Music as an Academic Discipline

The study of music is a worthy academic discipline on par with other disciplines in universities and deserving of its rightful place among the high arts. It is an essential ingredient for the human spirit and provides a warm release and emotional enhancement for people all over the world. Just like Math, Languages, History, Business, Sciences, and Education, the study of Music is of such value to our lives that we, as a society, cannot seem to function effectively without the constant, glorious sound of music everywhere we go, including movies, television, malls, stores, churches, events, and exercise facilities.

With the constant music in our lives, music that seems to pervade our culture at every turn, we feel a need to elevate it to a high level of study. And I agree that music is deserving of our attention, our study, and our devotion to its heritage, its purpose, its characteristics, and its role in culture. Even one facet of music is an academic discipline in and of itself. As we delve into Music History we discover a wealth of information related to the culture of the time and the region from which the music drew. Learning about French Opera in the late 17th century, for example, reveals a society hungry for theatre, for staged spectacles, for dramatic expressions through music. Of course some of it seems rather silly to our eyes and ears today but there are certainly profound moments that give us insight into the thoughts of the people and the preferences of the royalty. My point of mentioning this is that the study of music history is sublimely related to sociology of the people, thereby providing us today with a greater understanding of the past. When we understand the past, it gives us a basis for understanding our world today.

There is a quality about music that connects to people individually and collectively, and then rises above the problems of the world. As we learn about music from the past, we learn about nations, governments, society, and all classes of people as they struggle and grow through their problems, their dreams, their priorities, and their artistic achievements. When we examine artistry and all the facets of what that means in culture, we get closer to understanding the driving emotional forces of our lives.

When music is examined from the past to the present, it begins to take on a cultural power with far-reaching impact on people from multiple backgrounds. The value of music, however, goes deeper than simply societal influence, and as we study the cultural contributions of music, we begin to recognize a need to understand how music is put together. Thus we get the study of music theory. In music theory, we begin to do a thorough analytical study of how music is formed through sound and into notes, rhythm, harmony, timbre, texture, and structure. It is the study of theory that music is demystified and becomes something tangible for all people. In a way, learning music theory is likened to knowing another language but in other ways music theory simply provides the foundational information for greater music making on many levels.

As we layer the knowledge of music history and theory, we have a need to invoke practical application to the process, preventing the trap of music becoming purely academic. As a student learns the heritage of music and learns the tools for making music, he or she needs to learn to make the music alive through what we call applied study. Applied study includes performance skills on an instrument or voice. The applied study can enhance, supplement, and augment the knowledge gained in history and theory, resulting in an integration of all knowledge that finds fruition in live performance. We then add in collective music making through large and small ensemble experiences, rounding out the education of a musician and resulting in a complete package ready to enter the world.

Yes, there is certainly potential for failure in the prescribed system, but, with many exceptions, the system works and has worked since music was codified many years ago. The academic system allows for freedom of discovery, for diligent application, for specialization, and for thorough understanding of the complexities of music. The system is not intended to relegate a young musician to becoming one type of musician, nor to create clones or imitations of the teachers, but it does encourage a student to use his talents and interest to the fullest and to clear the path toward his personal goals.

Unfortunately there are institutional challenges that are related to the training and education of musicians at the collegiate level. Most of those challenges involve financial inefficiency and often unbridled expenses toward achieving the goals. Because the study of music as an academic discipline has become economically problematic, it is essential to connect to a greater market through public relations. This is one of, and perhaps, the major tension that exists in music programs--music as an academic discipline vs. music as entertainment.