Kenneth Nyland

Philosophy of Music Education

The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of the nation, is close
to the center of a nations purpose and is a test to the quality of a nations civilization. President
John F Kennedy The No Child Left Behind Act defines Core Academic Subjects as English, reading
or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts,
history, and geography. As a form of art, music is classified as a Core Academic Subject. So
ultimately why is it that the arts are always cut from the budget? Music can play a vital role in a childs
life academically as well as musically. Music education provides benefits for children in society, school
and learning skills, and developing intelligence.
Every student deserves an opportunity to experience the benefits of music education. Although
every student may not be as gifted as others in this specific form of art, every student should have the
option to express themselves musically and develop the skills involved in making music. According to
Nature and Neuroscience Playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brainstems
sensitivity to speech sounds. Experience at a young age to music also fine-tunes the brains auditory
system. (Wong, 2007, pp. 420-422) While every student should have an opportunity to experience
music, not just anyone can teach music. Educators of music need to be well versed in a vast repertoire of
music and should have a mastery of specific instrument of their own, whether it would be voice, cello,
piano, etc. Having a mastery in a given instrument, the instructor is able to teach music up to the highest
level, and helps students to have somewhere to go.
Through music education students learn the importance of working as a team to collectively
create a unified sound, as well as be able to individually experience the wonders of their own creative
minds. By practicing individually, students will see the positive impact it has in their confidence and the
bigger impact they have on the group as a whole. According to Florida our culture has adopted a
creativity ethos. This means that we use creativity in the way that we live and work. The creativity
process is also a social and individual matter, which means that organization is required to make it work.
Through music education students are cultivated in distinct kinds of thinking involving creativity
(Bartel, 2004, pp. 34-35).
Students should learn how to understand more than just the text of the music; they need to learn
what different symbols indicate musically, and learn their importance. Students also learn that the role of
music has always been about empowering humans to express what cannot be summed up in words. For
example, one only has to think back on 9/11 and the music that was played for the ceremonies in respect
to all those who lost their lives. The music enabled those to express what they could not say. When you
think about it, music is associated with some of the most important moments in our lives (ex. marriage
& funerals). Music is one facet that children can realize their humanity (Eisner, 2002, pp.144-5).
Students need to learn respect and discipline in the classroom, and how they can even use time
when they arent singing or playing out loud to internalize their part in their mind. They should be
encouraged to practice outside the classroom and should learn more than just the repertoire given to
them. They should be taught the skills needed to read music so that reading music becomes fun and
exciting as they improve. These things should be modeled by the instructor, and should be noticeable in
the way the instructor teaches.
Students should also encounter a variety of music from different cultures, historical periods, with
different, rhythms, meters, and tonalities. As the skills of the individual musicians improve, more and
more, new techniques can gradually be taught and applied to their performing and/or practice. If too
much is taught at one time the student can be overwhelmed with information and end up not learning
anything. As time progresses they will naturally implement the techniques taught so that more can be
applied over time, improving their overall skill and performance.
Research has shown that the brain is more engaged during musical experiences than actively
communicating, or resting. Musical experiences also use other functions of the brain such as, spatial
reasoning, perception and attention. Because of this music can carry important information like
remembering a procedure, dance steps, knowing the name of a product through a jingle, etc. Study in
music will help students interpret these music experiences on a deeper level and will have a better grasp
on the musical world that exists around them.
Music needs to be exposed to children at a young age when they are most impressionable. Music
training helps students be able to distinguish split second sounds, which are essential to processing
language. Students with music training also have drastically better verbal memory than those without.
Students trained on instruments will work their fine motor skills which will help them in their everyday
life. Not to mention, learning an instrument can give children a voice other than their speaking voice and
give them an outlet to express themselves artistically (Benefits of Music, 2012).
While students learning music can benefit a vast majority of academic skills, it should be
presented in a fun and non-threatening way. While students need to be taught discipline and how to
behave during a practice, they should not be prevented from growing as an individual in music as well.
Music is fun and the example that is demonstrated for them is important. I believe it is essential for a
music educator to practice everything they teach, and set a good example for students to aspire to be.
Music is a valued part of our culture, and is a birth-right of every child, teenager, and adult alike.
The study of music gives learners access to increased levels of creativity, communication, critical
assessment, and commitment. Tim Lautzenheizer



Works Cited

Bartel, L. (2004). Another Way to Justify Music Education? A Look at The Rise of the
Creative Class by Richard Florida, Canadian Music Educator Vol 46, No. 1. pp 34 35.

Benefits of Music. (2012). NAFME. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from
http://advocacy.nafme.org/files/2012/03/benefits_of_music

Eisner, Elliot. (2002) Advocacy Statement: The Functions of Music in Education. Music Education
International, 1, 144-5.

Gates, J. Terry. (2002) Why Study Music. In M. Mark (ed), Music Education: Source Readings from
ancient Greece to today (pp. 212-215) New York: Routledge Press.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Affairs, A Guide to Education
and No Child Left Behind, Washington, D.C., 2004

Wong, P. C., Skoe, E., Russo, N. M., Dees, T., & Kraus, N. (2007). Musical Experience Shapes Human
Brainstem Encoding Of Linguistic Pitch Patterns.Nature Neuroscience, 10, 420-422.