Philosophy of Music

All of the Arts are forms of communication. Through language, dance, music, and visual art, as human beings, we strive to convey messages and ideas to each other. Communication is the most important skill taught in schools to give students the skills they need to prosper in the world. If this is so, we should endeavor to provide our students with as many forms of communication as possible. Music is a unique form of communication, which can add to every student’s educational process and quality of life.

For music to fulfill this purpose, we must use enjoyable and quality music in the classroom. “Quality” here is defined as music that is: timeless, accurate, authentic, and purposeful. Quality music has definite learning points, an accurate portrayal of its intended purpose, and meaning that can be felt and expressed by the performers. Also, our culture is swamped by music of many styles and motives. In such a setting, it only seems natural that we educate our students so that they might more fully enjoy and utilize this faction of their lives.

Performance of music is imperative to music education. However, music education should not be only performance. To get the full experience, it is necessary that students have a more comprehensive understanding of music. In addition to music performance, students need to learn the basics of reading, notating, improvising, composing, analyzing, evaluating, and describing music. Students also need to learn about the connection between music, the other arts, and history and culture. Music is a process, not just a performance. These factors give the students a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of music.

For these reasons, music needs to be taught to all students. Music can encompass many different intelligences, such as visual-spatial, aural, and kinesthetic learning. Because of this, all children, with their wide variety of abilities, can benefit from music education.