RUNNING HEAD: A History of Music Education in North America

A History of Music Education in North America

Chlo Plamondon
Northern State University

A History of Music Education in North America

A History of Music Education in North America

Education can be described as a transfer of value and knowledge from one
generation to the next. This essay outlines the contributions of significant individuals and
the changes in philosophical thought regarding Music Education in North America from
generation to generation. It is imperative that current Music Educators have an
understanding of the history of music education in order to continue educating and
working towards a meaningful and effective teaching philosophy. Having an
understanding of the positive and negative aspects of this history should encourage music
teachers to reflect on their current practices and educate themselves towards progressive
growth without falling akin to the shortcomings of the past. Appreciating and
understanding the events and philosophical ideas of the past will guide current music
educators on their journey towards continuing to be a part of the tradition of creating
meaningful music making experiences for all students.
Music was an integral part of theocratic life in Colonial America, but was not yet
a part of the education system (Mark, 1982). Religious ministers valued music as an
integral part of their worship and religion, and during the Protestant Reformation the
value of music was seen in developing the whole citizen. The earliest organized music
education in America was in the training of singers for Protestant church services.
European educators advocated a music education and influenced the growth of music
education in American schools.
Johann Pestalozzi (1746-1847) was a Swiss educational reformer, philosopher and
writer who believed that education must be according to nature and organized to

A History of Music Education in North America

strengthen the students natural abilities (Silber, 2014). Pestalozzi was not a musician, but
his ideas about an effective and meaningful education are directly related to the birth of
the importance of music education in North America. He stresses that instruction should
always start with something familiar and then move towards any new material (Silber,
2014). He also stated the importance of incorporating the performance of concrete arts
and the experience of real emotional responses as integral to the development of the
whole child. He stated that in order to be successful in educating a child we must train
the whole child mentally, physically and morally (Choksy, 5). These Pestalozzian ideas
come into play years later when an influential Lawyer, Horace Mann, takes the initiative
to organize education in the United States years later.
Horace Mann was the President of the Senate in Massachusetts in 1833 and
encouraged education reform and revitalization. Mann signed The Act Relating to
Common Schools and it was this bill that created the first board of education, which
gave the state the power to deliver the most approved and successful methods of
arranging the studies and conducting the education of the young (Choksy, 5). This bill
also forced the board to reflect back on what was and was not working and how to
continually improve education. Mann became the secretary of the Board of Education
from 1837-1847 and as a part of this position he was required by the bill to write annual
reports on the state of the schools in Massachusetts. The most important report to music
education was written in 1843 where Mann talked about the contributions of Johann
Pestalozzis philosophies regarding the discipline and management of curriculum. In this
same annual report, and after spending time observing schools in Europe, Mann stated
that Music instruction brings the whole mind, as it were, into a state of fusion (Choksy,

A History of Music Education in North America

4) and at this point Mann called for the introduction of music, drawing, and the study of
natural objects(Choksy, 4) to be added into the curriculum of the schools.
Lowell Mason, a teacher, composer, writer and conductor from 1792 1872 was
the first music educator to apply the Pestalozzian educational philosophy ideas into his
teaching of music. From 1837 1852 these ideas spread across America until they
became the norm by which music was taught in schools. By the year 1900, the music
practices of Lowell Mason were established as the way music was taught in schools
across America, which are still commonly taught in schools today. The philosophy of
Lowell Mason, as summarized by Lois Choksy et al, was summarized as follows:
1. The purpose of music in the schools is to create musically intelligent adults
rather than to train professional musicians.
2. The quality of music used in teaching is of vital importance. Only music of
artistic value should be used in the music class.
3. The process used in teaching is of greater importance and more lasting value
than the product of that teaching.
4. To be most effective, music education must begin with the young child.
5. Music is a discipline involving all the senses and contributing to the total
development of the human being.
6. The achieve in music, work is necessary
7. Practical experience must come before theory; and theory must grow out of
that practical experience.
8. Musical literacy is both a possible and desirable goal for most people.

