Music Education
Music education
What we call music education is on the one hand a science, on the other hand a practice. It is considering the learning and the teaching of music production and musical knowledge. Music education scientists are observing the circumstances of learning (psychology, cognitive science, physiology) and are trying to find ways to improve the learning processes. Music educators such as school or music school teachers, but also books, computer softwares and the internet are supporting the immediate learning process.
Music education has a long history. In the old Egypt, China and Greece, music education had even a more important place in society than nowadays. Plato and Aristotle, for example, have attributed a moral purpose to music education, vital for the infant upbringing and thus for a ‚morally good‘ society. Every pupil was instructed in music as frequently as in every other subject. Today, music education is undervalued in nearly every part of the worl compared to scientific education like mathematics and physics.
Practical music education can be separated in three subdomains with different functions:
Music education at a very early stage (about 2 or 3 years) and in small groups
Music education at school for young people
Private instrumental or vocal lessons
Music education at institutions like the opera and theatres for both, children and adults
Music education via internet softwares or platforms like moodle
All these different forms of music education require different approaches in the studies. As a music educator at school, for example, you often have 30 pupils or more. Most of the time, percussion instruments and the voice are the only instruments that are available to make music in class. In some cultures, the teaching of a notation system is necessary. Music history and other music cultures are also subject matters. You should know about children’s psychological and physical development, teaching methods and the curriculum of your country to be a good music teacher at school.
Private instrumental or singing lessons require different pedagogic and artistic skills of the music educator. These lessons are far more practical than school lessons as the aim is to teach how to play an instrument or how to use the voice efficiently. The understanding of music and musical culture is rather instructed ‘by the way’. If we imagine a music educator teaching a young musician, for example, how to play the violin, he will show him moves for the hand, the arm and the whole body which the pupil should do or not do in order to obtain a good sound. He will not necessarily tell the pupil how they learned the violin in former times or which composers played the violin, which is rather part of music history lessons. Besides, additionally to teaching technique and musicality weekly, these musical educators are supposed to bring near to their students the performing on stage. Most of the time, class concerts are part of instrumental or vocal education, especially at university or at the conservatory. In some countries, there are also lesson plans for private lessons, but in others, the teacher can follow the learning tempo of his student. This sort of music education leads to a very high level in playing an instrument so that the student can be a professional musician later on. (Watch a violin lesson video under "Links")
A rather new subdomain of music education takes place in musical institutions outside school or university. It is the result of the disadvantage or lack of music education at school and is supposed to bring near a musical understanding to people with poor musical skills and knowledge. The challenge for the musical educator is here that basic knowledge cannot be expected. Therefore, if he wants to explain for example an opera to an audience, he needs to choose an appropriate language and to explain musical terminology if necessary. A musical educator at a theatre or opera gives introductions to musical oeuvres, organises workshops for children and adolescents and writes concert, opera or ballet programmes for the audience.
A music education scientist does researches in all of these subdomains described above. He may examine the history and development of music education or work together with physicians, psychologists and musicians to analyse learning and teaching methods and to find new strategies for musical educators. It is often the case that music education researchers also hold seminars at university, write articles for specialised magazines and present their results at conferences and symposia.
Music education in general is important to make a musical culture continue to exist. Books can store theoretical knowledge, but without music educators, practical knowledge is at risk to get lost, especially if notation is not part of the musical culture.
1. Music Education
What we call music education is on the one hand a science, on the other hand a practice. It is considering the learning and the teaching of music production and musical knowledge. Music education scientists are observing the circumstances of learning (psychology, cognitive science, physiology) and are trying to find ways to improve the learning processes. Music educators such as school or music school teachers, but also books, computer softwares and the internet are supporting the immediate learning process.
Music education has a long history. In the old Egypt, China and Greece, music education had even a more important place in society than nowadays. Plato and Aristotle, for example, have attributed a moral purpose to music education, vital for the infant upbringing and thus for a ‚morally good‘ society. Every pupil was instructed in music as frequently as in every other subject. Today, music education is undervalued in nearly every part of the worl compared to scientific education like mathematics and physics.
Practical music education can be separated in three subdomains with different functions:
Music education at a very early stage (about 2 or 3 years) and in small groups
Music education at school for young people
Private instrumental or vocal lessons
Music education at institutions like the opera and theatres for both, children and adults
Music education via internet softwares or platforms like moodle
Private instrumental or singing lessons require different pedagogic and artistic skills of the music educator. These lessons are far more practical than school lessons as the aim is to teach how to play an instrument or how to use the voice efficiently. The understanding of music and musical culture is rather instructed ‘by the way’. If we imagine a music educator teaching a young musician, for example, how to play the violin, he will show him moves for the hand, the arm and the whole body which the pupil should do or not do in order to obtain a good sound. He will not necessarily tell the pupil how they learned the violin in former times or which composers played the violin, which is rather part of music history lessons. Besides, additionally to teaching technique and musicality weekly, these musical educators are supposed to bring near to their students the performing on stage. Most of the time, class concerts are part of instrumental or vocal education, especially at university or at the conservatory. In some countries, there are also lesson plans for private lessons, but in others, the teacher can follow the learning tempo of his student. This sort of music education leads to a very high level in playing an instrument so that the student can be a professional musician later on.
A rather new subdomain of music education takes place in musical institutions outside school or university. It is the result of the disadvantage or lack of music education at school and is supposed to bring near a musical understanding to people with poor musical skills and knowledge. The challenge for the musical educator is here that basic knowledge cannot be expected. Therefore, if he wants to explain for example an opera to an audience, he needs to choose an appropriate language and to explain musical terminology if necessary. A musical educator at a theatre or opera gives introductions to musical oeuvres, organises workshops for children and adolescents and writes concert, opera or ballet programmes for the audience.
A music education scientist does researches in all of these subdomains described above. He may examine the history and development of music education or work together with physicians, psychologists and musicians to analyse learning and teaching methods and to find new strategies for musical educators. It is often the case that music education researchers also hold seminars at university, write articles for specialised magazines and present their results at conferences and symposia.
Music education in general is important to make a musical culture continue to exist. Books can store theoretical knowledge, but without music educators, practical knowledge is at risk to get lost, especially if notation is not part of the musical culture.
