A History of Music Education Advocacy

Abstract

ByMichael L. to those in government, school administration, and the general community, music education advocates have gained recognition for music as part of the core curriculum. M a r k ormer Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, "Knowledge is a form of capital, much of it formed by government investment in education. ... Politics hasbecome a process that deliberately seeks to effect such outcomes as who thinks what, who feels how."l In this statement, Moynihan verbalized the reason why music education needs to be its own advocate. Advocacy is the way that we as music educators can explain to policy makers, as well as to the general public, the reasons why our profession is important and why we need their support to continue serving the needs of society. As advocates, we need to tell the nation that music education is vital and dynamic. The apparent simplicity of this message belies the expertise and sophistication required to ensure ongoing support for the profession. Because many important developments, curricular and otherwise, result from public policy-laws, government policies, and regulations-advocacy is indispensable to music education. For as long as music has been a curricular subject in the United States, its direction and focus have been subject to controls imposed by public policies created by local school boards, state education agencies, and the federal government. Advocacy must ensure that such policies are crafted by informed judgments based on knowledge.

The Benefits of Adult Piano Study as Self-Reported by Selected Adult Piano Students

“…Indeed, the very roots of American music education can be traced to the singing schools of colonial America, whose purpose was to teach and improve the musical principles of church congregations (Mark & Gary, 1992). The Music Educators National Conference (MENC) has been interested in the role of community music since its early days as the Music Supervisors National Conference, when Peter Dykema promoted community singing.…”

The effects of instruction on the singing ability of children ages 5 to 11: A meta-analysis

“…As the Pestalozzian principals grew in popularity beginning in the 1830s (specifically rote style teaching and soundbefore-sight learning), traditional instruction in vocal technique declined within public school curricula (Mark & Gary, 2007). Music literacy, including sight-reading development, also weighed more heavily as more weight was given to what children knew rather than how children sounded.…”

“…New England settlers (including, but not limited to, the Amish, Mennonites, and Shakers) and the Moravians deeply valued community music making (Mark & Gary, 2007). Although…”

“…Since the early 1700s, singing has been recorded as an important component within American life (Britton, 1989;Mark & Gary, 2007). Singing served three primary purposes for the early settlers: (a) to participate in community music making, (b) to glorify God through worship, and (c) to uphold the educational practices of the wealthy.…”

Effect of Ethnicity on the Age of Onset of the Male Voice Change

“…Race and ethnicity have been topics of interest in the field of music education since the Tanglewood Symposium in 1967, which emphasized an increased implementation of multicultural and world music in the music education curriculum (Mark, 1999). More attention was centered on music education in urban schools, which was more representative of minority populations.…”