Mu~ic itz education
the music education profession and the professional organizations, it
is well to understand the processes inherent in the development of the
public school system in the United States of America.
Since the beginning of the century there has been increased emphasis
to provide more and broader educational opportunities for more people.
Obviously this development in general education had considerable
influence in the organization of a music education programme which
would be worthy as a part of the total programme of education. Schools
are concerned with the education of groups of people and at the same
time with the development of all individuals in the groups. If music is
to be a part of education, a real part, then it too has to be concerned
with a similar process, and this has been and continues to be the chal-
lenge to music as a part of education. This emphasis in the general
education programme to provide increased and broader opportunities
for more and more people varied and continues to vary, both from the
standpoint of geographical areas and educational concepts.
However, there has been one factor common to the entire develop-
ment-namely, decentralization. The schools in the United States of
America are not under federal control. There is, to be sure, a certain
uniformity in the instructional program,me, but great latitude prevails
as to the processes and the machinery in attempting to attain the desired
objectives. If there is uniformity, and there is to some extent, it is by
common consent and not by top level control.
You can see, therefore, in fitting into the ever-widening and decen-
tralized school programme all over the United States of America, that
music education would also develop along lines of decentralization,
with the result that we have a wide variety of techniques of instruction,
a wide variety of materials, different philosophical applications con-
cerning objectives, and an appreciable variance in the acceptance of
music as part of curricula.
Do not infer from what I am saying that there is any Utopia there.
In fact, to visiting music educators from other countries, our situation
might seem completely confused and without focus. The visitor would
hear some excellent performances of music which would have the
approval of any professional musician or music scholar. He would
hear some magnificent performances of music which I am sure would
not have the approval of professional musicians and music scholars.
He might criticize severely what would seem as diminished emphasis
on note reading in the primary and intermediate grades in the elemen-
tary schools. It is possible he would not be sympathetic with many
music educators who are partisan, and very partisan, to the oral and