Foundations III Comprehensive Project. Education Essay

FOUNDATIONS III Comprehensive Project
Li Chen
The State University of New York at Fredonia
Comprehensive Project
Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Music Education
August 2020
Abstract
Music education is a crucial part of human life. Since ancient times, man and music seemed to have coexisted together. Music and society are intimately linked because they rely on each other in the interplay of thoughts, feelings, ideas, and perceptions, fun, and topical societal issues. Through the deep understanding of music in terms of history, philosophy, sociology music rationale, psychology, music standards, curriculum implementation, assessment, this paper will illustrate and explain the profound impact on music education that is underpinned by appropriate learning strategies and methodologies. The paper provides extensive literature on theoretical, conceptual, and practical frameworks that are highly interlinked with music education and society in general in the context of Port Jefferson School District.
Keywords: curriculum, assessment, standards, and implementation
The Philosophical Statement on Music and Education
A philosophy of music education encompasses the value of music, the value gained of teaching music, and how to utilize those values in the music classroom setups. I believe that music is one of the distinctive disciplines in the sphere of education. Despite its immense role in influencing community and individuals in many ways, the concept of music has been largely ignored in mainstream education (Sarath, 2013). As a teacher, I hold the viewpoint that I have a responsibility to bring to limelight the space of music in our communities. There have been glaring gaps regarding the theory and practice of music. In light of this, a music instructor is obliged to bridge this gap by ensuring that students are armed with practical, theoretical, and cognitive skills that are supported by adaptability and flexibility. I like philosophies because they provide a better platform of understanding what is being done in music education in terms of curriculum content, teaching and assessment methods, which trickles down to Port Jefferson School District
Jorgensen’s philosophical arguments are though-provoking expositions that provide an in-depth understanding of music education, especially in relation to praxial philosophical viewpoints (Elliott, 2012). I agree with her on music aspects related to aesthetic or praxial. Praxial philosophy posits that the full knowledge and understanding of nature and its significance of music entails more than just comprehension of particular pierce, aesthetics, or works of music (Silverman, Davis & Elliott, 2014). The phenomenon of music in education system mirrors praxial philosophy where the music processes, actions, and outcomes are highly intertwined; music acts as a center upon which human feelings, ideas, perceptions, and thoughts are purposefully nurtured, contextualized and socially embedded (Silverman, Davis & Elliott,2014). In music praxialism, self-revelation and relation with the community are established, and involved meanings and values are depicted in music production, listening, and musical outcomes in specified cultural contexts. Praxialism is against the understanding the music based on absoluteness and universality; aspects of aesthetic formalism and strict adherence to some requirements may not apply in praxialism (Alperson, 2010). In music education, efforts should be geared towards understanding a variety of meanings and values according to contexts of presentations. As a music teacher, a lot can be learned from the philosophy of praxialism; I must recognize music education as a program that educates students on music practices. I will consider not only the history and appropriate music work or performance but also nature and the significance of skills in bringing to the front of the art of music. Besides, the performance of music and education must put into perspective the intentions, motive, and creative input that is injected into music production processes. Thus, music education constitutes a space where opposites can inter-relate, mix, interpenetrate, interact, cooperate, and conflict; this is a fertile area for creativity and change, and this aspect is not limited by traditional rigid taxonomies, systems, standards, methods, and frameworks
As an educator in music, my current attitudes, knowledge, and skills on music are strongly informed by my philosophical standpoint, which I have nurtured over time. I know that philosophy dates back to antiquity and ancient times, and it has survived the test of time to shaped the contemporary phenomenon and perspectives. What we always do and feel in our lives results from our philosophical grounding. I perceive music as an extensive sphere of learning and experience. The music philosophy revolves around music education by focusing on the value of music, the importance of teaching, and its associated practicality in classroom music. As part of education, music is positioned to provide a friendly environment for learners to grow. The philosophy of music within the realm of learning is anchored on its value to society. There is growing interest regarding a bolder integration of music education into mainstream learning through prioritization efforts owing to its positive on pupils in terms of enhancement of skills in other disciplines and better self-development. Music needs a stronger legitimization based on the gains and values assigned to the music experience.
