Philosophy of Music Education

The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point however is to change it.* Music education needed visionary intellectual leadership to make it an integral part of the dawning new curriculum of the 1950s. Some of the readings that follow are statements of belief that reflect the thinking of earlier times; they might not be considered philosophy, as defined by Harry S. Broudy: “a reasoned justification for a set of beliefs rather than a mere assertion of these beliefs.” They are included in the philosophy section to emphasize the transitional nature of the 1950s. These writings, among others, were the platform from which music educators began their journey to the philosophy of aesthetic education. Charles Leonhard wrote: While reliance on statements of the nonmusical value of music may well have convinced some reluctant administrator to more fully support the music program, those values cannot stand close scrutiny, because they are not unique to music. In fact, many other areas of the curriculum are in a position to make a more powerful contribution to these values than is music.1