Philosophy of Music Education

Henry T. Law

Music 512: Teaching Jr./Sr. High

October 13, 2017

 Society has been educating the generation younger than then since the beginning of time;

teaching them how to farm, how to hunt, how to count money, and how to cook food. When

Plato was alive his goal was to educate through forcing people to think about the difficult ideas

of the time breaking them down to the core philosophical ideal it contradicts. As education

continues to progress we find ourselves at a fork. In the early 20th century, the assembly line was

proven to be very successful, so the law makers and educators of the time implemented it into the

public education system. This is still being used in our schools today: “The teacher is the giver

of information or the transmitter of knowledge. The curriculum is highly structured so that all

students will receive the exact same and equal experience.” (Raiber and Teachout 30). Compare

that to what NCLB has done to the curriculum, a test at the end of the year determined the

curriculum. Look though, at what they have created in Finland. A public education system that

teaches students how to deal with everyday situations and how to critically think about what they

want to do and why they want to do it. I believe that we must be on the pursuit of truth; to create

students that can work with others and can participate in expressive, creative or artistic activities;

realizing one’s potential; and contemplating philosophical matters. If we can be successful,

society will grow to be well informed and willing to question what people tell them regardless of

what role they play in the society and what the people “above them” are telling them to believe.

Plato is also credited with saying, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe,

wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” A

moral law is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “an absolute principle of defining the criteria of

right action.” So, if music is a moral law then it has to be accessible and available by all but,

when I look back at my music education that is not what was available. More than three quarters
of my school didn’t participate in school music past seventh grade. They still participated in

music, the music they liked or were interested in wasn’t available to them.

My intentions as an educator are: to continue to learn and engage in the newest and

proven teaching strategies; to make available the music that all students want to participate in

while still maintaining a high educational value to the music; to ensure that my students have the

ability to participate in music making in whatever capacity they want to in the future; to

encourage thought and discussion about music and culture; and support and encourage successful

music-making by my students. I believe that by successfully achieving my intentions, students

will leave my program with the ability to challenge their own thoughts of themselves and with

the confidence to go through life realizing their potential and participating in creative, artistic

activities.