I have done in-depth and developed an intense curiosity about music, and this practice has given me a better perspective on what constitutes music. Philosophical expositions have strengthened my music benefits and expanded the horizon of views, knowledge, skills, and attitudes on music. In my daily music education learning processes and interactions, the idea surrounding the definition of music is inescapable. Thus, I am of the school of thought that proper understanding of what music lays a background upon philosophical grounding can be established. What is music? Music is seen as an ancient universal practice. The spontaneity of music is even observed amongst children. It is also possible to recognize music when one interacts with entirely different and foreign cultural and language units though it might be hard to recognize mishaps such music. Some strange sounds may be perceived as music, but this may not be true because there are many instances of musical-sounding phenomena that are not in line with the tenets of music; these may include infant-directed speech,’ sing-song’, and tone language (Davies, 2012). Furthermore, many will wrongly perceive some patterned sounds like music; these include sounds that are not humanly generated, such as field frog chorus or accidental factory auditory effects.
The music falls under the armpits of the art, but unlike the majority of art, philosophers have not shown significant interest in providing a distinctive definition. Davies (2012) pointed out that definitions by music are rarely attempted; it is easy to identify music, and this creates no need for descriptions. Any efforts aimed at providing a watertight definition of music can be challenging and thankless.
I usually cherish Reimer's arguments in music. Reime’s philosophical narrations provide a deep understanding of music, and this explains why many music schools would find it odd not to invoke his propositions. Reimer denotes music as a basic model of cognition and intricate mind functionality. He says music has existed in all places that host people and is evident whenever people create and share music. The close link between human beings and music reflects the degree of value that music does have in store for man. I feel that attempts to explore the concept of music value have always led us to more confusion because we end up grappling with the nature of human beings. Humans require food, shelter, clothing, sex, and social interactions, among others, but why does he or she crave for music, which is not central to life? The question remains a puzzle. According to Reimer, music’s greatest contribution is ingrained in an individual’s experience of it; the epicenter of his argument revolves around the understanding of what we hear and which is necessary for clarification, thinking, and analysis (Woodford, 2015). Reimer’s philosophy is about feelings and purpose of music, and aspects like ear training may go beyond just intervals, harmony, and rhythms. Reimer would advocate for training the ears and mind to establish emotional connections and feelings in the background of melodies and harmony, for example, in orchestra classroom.
As a teacher, should I inform the students and the public about the benefits or value that music can bring? Or is it an issue that is so obvious that it does not warrant any explanation? i believe that there is a need to inform about the importance of music. The essential nature of music must be illuminated upon by the music teacher due to various reasons. First, as a professional music teacher, I am obligated to provide a convincing rationale for the work I am engaged in, i.e., teaching music. Second, we need a sense of shared aspirations, endeavors, and motivation; this can only be exploited if we highlight the benefits that we stand to gain from music. Third, the community and students should understand their needs and get to know that professional services have met their desires. Fourth, teaching can only be assessed and judge effectively based on the values that confer to the society. Finally, the definition of values will maintain music on the tract by nurturing its relevance to the community.
Music is delineated from other cognitive processes by its core features, which are non-conceptual and non-discursive (Scarbrough, 2015). Unlike other spheres, music is packaged as knowledge and presents a subjective feeling, rather than the actual information that is espoused in such music. Reimer opines that the mental sensation and its associated feeling results from particular expressions give the meaningful definition of music and what it entails (Scarbrough, 2015). Davies (2012) took a glimpse of Levinson's definition of music. Levinson defined music as an art that has temporally organized sounds by a person to create a sense of experience and engagement like dancing and performing in accompaniment with influencing sounds. However, some will criticize Levinson’s description of the music: music, in some instances, does not offer a rich experience, for example, ‘happy birthday’ is a song or form of music that does not enrich the experience among the singers.
As seen from Levinson’s and Reimer’s view on the meaning of music, there is an implication that music is an organized body of sound and is relatively broad. Notably, there are also organized sounds that are not considered music, and they may include animal sounds, human speech, and machinery sounds. Philosophers have attempted to fine-tune diverse perspectives in a bid to come up with what constitutes music. As a result, issues like tonality and musical features like rhythm, pitch, aesthetic properties, and experience. These properties can be applied together or in isolation. Many philosophers dissect music in terms of its relation to mind, language, and world.
