2009/01/29 by David J. Elliott · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Neuroscience · #Diverse Music Education Insights #Music Therapy and Health #Neuroscience and Music Perception
paper · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385076.003.02
openalex publication_date 2009/01/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06
Abstract Since the 1950s, music educators have witnessed striking developments in the philosophical foundations of their profession. This chapter explores and interprets these developments and, in the process, to historically situate the concepts of praxialism in music education. The chapter accounts for developments within each decade since 1950 and shows that the primary philosophical perspectives of the last fifty years may be termed “utilitarian” and “aesthetic” and that a new praxial philosophy of music education has appeared in recent years. The evolution of music education as aesthetic education is discussed, along with alternative perspectives on music education, trends impacting the development of aesthetic education, and questions surrounding the aesthetic rationale for music in education. In the 1990s, three themes emerged as having strong connections with the past: the use of insights from cognitive psychology as bases for exploring the nature and meaning of musical behavior and music education; the need for increased attention to philosophy in teacher education programs; and continued emphasis on defining the relationship between music education philosophy and advocacy.