisual soundscape choral concert. Drawing inspiration from M. Schafer’s soundscape concept and music education philosophy, as well as the “Three-S Model” of soundscape—sound, setting, and significance, the project aimed to develop university students’ performance and music creation skills and enhance their perception of soundscapes. Employing the concept of choral theater, the concert creatively combined collected soundscape recordings and imagery from various sites, presenting them through a multidisciplinary theatrical framework. This approach led to a reinterpretation of soundscape choral repertoire, shedding light on their historical context and contemporary relevance. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis of feedback from students, it is found that the integration of visual and auditory elements allowed the audience to have a more enriching sensory experience. Moreover, university student performers gained a heightened sense of observation and analysis of their surroundings through their involvement in specialized creations and performances. This experience allowed them to authentically connect with the essence of world music and local folk songs, fostering a deeper connection with the cultural heritage.

The Spread of Zoltán Kodály’s Music Education Principles in the World

"The purpose of this study is to summarize the essence of Zoltán Kodály’s music education philosophy and concept and to shed light on the presence of this music education concept in domestic and foreign music education in the 21st century. In the study, I present how music education based on Kodály’s principles has been adapted in the USA, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, and China and how it flourishes even in the 21st century. Keywords: Kodály Concept, music education, singing, music literature, adaptation of Kodály Concept"

Music Matters: A Philosophy of Music Education by David Elliott and Marissa Silverman (review)

Music Matters: A Philosophy of Music Education by David Elliott and Marissa Silverman (review)

“Om”: Singing Vedic Philosophy for Music Education

Abstract: Extending a nascent line of Asian philosophical research in music education, we mine Indian philosophies of music and education. Three key questions guide our project: What are Vedic philosophies of music? What are Vedic philosophies of education? Taken together, what insights can we draw for contemporary music education writ large? To address our questions, we analyze key passages from the Upanishads and synthesize ideas from these texts. A quartet of inter-related ideas emerge from our analysis: the guru , the shishya, vidya , and moksha . In brief, the guru (teacher) is revered as one would god, for it is the teacher who leads the shishya (student) toward vidya (knowledge) and through that toward moksha (liberation of the soul), which can also be attained via making music, such as the singing of Om (the absolute sound). In addition to proffering insights for contemporary music education, particularly in terms of how the ancient Vedic guru-shishya parampara adds nuance to contemporary discussions on the master-apprentice model of music education, we imagine how music education philosophy might look like if it were to be sung.

Application of the Orff Music Education Philosophy in Dance Teaching

Application of the Orff Music Education Philosophy in Dance Teaching

EDITORIAL

Editorial Estelle R. Jorgensen In June 2019, panelists Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Joseph Abramo, Randall Allsup, and Cathy Benedict drew attention to “Music Education in Times of Darkness” in their presentation to the International Symposium XII for the Philosophy of Music Education held at Western University, London, Canada. They could not have known the full extent of the disasters that would befall the world in the years following, including a Covid 19 pandemic, the continued spread of authoritarian and anti-democratic regimes, wars, famines, corruption, pervasive misinformation and disinformation, natural calamities, a Russian invasion of Ukraine on the European continent, racial and civic unrest, and an attempted political coup in the United States that heretofore viewed itself as a beacon of equality, democracy, and freedom. Collectively, they examined the importance of resistance against the rising tide of neoliberalism and autocracy and challenged musician educators to find a way through these “dark times” towards more humane approaches to music education. Their intersecting articles now appear in the symposium that leads off this issue. This symposium constitutes a self-contained discussion introduced by the authors. It comprises a quartet of articles dealing with matters of obligation to resist cooption by the political right, the question of whether creativity suffices to ensure criticality, resistance to neoliberal subjectivities among friendship groups in popular music, and subversive versus subsumptive creativity as a form of resistance. Kim Boeskov reflects on the problematic of the ambiguity of musical practice for the social analysis of music educational practice. In thinking of music education’s ambiguous relationship to matters of social justice, Boeskov forwards three principles of musical ambiguity that are of potential value in reflecting on social analyses of music education. These are music’s “bidirectionality,” “multiplicity of social meanings,” and “in-betweenness.” In unpacking these ideas, Boeskov [End Page 109] complicates social interpretations of musical and music educational practices and resists what might otherwise constitute oversimplified social readings of events. Ketil Thorgesen and Thomas von Wachenfeldt reflect on the musical learning and socialization of young Black Metal musicians through German and Nordic interpretations of the notion of Bildung. They show the similarities between the ideals and means of Bildung and the informal learning and socialization of these musicians. Thorgesen and Wachenfeldt suggest that juxtaposing Black Metal music and notions of Bildung provide conceptual tools for critiquing “hegemonic discourses” in music education. Rounding out this issue are two book reviews: Nasim Niknafs’ review of Lauren Richerme’s Complicating, Considering, and Connecting Music Education (Indiana University Press, 2020) and Martin Berger’s review of Juliet Hess’s Music Education for Social Change—Constructing an Activist Music Education (Routledge, 2019). [End Page 110] Estelle R. Jorgensen Yarmouth Port, MA Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University