It is a commonplace nowadays to see people listening to music while they are engaging in other activities such as physical exercises in the gym, reading, driving, and even surgeons doing operations. In colleges, one cannot fail to see thousands of students walking around with their headphones, and it seems everyone is listening to his or her best or preferred genre of music. However, when people are asked to define their preferred tastes of music, there’s usually a bit of hesitation; this may be partly due to the idea that people choose music depending on specific contexts, moods, and time, amongst others. Whether one is in the elevator or washroom or doing any other activity such as watching television or farming, music tends to create a sense of relevance and experience. It appears that music may stimulate senses in one way or another. Music has been shown to have great benefits to bras, which include reducing anxiety, blood pressures, as well as improving mood, sleep quality, memory, and alertness. Minds can hear and play music, the sound from a stereo system generation vibrations that get inside the ear canal and tickle the eardrum, which results in the transformation of sound vibrations into electrical impulses. These impulses travel along the auditory nerve up to brain stem where reorganization and interpretation are made, resulting in what people perceive as music.
Music does not only revolve only around sounds that we hear, but it is also about art and aesthetics. In Meaningful Music In the book Vision 2020 by Michael Marks, show that necessary skills such as writing, mathematics, and reading, among others, are aimed at opening gates to education but aren’t education themselves; similarly, performance may not mean music but a gateway to music (Silveira, 2013). Attendance and performance skills are critical: however, they should mainly be used in evaluation in the context where creativity and problem-solving skills are found in the objective.
I perceive music as a whole life experience and a process, and we might not be able to pinpoint what makes something music conclusively. Thus, music should be a sphere of human experience that is subject to dynamism and adaptability. As a teacher of music, I should align myself with a learning approach that can accommodate the emerging needs of learners and society. My philosophy should be geared towards the provision of a safe, warm, and welcoming environment that allows students to learn, experience, and grow. It is the responsibility of the teacher to nurture the environment that students feel free to learn and make mistakes as part of learning. I believe that when learners are allowed to learn in a more open environment with fewer restrictions, creativity, and critical thinking is likely to get enhanced and grasp key lessons that are crucial in the real-world.
The contemporary global environment, more than ever before, demands teachers to nurture a student-centered learning approach. As I music instructor, I must have a higher say in decision making to the student by creating a learning environment that allows students to own learning and be driving forces in music education. In light of students centered learning, the teacher in music education is supposed to create collaborative learning by providing guidance and letting students learn from each other. I have known that the best approach in music learning involves the flow of ideas and interpretations amongst the students; the learners are encouraged to bring input on the choice of what they need to learn and what kind of music they would like to perform. Besides the student-owned learning process, I would find it useful in my music teaching career to let students share their individual feelings, emotions, and feelings, which I will consolidate in a bid to create an in-depth understanding of a given genre of music or performance.
The Rationale for Music Education
The rationale for music education runs deep. The historical development of music has been based on a critical question, such as should music be included in the mainstream curriculum? And does music have any value, or is it worth knowing? Music education had faced resistance when efforts were made to integrate it into the primary school curriculum despite its benefits that include boosting self-confidence, creativity, and a sense of achievement (Vitale, 2011). It has given the society and individuals a space to express creativity and art of thoughts and feelings. Music education offers students the ability to experience an unquantifiable aspect of human life. These benefits include brain growth stimulation in children, creating a web of social connection among people, relieving stress, and creation of personal traits such as discipline, and integration and harmonization of diverse subjects or disciplines. Some of the learning institutions even exclude music entirely from their curriculum, and others allocated minimal time to music education. Many students who harbored aspirations of pursuing music have had to enroll in private lessons due to limited public funding and peripheral placement of music in the realm of the education system. Music and music education stands to offer seamless opportunities and benefits to society and individuals
Music is part of the human phenomenon; this means that music constitutes the social aspect of humanity. Regelski (2016) observed that there are many social values derived from music but disappear in the context of high-mindedness. Regelski pointed out that it is faulty to think that music's fundamental role is to enhance the aesthetic experience; the aesthetic as a premise is speculative and fails to show up in extensive social history. It appears that the relationship aesthetic and music has been ignored in the preparation of music educators (Regelski, 2016). The rationale for music education is underpinned philosophy. Music is classified as praxis, which means that it is suitable for individual, social group concert contemplation. Despite its value, music education has remained at the periphery, which has been responded to, by increased advocacy; Regelski(2016) attributes the never-ending music education advocacy to the connoisseurship rationale.
