Stephen Russell

Ithaca College

Seminar in Music Education

Dr. Keith Kaiser

Music Education in Colonial and Antebellum Schools

Historical Context:
Pilgrims flee Europe to escape religious persecution from England and other European nations; ironically,
the colonists copies the European models for schools
America separated into three educational boundaries:
o North/New England States: industrialists, fishermen, craftsmen. Acceptance of the European
Common School. The Old Deluder Satan Act (1647) support of schools in Massachusetts, all
Christians should be able to read the Bible, New and Old Testament to be in the vernacular,
community needs to pay for education
o Middle Colonies (PA, NJ, DE, downstate NY) European descendants, mixed languages and
faiths, religious schools with education dealing with scriptures
o South/VA: plantation system established private tutoring for privileged and landowner families,
trading school for the poor
3 institutions developed as a result:
o Apprenticeship widely practiced, taught trade while providing for religion
o Schools for reading/religious instruction community-built through contributions of citizens.
Often used itinerant teachers. All included music.
o Latin schools considered secondary education; often prepared students for college
Competition of various institutions for survival: parochial, town, neighborhood, districts with medieval,
humanist, realist, vocational formats
1770-1860 (formation of a new nation): self-reliance Embargo of English Goods (1807), War of 1812
(nationalism), population increase to 31.5 million by 1860; railroads, telegraph linked cities in the mid
1800s; overcome sectionalism and promote a single citizenship
o 1850 voting rights shifted to race and gender (white males)
o Founding fathers without some system of general education, the republic will not survive
o Adopted English plan for education (not centralized by federal government): cheap, allowed for
grade classification, preparation of teachers
Public School System
o Free, propaganda for better teachers, schools, more school, compulsory schools
Pestalozzian influence on Colonial American schools:
o head, heart, and hands equal opportunity for education, sound-before-sight, one concept at a
time, imitation, children need to be taught with love, not fear (Horace Mann)
o Bay Psalms Book 1st published book in the U.S., Puritan, family, church, school uses, whats
on the inside more important than whats on the outside; led to singing schools, Civil War; sound
vs. symbol
Founding Fathers (and other key figures):
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1749); Pennsylvania
o Emphasized importance of religion, yet he proposed separation of religion and education;
humanist interested in seeking the truth through experimentation
o Promoted education for African Americans and girls (not boys); heavy emphasis on English
rather than Latin, emphasized utilitarian subjects (geography, science, accounting, physical
education, and drawing)
o 1731 created the 1st library subscription company, The Library of Philadelphia
o 1749 Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826); Virginia
 o advocated for public schools, but did not want the state in charge; every county would divide
itself into wars (thus a school was required in every ward to provide free schooling for at least 3
years to boys and girls)
o Utilitarian education teach the essentials of being a productive citizen without interference from
religion
o Intellectual meritocracy the brightest students were given the best education so that they
could become the next great world leaders
Noah Webster (1758-1843)
o Author of the American Dictionary of the English Language
o Worked to persuade his countrymen to make schools American
o helped unite Americas reading and writing by simplifying spelling; The first care of legislature
is to make everyone literate
Joseph H. Neef (1770-1828)
o Pestalozzi disciple, moved to U.S. in 1806, began establishing Pestalozzian system in America,
established school system in New Harmony, Indiana, teaching music in component parts
(high/low, long/short)
o 1830 The Principles of Pestalozzi System of Music presented at the American Institute of
Instruction meeting
Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
o Pestalozzi disciple, visited Europe in 1837 and 1853 to observe school system
o Believed musics best/highest influence is its moral influence; all children should sing, pioneered
music teacher education, disseminated music teaching principles and procedures, created
materials for classroom teaching, introduced music education to other cities schools; wrote
Pestalozzian Music System
o 1827 establishes 1st singing schools in Boston with 5-6 students at first, then increased to 500-
600 per class
o 1830 Woodbridge introduces Mason to Pestalozzian methods
o 1832 Boston City Schools adopt vocal music instruction as regular course (partial acceptance)
o 1834 publishes Manual of Boston Academy of Music for Instruction in the Elements of Vocal
Music on the System of Pestalozzi
o 1838 hired as 1st Superintendent of Music of all Boston Schools (School board voted to include
music in public elementary schools 1st time)
Horace Mann (1796-1859); Massachusetts; Father of American Education
o The state is the father of its children
o established teacher institutes (normal schools), promoted higher teacher salaries, pushed for
compulsory attendance, organized uniformity of textbooks and longer school terms, established
American elementary and high school systems, employment of more female teachers, clear, well-
ventilated, and heated schools
o Higher standards in instruction: master teaching as an art (Pestalozzi), know subject thoroughly,
have high moral character, attend conventions to exchange ideas
o 1837 secretary of the Board of Education in Massachusetts
o 1838 editor of The Common School Journal
William C. Woodbridge (1794-1845)
o one of 1st to suggest value of music as part of the curriculum, observed teachings of Nageli
teaching Pestalozzian ideals, brought them back to U.S.: sound before sign, lead the child to
observe, teach one thing at a time, practice each step to mastery before moving on, teach theory to
practice, practice elements and apply to music, names of notes correspond to those in
instrumental music
Elam Ives Jr. (1802-1864); Connecticut
o Employed Woodbridges methods to schools in Connecticut
o 1st to influentially apply Pestalozzian principles to music teaching in the U.S.
 o Wrote The Juvenile Lyre with Lowell Mason in 1830 (1st songbook published in the U.S.)
The state of music education during this time:
1523 Pedro de Gante organized a school in Mexico City modeled after a European Cathedral School
Reading, writing, singing, and playing instruments were taught to sons of Native American chiefs to try to
get them to convert to Christianity
Within 100 years, 25 missions serving Pueblos; a school was founded at each mission
At this time, colonial American schools were heavily based on religious beliefs; music was used to
improve participation in church services; Americans saw to it that music was taught in the 1 st schools they
organized
1st published example of American music: John Tuftss Plaine and Easy Method of Singing Psalm Tunes
(1721): encouraged reading instead of note-reading, replaced note-heads with the first letter of the solfege
syllable (mi, fa, sol, la); fasola solmization: duration was indicated using various punctuation marks
Singing Schools
During the 1700s, an estimated 1000 singing schools were in the colonies, business of publishing
tunebooks increased; tunebook was the vehicle of musical culture and education (integrated with life)
masters: William Billings, Supply Belcher, Josiah Flagg, etc.
intended to raise standard of publich music participation in the chirch
mostly rote-teaching, but still taught clefs, keys, note lengths, diction, etc.
often held in high prestige; eventually adopted a system based on Pestalozzis writings
Declined by the end of the 18th century: churches lost influence, shaped-note singing was dropped
because it was un-European, organs began carrying tunes in churches

