Music matters

by David James Elliott

What is music? Does music deserve a place in general education? If so, why? And what should be taught? And how? This text builds new answers to these questions through a wide-ranging examination of music as a diverse human practice. The result is a ground-breaking philosophy of music education that provides critically reasoned perspectives on the nature and significance of performing, listening, musicianship, multiculturalism, creativity, consciousness, curriculum development, and more. Organized in three parts, Music Matters is exceptional for the attention it pays to many aspects of music and education that previous music education doctrine either misses or ignores altogether. Part I probes past and present relationships between philosophy and music education. Part II builds a philosophy of music education based on a new way of thinking about the nature and value of music. Part III proposes a new concept of music curriculum development for music teaching and learning. Following an in