A discussion on the aesthetics and philosophy of music in popular music

Since childhood, children have been drawn to the aesthetics of music. In the current exploratory study, we investigate the relationship between age, gender, and music education in terms of the perception of music preferences and musical emotions, which are two fundamental aspects of the aesthetic experience of music, using the children of teachers. I utilized the sectional design. We have established an experimental method for addressing particular children's musical interests and tendencies to do this. Melodic emotions and style are highly regarded. The melody consisted of three brief piano pieces: a significant piece, a minor piece, and a freetone piece. This article describes the "Reasoning of Music Education" or "Philosophy of Music Education" field (MEP). Method of music instruction is a relatively young field, and many music educators are unaware of its existence, as well as its inclination and value. In North America and most other nations, specialized MEP courses are not currently common in undergraduate and graduate curricula. The most surprising aspect of music is the variety of human advancements and individuals that create, utilize, evaluate, teach, learn, and invent "music" items, cycles, encounters, etc. Similarly, billions of people have invested a great deal of time, effort, thought, emotion, money, and in some cases, their lives creating specific sounds and related activities. I also acknowledge that it has been completed. Although music is an important and visible component of human civilisation, certain types of "music" sounds are created and listened to fulfill basic survival demands. Infrequent (if not entirely bizarre) compared to the enormous effort we exert. As many have noted, music does not appear biologically essential, yet it permeates all cultures.

Elusive Kodály Part I: Searching for Hungarian Influences in US Preschool Music Education

This paper is the first part of two articles exploring whether and how Hungarian music pedagogues have influenced early childhood music education in the United States. Using less-known publications and archived materials, this study moves beyond the well-documented history of the Hungarian pedagogue, Zoltán Kodály’s influence upon American general music education to focus on Kodály’s early childhood concepts, which form the backbone of the Hungarian philosophy of music education. Through the lives and work of the Hungarian and American music educators, Katinka Dániel, Katalin Forrai, Sister Lorna Zemke and Betsy Moll, I delineate a pedigree of distinguished female Kodály protégés professing a passion for Hungarian early childhood music pedagogy that did not mainstream into US preschools. In words spoken by and about these scholar-educators, my research locates the systemic and cultural factors contributing to the challenge of implementing Hungarian musical ideas in US preschools. To round out a description of the elusive Kodály influence on US early childhood music, this analysis also draws upon my own Los Angeles experience in searching for a quality Kodály education for my young toddlers.

