In 1838, for the purposes of improving singing in Christian church congregations, music was added to the public school system in Boston. A very quick background of the Utilitarian Philosophy Instead, they might focus on improved science and math scores. For example, educators who use this philosophy do not state that students who study music will improve their rhythmic and melodic skills. The utilitarian music philosophy promotes music for the purpose of achieving an outcome outside the musical realm. You may have noticed something from the examples above: None of them have to do with musical growth. We may show how music improves the brain and helps language development. We may argue that music serves to build “character education,” patriotism, and school values. It is a tool we can use to achieve a purpose.įor example, we may advocate that strong music programs are related to strong academic performance, such as increased SAT scores.

Rather, it is to equip us with a framework and vocabulary that we can use to advocate for our programs and support our students.Ī few key ideas of utilitarian music education: The purpose of these philosophies is not to put our beliefs in a single, neatly packaged box. I’m also not suggesting that we align ourselves with one single philosophy as the defining set of statements about our music programs. These three do not summatively describe every viewpoint that exists in the music education space. Today we’ll look at three philosophies that articulate the value of music. Knowing how music scholars articulate their value systems can bring clarity to conversations with administration and community members as we work to bring high quality music education to our students. The way we view each of these pillars shapes our curriculum, our classroom management, how we assess, and how we discuss our mission with administrators, parents, the community, and our students.

Music: What impact does music have on our lives?Įducator: What does quality education look like? There is a philosophy behind each aspect of our role:Įlementary: What is the importance of childhood? We each have a story about why we were drawn to music, why we were drawn to education, and why we were drawn to the elementary age group.

What does articulate mean in music