Why Teach Music?

Why should we teach music and why should music be included in the curriculum? Related to this question is a general discussion on the role of the arts in education and in culture at large. I believe it is time to consider an integration of the arts in a multitude of dramatic, intellectual, and appealing ways. The old model of separation of the arts into basic disciplines may no longer have the market value of reaching people myopically. Our eclectic world is beginning to demand a creative blend of artistic elements. Those willing to take the step into arts integration are the ones who will make the difference.

Meanwhile, the education of music continues with a myriad of methods, priorities, and results. We teach music because there is a demand to do so. People want to know more about it. We do not teach music simply to provide entertainment at games, events, or movies. We do not teach music because it makes us feel good or meets some kind of emotional need. We do not teach music because we are called to be musicians and we do not know what else to do nor do we teach music because we have a selfish agenda to mold others into our own criterion of musical excellence.

We teach music because we are demanded by culture to do so and because we love it and sense that it makes a difference in people's lives. We teach music because humans need it, respond to it, and those with the knowledge and skills have an obligation to teach it. While there is no question that aptitude in music exists and that talent, to an extent, is innate and difficult to understand, there is also no doubt that music and music making can be educated and can grow through knowledge and effort.

We can all name those who seem to be born with musical gifts and conversely we can all name those who do not seem to have "it." How often have I heard the comment, "I can only play the radio and cannot do that very well." Or "I do not have a musical bone in my body" or "You don't want me in the choir, I would ruin it" or my personal favorite, "I can hardly blow my nose, much less a musical instrument!" Yet, I do not subscribe nor accept any of these views (keep in mind, that I often find myself in the age-old dilemma of respecting the rights of all people to express themselves even though I often disagree with their assessment).

As Shinichi Suzuki says, "Talent can be educated." Music skills can be taught and with knowledge, love of music grows. In college curriculum for music, we teach music theory, music history, performance styles, ensemble experience, and various performance media. We work to encourage the frequent practice of the skills, seek to develop further skills, and impart specific and general knowledge about music to our students. Ultimately we, as teachers, hope to see musical independence with regard to performance and musical communication.

While we tend to teach a narrow concept of music and music literature in the college curriculum, we also desire that the skills gained can be used to communicate a wide variety of music to a wide variety of people. We recognize that all types of music have a place in the human experience but we choose to use the fundamental knowledge of music to lead us to a pathway of excellence in performance and music literature (I realize I just opened Pandora's box with my weak rationalization for why we prefer certain types of music! But let's wait until another day to discuss that one).

Music exists dramatically in culture both globally and individually. Its collective benefits are what makes music universal, social, and vastly communicative. For the individual, however, music takes on a personal design that reaches inside the soul and finds those unspoken emotions and feelings that round out our personal makeup. The human spirit requests music for greater sensitivity to beauty, to experience depth of thought and emotions, and to seek more compassion, gentleness, and gain a greater appreciation of life. In short music improves us and helps us be better people.

Although I hesitate to turn music making into a commodity, in a way it is that very thing for it is traded, sold, and processed as an invaluable tool for all of us. We teach it because we need it and we teach it because we owe it to ourselves and to music itself to be the best musicians we can be. Let us treat it well and let us continue to gain from music as it washes us thoroughly in its magic and its goodness.