The praxis philosophy on music rationale takes a different approach that contrasts with a conventional perspective that music is a collection of art for leisure and individual needs. The rationale of music education should be premised on net benefits for individuals and society as a whole. There has been a contradictory connotation and a firm grip on music aesthetic ideology among teachers, and this has created a scenario where any departure from aesthetic ideology is rejected quickly (Regelski, 2016). In response to the problems faced by the traditional rationale for music education as espoused in schools and the community, Regelski suggests a praxial approach as an alternative where music is viewed as human action and art. Action is guided by intention as opposed to the activity which is often routine, automatic and non-deliberate
The pragmatist philosophy defines intentionality in terms of action, which benefits humans and the agent who seeks to make. The lack of an exact definition of arts has been problematic; this might have led to this field of art being ignored. However, the paraxial approach, which takes music education as art under the blueprint of intentionality, would encourage mindful use, flexibility, ingenuity, cleverness, amongst others, in a bid to the desired music outcomes that benefit the people ((Alperson, 2010 and Regelski,2016).
The importance of music education lies in its capacity to influence the social dimension in society. Its value is defined by social impact, intention, disposition, state of mind, shared benefits and meaning (Regelski, 2016). As a result of paraxial social needs, there was an emergence of concert listening, which encompassed operas, symphonies, and musicals in the contexts of celebrations, funerals, leisure times, and folk performance, among others.
Many educators have rationalized music education on aesthetic concepts. However, the concept of critical theory should now take centre stage in music education like any other discipline. Music ought to be depicted as art in terms of its history, ideology, political and social contexts, colonialism, and self –identification (Alperson, 2010). Aesthetics is deeply enriched in politics and culture; this makes it relevant to look at music from diverse contexts and not merely as a function of aesthetics. Aesthetics represents a social institution that is anchored on a progressive ideology. As a result, there is a need to substitute and relook at the rationale of connoisseurship, intentionality, aesthetic recognition, which are taken for in granted aesthetic ideology (Regelski, 2016). The praxial ideology is well-positioned to offer illustrative social benefits associated with music education through the provision of a wider choice of participation of music graduates in contemporary music.
Music makes a significant contribution across the curriculum due to opportunities that can elicit. Students stand to gain spiritual nourishment via the power of music to allow students to express and reflect on their thought s and feelings. Music education facilitates moral growth because it allows the students to exercise responsibility regarding choices they make in the course of creative expressions; it results from valuing their works and others too. Music is primed to nurture social growth through helping students share music-production processes; it enhances social cohesion through recognition of different contributions in enriching music performance and content. Music can also encourage cultural development among learners through reflection on how people think, feel, and relate to time and place in which music is performed, especially in the light of contrasting traditions. Other key gains from music education included communication, the ability to work with others, informational technology competency, and problem-solving skills. Thus, the rationale of music is anchored on philosophical reasoning, social, cognitive, psychological, and societal benefits, which can be evaluated through praxis and aesthetic ideologies (Alperson, 2010 and Regelski, 2016).
Historical Overview of Music in American Schools
The history of American music education is about reforms. The U.S founding fathers, as well as settlers, had their efforts rooted in idealism, and this explains why political liberties or religion were driven by the idea of being reformist up to the present date. Keen (2010) opines that this trait of being reformist is also reflected in American music education, and this may reveal the reasons underlying the changes in methodologies and philosophies regarding music education. Keen (2010) notes that American music education history extensive due to rich, long, and diverse history.
The U.S music education has not evolved in isolation. Multiple factors have influenced its growth. Just like the history of art, musical education in the U.S is related to and has been shaped and fed by the social history of America (Keen, 2010). The author further argues that U.S music education cannot be divorced from the history of America and Europe because white men came from Europe while black men from Africa have also contributed to American music education, particularly in the field of jazz music. We can get it wrong if we limit the study of American music education to teachers and music because of the patterns in the history of education may have influenced music development and its direction.