While the founding fathers advocated for education for everyone, there was not equal access to education
during this time in reality. From a moral perspective, I find Jeffersons concept of intellectual meritocracy to
be troubling. Additionally, it is interesting to see how music instruction, for the most part, went back to the
church in colonial America. Perhaps this was an attempt by the colonists to separate themselves more-so from
the European roots that religiously persecuted them. On the other hand, the colonists modeled their educational
views after that of the European Enlightenment and Romantic thinkers. Pestalozzis views became the standard
education system in the Americas. They also adopted some of the humanistic beliefs of Friderich Froebel
(emphasis on educating females) and Johann Basedow (inclusion of the arts as having practicality for leisure
and personal development of the citizen). It also took a while for some concepts to become acceptable by
society. Froebels concept of a kindergarten school did not surface in the Americas until 1855, and the Tonic-
Sol-fa system was hardly used during the Colonial Era because of the debate on note-vs-rote learning. It
seemed that one of the biggest developments during this era was the creation of a tax-funding system through
which schools were able to function. This, along with the concept of state-regulated schools go greatly against
the naturalist ideals of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (raising a child away from society, the right of the citizens to
overthrow their government, learning through nature). Going off of these observations, it is interesting how
some aspects of colonial education expanded upon European ideals, whereas other aspects went directly
against them.

Thinking about todays educational system in the United States, it seems to be a struggle to convince
citizens that their tax money is worth spending on the educational system. I often recall seeing arguments
against school/state budgets every year, in which people do not want to pay more money to help fund schools.
Obviously, the economic status of the communities now and back then are vastly different (it is difficult for
many people to get by nowadays), but it does worry me that citizens do not see the value in education. I am
curious enough to re-read some of my history textbooks and see if the taxes on education were disputed and/or
regarded in a negative manner. If they were, I wonder what our founding fathers did at the time to convince
their citizens that education is worthwhile (perhaps they were well versed in dialectic and rhetoric).