A History of Music Education in North America

It was interesting to think that when Lowell Mason was suggesting and implementing this
particular philosophy of teaching that it was so far off from the norm at the time, and it
is the only way we commonly use today. These ideals developed by Mason based on
Pestalozzis philosophy were later integrated into the Orff, Kodaly and Dalcroze teaching
methods that continue to be used today.
Egerton Ryerson (1803 - 1882) was the founder of Canadian Curriculum
Development and the Chief Superintendent of Education in Upper Canada in 1844 when
he made his greatest impact and contribution to education in Canada (Doucet, 2002).
Ryerson was pivotal in the development of music education philosophy in Canada
because he brought forth the Mason and Pestalozzian philosophies of music teaching into
Canada. His educational plan was formulated after extensive travel to Britain, Europe and
the US where these models were already being used in the public school system. As a
result of his traveling and research, Ryerson listed vocal music, albeit secular music, as a
classroom subject for the very first time in the common schools of Upper Canada in
1846.
The contributions of Pestalozzi, Mann, and Mason have clearly bled into how
music was taught in Canada as well. The development of an organized music education
curriculum available in free public schools was established in each province respectively
between the years 1846 in Ontario and 1928 in Manitoba. At this time, vocal music was
an accredited course offered in schools, and materials studied were directly related to the
church. The goal of a music education was justified in terms of extrinsic value Ryerson
believed that music was a powerful agent of moral culture. Patriotic songs were sung and

A History of Music Education in North America

studied as a vehicle for European ancestries to practice English language skills and
develop patriotism for their new country.
The Mason-Pestalozzian philosophy of teaching music in schools was the driving
force behind music being offered as a subject in public schools. Without Mason being
directly involved in the process, music educators and policy-makers started to
misunderstand, or possibly even ignored, the principles of music education that had been
laid out up until that point. The basic elements of music instruction became the goal of
the classroom as opposed to the development of the whole child through the vehicle of
music. By the late 1900s the goal of music education shifted drastically from the
development the entire human mentally, physically, morally - to that of students
extrinsically enjoying and appreciating the aesthetic beauty of music. This shift in
educational philosophy dramatically changed what music education originally set out to
accomplish according to Mason and Pestalozzi.
The end of World War II and the dawn of the age of technology resulted in music
educators having to redefine what their purpose was in the education system. It was at
this time in 1958 that Basic Concepts in Music Education was published (Mark, 1982)
which promoted an aesthetic philosophical approach to teaching music in schools, instead
of a utilitarian approach which promoted intrinsic growth of students. Basic Concepts
rejected extra-musical values as a part of the philosophical justification of music
education.
The Tanglewood Symposium in 1967 was an attempt to counter this new aesthetic
music education philosophy. The theme of this symposium was Music in American
Society (Choksy,16) and the participants at the symposium gathered to talk about the

A History of Music Education in North America

role of music and education in American society. The results of the conference were
eight declarations that aimed to improve the quality of music education. The declarations
ranged from the quality of the material used in the classroom, to the amount of time given
to music education in the school days, to how they might implement the ever-changing
technology to developing the effectiveness for teacher education.
Today in North America, Music Education continues to be widely supported
nationally, provincially, locally and within many or most school divisions. All students
participate in general music classes starting as early as kindergarten. Choir, Vocal Jazz,
Band and Jazz Band are offered in middle and high schools in Canada, and in the United
States Pep Bands, Marching Band and Orchestra programs are also available to students.
The National Association for Music Education is a group formally known as the Music
Educators National Conference. The NAfME works to ensure that all students have
access to a well-balanced, comprehensive and high-quality program of music instruction
taught by qualified teachers (www.nafme.org) The organized group of music education
in the United States works to unify a philosophy of music education across the country by
supporting music education at the local, state and national levels. Similarly, in Canada
there is the Canadian Music Educators Association, which supports music education in a
similar way to the NAfME as well as many music education organizations in each
Canadian province which promote and provide professional development and mentorship
for beginning teachers, and provide many festivals and performing opportunities for
music education students in our schools.

A History of Music Education in North America

References
Choksy, L., Abramson, R., Gillespie, A., Woods, D., & York, F. (2001). Teaching music
in the twenty-first century. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice
Hall.
Doucet, C. (2002). Egerton Ryerson, 1803-1882. Asc archives + special collections.
Retrieved from http://library.ryerson.ca/asc/archives/ryerson-history/ryerson-bio/
Green, J. (2013). Music Education. Historica Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-education/
Mark, M. (1982). The evolution of music education philosophy from utilitarian to
aesthetic. Journal of Research in Music Education, 30(1), 15-22.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3344863 .
Silber, K. (2014). Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Encyclopedia britannica. Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/453469/Johann-Heinrich-Pestalozzi
www.nafme.org