Product Description
There is a mystery about music. On one hand, music making and music listening have occupied a prominent place in every culture since the dawn of recorded history and people everywhere continue to engage in a variety of musical experiences as part of their daily lives. Yet questions about the nature and value of music and its importance as a subject of education remain perplexing to many thinkers and are still hotly debated, even today. As a result, while music has b… More >>
Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education
Tags: dawn, education, hand music, Matters, music, music listening, musical experiences, mystery, new philosophy, Philosophy, philosophy of music education, thinkers
#1 by Anonymous on April 12, 2010 - 10:38 am
Although it is full of a lot of interesting ideas, this book is basically a compilation of assorted musings garnered primarily from Elliott’s previously published articles. In an age of boundless and readily available information, books that strive for synthesis and brevity are often the most useful in education. As a text for foundations courses in music education as well as inservice reading for music teachers, Music Matters misses the mark. However, as a source for a myriad of ideas and directions in music education philosophy, I have found it especially useful.
Rating: 3 / 5
#2 by Anonymous on April 12, 2010 - 1:16 pm
Since the publication of Bennett Reimer’s third edition of A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision, (2003) Elliott’s book becomes passe. While Elliott single-mindedly advances music education as performance education, Reimer is inclusive of all the ways people enjoy music, and proposes a music education that is inclusive of the way music really is in our world. His is a brand “new philosophy” of music education, while Elliott’s now seems dated and tired indeed. The reviews and ratings of Reimer’s book are of the previous edition. Everyone who reads the third edition will find it revelatory — a new way to conceive what music education has been and needs to be.
Rating: 1 / 5
#3 by Anonymous on April 12, 2010 - 1:46 pm
Elliott ’s book is a major and brilliant achievement. Never has our field seen anything close to this kind of superb thinking, writing, and scholarship. Elliott sets a new standard, far above the weak mush Reimer has always churned out. Still, Elliott gives full credit to Reimer in Music Matters (chp. 2) for Reimer’s earlier work in music education philosophy. Elliott’s critics conveniently overlook the fact that Elliott gives this credit, let alone how graciously he does it. Elliott’s critics also fail to understand what philosophy is: to do Philosophy is to reflect critically on the efforts of other thinkers, past and present. This is exactly what Elliott does on the way to providing a fine alternative to Reimer’s restricted aesthetic view; and Elliott does this brilliantly, with excellent logic and clear explanations. In addition, Elliott never attacks Reimer as a person (whereas Reimer is fond of attacking Elliott personally in his MEJ tirades and elswhere).
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Anonymous on April 12, 2010 - 3:25 pm
I just saw a review here by someone who claims that Elliott’s praxial philosophy is ‘old’ now that Reimer has published his third edition. But this person makes several false statements in his review. First, Elliott’s philosophy states that all students should learn ALL forms of music making and listening. Elliott does NOT advocate a performance-only philosophy. This ‘performance-only’ claim against Elliott is pure rubbish; it is dis-information by Reimer and his un-thinking clones. Second, Reimer says nothing new in his third edition; his philosphy still rests squarely on Langer’s old philosophy, which has been rejected by 95% of the world’s leading music philosophers, including Kivy, Davies and others.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by reader on April 12, 2010 - 4:59 pm
This is not a book simply for educators in music. It is a book for all music thinkers (listeners, performers, composers, teachers). Elliott tackles all aspects of music. He joins both philosophical and practical matters succinctly and because of this, Music Matters is a must for all involved in music. Elliott’s expansive thinking and all-encompassing philosophy is much in need — especially now. It is really a shame that writers such as Swanwick and Reimer have not caught on.
Rating: 5 / 5