Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:EditorialEstelle R. JorgensenNotions of power and its interrogation have too often been taken for granted in music education discourse. Rather, the use of power has been seen to be somewhat benign and studies of the influence of the ideologies and political forces that underlie and wield it have been more uncommon in the philosophical discourse in music education than are merited. Historically, philosophers may have been inclined to frame music education in ways that privilege the powerful and to situate music practice within their theories rather than also situating theories within their practices. Philosophies of music education have also been couched quite traditionally in modernist terms, drawing on writers who are largely silent on these political and critical matters. Without the close and critical examination of philosophical ideas and practices in music education, discontinuities and contradictions lie unexamined and it may have been tempting to buttress the work of practitioners rather than subject it to careful and constructive criticism. The resulting invisibility of these difficulties and the profession's collective silence regarding problems that lurk beneath the surface must sooner or later be exposed. And it is in the best tradition of philosophy to expose these problems and make problematic those things that on first glance, at least, may seem innocuous and unproblematic.Tackling notions of power, and exposing the political problems in music education is an uncomfortable undertaking for music teachers and those interested in their work. Criticism may be hard to hear, especially when well-meaning people devote their lives to ideas and practices that they believe to be for the betterment of humankind. Criticizing what has been taken for granted and altering states of affairs that have existed in the past may challenge those who may [End Page 1] have power to lose in the process and unsettle comfortable situations by injecting uncertainty and even a measure of fear about what may happen in the future. Thinking about those involved in the work of music education as needing to be empowered also raises the specter of those who might previously have been docile seeking quite different ends than what the field's architects may have believed to be in their best interest and actively challenging the situations in which they find themselves. Also, the possibilities of conflict between humanistic ideals and instrumental imperatives for music education (especially given the influence of capitalism in today's global economies) requires criticizing the raison d'être and methods of music education, a politically sensitive matter for those with vested interests in the status quo. Still, notwithstanding the discomfiture opened by interrogating commonplaces in music education, philosophers need to undertake this work. And we remember Socrates who was a gadfly and threat to the politically powerful of his time, and other philosophers who followed after him.Other gaps and fissures in music education practice are evident. Some activities such as composition are too often omitted from the general music curriculum partly because they present particular creative and musical challenges for music teachers and their students that may be difficult to surmount. Once composition is included in the curriculum, questions arise about how students should be taught to compose music and here, too, there may be no easy solutions. Beyond those philosophical perspectives that have been preeminent historically others, such as phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches, may provide useful ways for music teachers to think through their work. And the task of philosophy is to unmask omissions and oversights and open other possibilities for music education thought and practice.To these ends, our writers in this issue undertake critiques of music education from various viewpoints. Drawing on the ideas of Paulo Freire among other writers, Lise Vaugeois examines political issues having to do with materiality, ideology, and power in the professional education of musicians and advocates the possibilities of a critical pedagogy that interrogates taken-for-granted aspects and thereby potentially and radically alters the culture of this education. Cathy Benedict argues the case for empowering those within the field of music education to create and describe their own situations and find their own meanings rather than permit or encourage those who are outside it to do this for them. Øivind...