THE HISTORY OF MUSIC EDUCATION

 
Music education has grown into a crucial component of today’s school curriculum. In the early development of the United States, there was no time
for music; therefore, there was no need for music education. However, as our nation began to take shape, music began to find purpose. This purpose,
combined with the work of a dedicated few, led to the birth of music education.

Music was not a major priority in the lives of the first American colonists. The Boston Bay Settlement flourished in 1630, a mere ten years after the
settlers at Plymouth Rock. These people had an incredible amount of work to do, and little time to devote to music. However, music soon found a
valuable place in the church environment. Without musical instruments, early settlers turned to singing as their mode of worship. Music was “lined
out” by the minister, and the congregation repeated him. As you can imagine, this was not a successful practice. Reverend Thomas Walter made the
following comment regarding early church music: “Tunes are miserably tortured . . . gloomy picture of the state of music.” In response to the
wretched sound of the early church music, the foundation for music education was born.

Reform began to take place in the appearance of singing schools. The first of these schools opened in 1712. The purpose was solely to improve the
quality of church music. A traveling teacher would come into town, set up class, and teach basic concepts of vocal music and music appreciation.
The first manual used in music education was called “Into to Singing Psalm Tunes” by John Tufts, and it was around to see 11 editions. Soon after
Tuft’s manual, Thomas Walter put forth 8 editions of “Grounds and Rules of Music.” With the help of these early learning texts, singing schools began
popping up everywhere. The groundwork for music education had been laid.

The 18th century presented us with many important pioneers of music education. In 1762, a “Renaissance man” named Jean Jasque Rousseau wrote
an important book called “Emil.” For the first time, it was observed that children learned differently than adults. In 1746, a Swiss teacher named
John Pestalozzi came up with a revolutionary approach to education. His philosophy emphasized concepts such as child-centered learning and sequential
learning. In the 1830’s, a man named William Woodbridge brought some very progressive ideas to America. He made a bold statement when he
suggested that singing should be taught in schools – and taxpayers should fund it! Woodbridge also believed that not only should every boy go to
school, but so should every girl! These were very wild ideas at the time, and they set the course for the education systems we have in place today.

Perhaps the most influential contributor to music education was a man named Lowell Mason (1792 – 1872). Although Mason made his living as a
banker, he was a protégé musician. When Mason was 13 years old, he was organizing choirs. At 16 years old, he was a master at a singing school
and writing his own material. As he grew into a young man, he put into practice the principals of Woodbridge and Pestalozzi. Mason began setting
up conventions and workshops everywhere. Suddenly there was an abundant supply of music teachers. In 1836, Mayor Sam Elliott authorized music
class in public schools. Unfortunately, this wonderful advancement failed due to the lack of funding for these programs. In response to this setback,
Lowell Mason taught at Hawes School in 1837 free of charge. His hard work was well received, and in 1838, funding was granted for public school
music programs. Lowell Mason’s dedication to music earned him the title “Father of Music Education.”

Music education has come a long way since the days of Lowell Mason. The dedication of a few has led to the determination of many. Through the
hard work of these contributors, music education has become more than just an elective course – it has become a critical aspect of the present educational
system.