Music As A Dynamic Force In Changing Educational Pattern


Reprint from February 1958 Michigan Music Educator


William R. Sur


Music as a dynamic force in the changing educational pattern is a challenging thought in these days when education is very much in the news. We recognize the fact that in its attempts to meet the needs of boys and girls, education is a changing process constantly under fire. In a democracy it would appear that everyone knows what the educational program should be. Admiral X has the answer, Scientist U’s educational pronouncements appear in the headlines, Industrialist Z tries his hand at curriculum construction. Everyone is in the game. Everyone is pontificating, regardless of background or experience in education. Algebra and calculus for children in the elementary grades, fewer electives in the junior and senior high school program. Chaos, confusion, and hysteria in education!


All of you have definite ideas what music education in the elementary and secondary school should be. You are free to express your ideas, your opinions, and the philosophy music education to which you subscribe. This is a healthy situation and we are thankful that music in American schools is not a single inflexible course of study imposed upon us officials of the government in Washington.


I have a strong conviction that as teachers of school music we must consolidate and unify our thinking to withstand the pressure from those who would weaken or eliminate music as a part of the school program. This is not the time for music teachers to stand against each other. Pressures are building up on the national scene. These pressures will be reflected in action taken on the local level. All of us have faith in music as a part of the school program; we believe that music can be a dynamic force in the changing educational pattern. We must have the courage to state our belief in music and, as a profession, stand our ground against those who would take advantage of difficult times to deprive children of a musical education. As we educate for defense, we must also educate for living through literature, music, and all the fine arts. One of the most encouraging editorial comments appeared in a Sunday edition of the New York Times. The title of the editorial was “The Long Haul.” It emphatically stated in its concluding sentences, “Let us have more engineers but let us not discourage our poets, our musicians, our artists;


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for They, too, will help us win our battles for civilization.”


Have you ever introduced a representative of a foreign nation to music education in America? He has read about it before arriving in this country and now wants to see it in action. The literature of school music gives the impression that there is reasonable agreement as to what a school music program should be. Our foreign visitor finds that in actual practice music education may mean almost anything, and that the individual teacher determines much of what it actually is. It is confusing and hard for him to understand how, under these circumstances, music in the schools has developed and has made such a. great impression on the educational program of the nation. Just why have we successfully moved ahead?


First: Music itself must be given credit for the progress made in music education. As a profession we haven’t as yet fully realized what a tremendous attraction music has for boys and girls. In music we have a subject that has something to offer every pupil in the school—a subject that appeals so strongly to boys and girls that they willingly sacrifice part of their lunch period, after-school periods or summer vacation for rehearsals and study in music. Music is a powerful force in human living. It functions in the lives of people regardless of talent, intelligence, age, race, creed, or economic status.


Second: You as teachers have been so close to the profession that you have not always realized your influence, the far-reaching effect of your work with boys and girls and in the community. Your knowledge of music, your understanding of children, and your willingness to adapt the teaching of music to the school program has been a determining factor in the flowering of school music in American education. From the start of school music the teacher has been the key figure in music education. Think back. I feel sure that each one of you is probably in music education because of the inspiration and musical achievements of a devoted teacher. Progress in music education has been made because of the fine work of the professional organizations, research councils, commissions, committees, and the like. All of the foregoing are essential and have their place, but you as a teacher are far more important to the profession than any or all of these. Are you interested only in music, in your


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