| This study is both a critical analysis of Bennett Reimer's philosophy of music education and a constructive argument that music is intimately related to other academic subjects. Philosophical principles are illustrated by educational practice at two Jesuit schools: Stonyhurst College in England and Regis High School in the United States.;The first chapter examines why music continues to play a marginal role in education. Reimer disputes the idea that music is valuable only because it imparts transferable skills (instrumentalism), but suggests that the arts lie outside the realm of conceptual thought (isolationism). This reduces music to an activity that rarely intersects with other intellectual disciplines. A survey of aesthetic philosophy shows that the first position fails to understand the nature of music, while the second isolates music from the rest of human life.;The second chapter advances an alternative basis for education: a contemplative openness that gives rise to various attempts to understand the world. A sense of wonder challenges the instrumentalist view by insisting that knowledge is its own reward even apart from its utility, and the isolationist view, by conceiving music as an analogue to other human endeavors.;The third chapter characterizes vocal music as a fusion of the tonal and language-based arts. Humanist education emphasizes the importance of song because it presents audible patterns that delight the mind while at the same time conveying discursive thought.;The fourth chapter argues that song connects music to non-aesthetic subjects that are based on discursive thought, while providing students with a medium through which to participate in community.;The fifth chapter proposes three levels of music education. First, students gain access to musical materials through listening, performance, and notation. Second, they learn to distinguish between various levels of musical meaning. Finally, they make explicit connections between music and other fields, giving evidence that they are both learned and capable of expressing their knowledge. The ability to integrate and convey knowledge effectively exemplifies the Jesuit ideal of eloquence. |
