Philosophical Foundations of Music Education in American Compendiums for College Students

ABSTRACT

This paper tries to compare philosophical foundations in representative university textbooks written in English and highlight their characteristics. Upon comparative consideration of relevant chapters, Foundations and Principles of Music Education insists on adhering to aesthetic education, including symbolic experience to advocate school music education. In contrast, Foundations of Music Education introduces conventional argumentation such as rationalism, empiricism, and pragmatism, illustrating how to apply them to music educational activities. On the other hand, Contemporary Music Education describes the historical development of philosophical topics in American music education. However, only the first one asserts a philosophical frame for a coherent explanation across the whole book board.