Editorial

Editorial Estelle R. Jorgensen It is sometimes surprising when miscellaneous articles on a variety of specific subjects and assigned to an issue in order of their acceptance turn out to have a compelling and common theme. As editors, we sometimes have the sense of a zeitgeist, of a collective unconscious that bubbles up in the topics that compel our authors to write. As this issue goes to press, we are in a global pandemic that we hope will soon abate. We face an array of political, social, racial, ethnic, and economic conflicts and challenges that contribute to unsettlement and even despair for our collective well-being and the welfare of our planet. We are surrounded by a mediated environment in which expertise and truth are too often denigrated, ignorance and foolishness seem to fester and even prosper in public spaces, and frustration, anger, and violence are all too evident. Given this context, it is no wonder that our writers are also troubled by and skeptical of ideas and practices that have been promoted uncritically in music education and that seem not to meet this moment. Even better when they offer us constructive and creative criticism that also suggests alternative ways forward. This is as it is with the articles in this issue. Guilia Ripani critiques notions of “flourishing” proffered by advocates of music education that she views as individualistic and elitist. Instead, she advances the archaic Greek notion of metron or “right measure” that connotes dynamic balance and self-regulation as a more modest and “medium term” music educational objective. She hopes that students will be able to imagine their future flourishing and gain knowledge of themselves and their social agency through musical experiences and “critical reflections” on them. Our readers may notice the consonance of the idea of metron coming from the ancient West with ideas from the ancient East such as yin and yang forwarded by such writers as Victor [End Page 1] Fung and Leonard Tan—that are enjoying renewed interest in music education philosophy. Elizabeth MacGregor is concerned about the supposed benefits of music education for wellbeing touted by advocates of music education. Instead, she observes that students’ experiences of music education run the gamut of emotional responses to these experiences; they are not always conducive to wellbeing as too often assumed. Drawing on Judith Butler’s notion of “linguistic vulnerability,” she forwards a theory of “musical vulnerability” that she argues needs to be considered by music teachers. Her critique addresses the problem of simplistic understandings of the relationship between music and wellbeing and suggests instead the need for more nuanced understandings of the ways in which teachers and students open themselves to music. Wilfried Gruhn critiques what he sees as a “digital turn” in music education ongoing for some time but forwarded more recently by music teachers’ responses to COVID. He contrasts this embrace of technology as a means of music education that emphasizes virtual and cognitive musical experience with recent advances in cognitive science, learning, and related fields that suggest the importance of the intersection of mind and body in holistic musical learning in the phenomenal world. While technologies open opportunities for music learning, he suggests that they are also limited and even detrimental. This reality leads him to believe that this digital turn should be revoked, and music teachers should continue to emphasize physical experiences of music making in the phenomenal world. Antía González Ben worries about the epistemic suppositions that underlie music educational curricula. As a case in point, she digs beneath the International Baccalaureate High School music curriculum, widely used around the world, and examines the assumptions evident in this curriculum. Among other things, she critiques the notion of “musical culture” employed in this curriculum, its Euro-Americentrism, its musical formalism, its view of musical cultures as fixed and distinct and the roots of this idea in nineteenth century thought. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s notion of “power-as-effects,” she suggests an alternative transformative approach to music curriculum that would take account of “systems of dominance and oppression” that are operative in the musics of the world. Albi Odendaal and Heidi Westerlund fault music education for taking too...

A Study of the Differences in Philosophy of Music Education between Remo and Elliott

The development of western music education in the second half of the 20th century can be summarized as "point" and "face". "Point" refers to the philosophical perspective on music education represented by Remer's claim of "aesthetic education as the center, while "face" denotes the "multi-cultural basis" represented by Elliot. To put it in another way, the philosophy of music education is composed of many "points" so as to form "face". This paper compares and develops the two views of music education from three aspects: background of time, case analysis and philosophical basis, in order to contribute to the study of music education.

On "Teaching" and "Learning" of Music Education in Senior High School

With the improvement of people's life quality in China, people pay more and more attention to the quality of education. The relevant departments have carried out the new curriculum reform and applied modern technology to the development of the education industry, thus improving the teaching efficiency of the education industry in China. The significance of music classroom teaching in senior high school lies in showing a broader development space for students and teachers, respecting the law of physical and mental development of senior high school students, and choosing teaching contents and methods suitable for each student to meet the music learning needs of different students, so as to stimulate their interest and creation in music learning, lay a foundation for the lifelong development of each senior high school student's cultural accomplishment, and then promote the all-round and harmonious development of students' personality. This topic is based on the theory of music education philosophy, post-modern music pedagogy, music education psychology, music aesthetic psychology and other knowledge, analyzes the problems existing in the current music education and teaching in Chinese schools, expounds the feasibility and necessity of implementing the diversified application of pop songs in high school music classes, and discusses the ways and methods of implementing the diversified application of pop songs. This paper discusses the educational function of applying pop songs to music classroom teaching and the basic requirements for teachers.