Do We Need a Reason? YES!
In her Blog Posting, “Do We Really Need a Reason?” Debbie Cavalier, Dean of Continuing Education at Berklee College of Music’s online extension school, advocates for teaching music in the schools purely for the sake of music. Sure, the bulk of the post refers to statistics supporting music in the public schools, but the central point of her article was the very last sentence, “To me, the sheer joy of music making, for people from 0 to 100+, is reason enough! The rest is gravy!” (Cavalier, 2008) As a Music Ed student, I’ve heard quite a bit on this topic. There are the Music Education advocates who come up with facts, numbers, studies, and research that back up the importance/relevance/social benefits of music. There are also the lofty minded individuals that tire of trying to prove themselves to educational boards and, like Cavalier, claim music is beneficial because it is music.
I believe that while musicians can appreciate the pure aesthetic value of music, we need to be able to adequately defend our subject. “I like music because it’s music” works fine if you’re explaining to someone why you play the clarinet. “Students should be musical because I like music” doesn’t really fly when you are asking the Educational Board to preserve your program.
Cavalier, Debbie. “Do We Really Need a Reason?” Music, Education, and Technology. 04 Jan. 2008. 3 June 2008 <http://debbiecavalier.berkleemusicblogs.com/2008/01/04/do-we-really-need-a-reason/>.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Lofty minded? Wow! I think that’s the first time I’ve been described in this way…
Hello Katie!
Just a quick message to say I believe you misinterpreted the sentiment of my post. We are in agreement 100% on this subject. The facts and the figures regarding the benefits of music are a necessary evil in this culture right now. There are other cultures around the world where music is infused into daily life because of its inherent value. Unfortunately, that’s presently not the case in our culture.
My comments were satirical… “Do we really need a reason?” Yes, of course we do. As a result of arts-related budget cuts and the devaluation of arts programs, we do need a reason… lots of them. But deep inside, most of us know the inherent value of music and the importance of developing the whole child through the arts.
So, yes, I believe we need a reason, but I also believe it’s for the wrong reasons…
I hope that helps to clarify the intent of my original post.
Keep up the great work with music education and technology. It’s caring music educators like you who can make a difference!
All the best,
Debbie Cavalier