Music Appreciation

Music Appreciation

Both Plato and Aristotle believed that music had a powerful influence on its listeners and, although given high esteem in public education, needed to be balanced with gymnastics. Educational curriculum offers important examples of this discourse, because it upholds certain types of music as deserving of scholarly attention. While this curriculum was tilted toward classical music in years past, it increasingly addresses other music (DiMaggio, 2005).

While music sociologists are mindful of the classic argument regarding the educational realm, they are also drawn to his argument regarding the aesthetic realm. (Adorno, 2005) argues that aesthetic preferences and competencies are ultimately ...