Music education is an integral part of the educational experience in most public schools in the U.S. The history of music education in the United States began before the American Revolution and progressed to the prevalence of music education today. Music education is not only comprised of two fundamental aspects, which are theory and practical knowledge, but also the genres, history, and analysis of the composition, amongst others. Music has evolved in the majority of these aspects and has been taught to millions of students in the U.S over a long time.
Music education in the U.S has been taking place in public schools, private schools, and even more specialized schools in music. The 21st-century students in American students have a broader range of extra-curriculum activities to choose from. Many student groups engage in special events that are characterized by diversity in backgrounds and origins. Already the aspects of academics and cultural issues of communities have been institutionalized. The examination of history shows that music might have started many years ago. According to Winstead (2013), the American sphere of higher education is replete regarding college singing. Singing existed since the time of Puritan-governed Harvard, and sacred secular music seemed to have permeated through the earliest universities. Winstead (2013) points out that the intense interest associated with music is depicted by publishers who developed college songbooks and sheet of music. The historical development of music in American institutions appeared to have significantly been influenced by the European migrations, world events, and European culture.
College singing experienced a boom in response to the emerging expansion of higher learning in America. This phenomenon of music or song influenced students in specific ways, which included singing being seen as a pastime and social practice, indoctrinated students into the life of formal and informal social organizations, and made students align themselves with college celebrations and rituals (Winstead, 2013). From another standpoint, students sang to express particular sentiments such as humor and in highlighting optimal or sub-optimal performance in different areas.
Winstead (2013) says that Puritans sang in the 17th century despite being humorless, pleasure-hating, and fierce critics of human enjoyment. At that time, Harvard College was defined by rich Puritan culture and church, state, and colleges, as institutions reflected Puritan polity. Winstead (2013) notes that the role of music in Puritan society was controversial and many scholars tend to differ regarding the dissection of music functions in that society. For instance, American music scholars like Irvinh Lowens opines that puritan music may have been defined by attitudes, religions and was controlled by tight parameters of expected behaviors. Massachusetts becomes one of the earliest epicenters of early music education in the U.S, and the arrival of Puritans and Pilgrims marked this. They came with the practice of singing psalm. Pilgrims first landed in American soil from Europe in the 1620s, where they began folk art (Keen, 2010). Secular music took roots in the South, and experienced musicians move across plantations intending to teach music to children and to perform for select audiences and churches. But at such a time, music education was mainly reserved for the wealthy in th society. Northern colonies were expanding too, which led to a corresponding surge in music literacy in such regions.
Reverend Thomas Symmes was one of the pioneers in singing, and in 1717, a first singing school was established in Boston, Massachusetts, which was used to enhance singing and music reading in church, and soon, this kind of singing spread to colonies (Birge, 2011). According to Birge, from the 1700s to the 1820s, more tune books were composed by authors such as Oliver Holden and William Billings, among others. The tune book which espoused instructional text contained choral music marked a tremendous impact on American early music education. Reverend John Tufts is credited for the psalm tunes (Birge, 2011).
Lowell Mason is a towering figure in early music education. He learned how to play instruments such as piano and flute (Keen, 2010). Lowell Mason got teachings from Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who is a Swiss educator. Lowell Mason emphasized instructor and student interactions in music (Keen, 2010). By 1832, he and George Webb laid the foundation for the Boston Academy of Music, which acted as a pioneer institution of music that is specialized for children. Boston Academy of Music facilitated teaching singing, theory, and methods of instruction. In 1834, Mason published an instruction manual based on the Pestalozzian education model; other teachers of music also adopted this manual. In the late 1830s, the Boston School Committee permitted Mason to teach music at Hawes School, as a form of demonstration; this marked the introduction of music education in public schools in the U.S (Keen, 2010). As a result, music was included in the curriculum, and Mason became a recognized supervisor of elementary music. In years later, Luther Whiting Mason took the position of Supervisor of Music in Boston. Luther Whiting Mason facilitated a remarkable spread of music education by ensuring that all levels of learning, including grammar, primary, and high school, adopted music education (Keen, 2010). By the 19th century, Boston had become a role model in music education across the U.S
The period marked the 1830s and 1840s heralded a preparation phase in the history of American music education journey (Keen, 2010). The thoughts of Will...