ABSTRACT

Bennett Reimer established the philosophy of music education as an aesthetic education (MEAE) by writing a book titled `A philosophy of music education` in 1970. Although the book was translated in Korea, we need more studies on his philosophy in order to develop our own philosophy of music education. Why do we need a philosophy of music education? Reimer suggested three reasons. First, music educators can make other people have confidence in the importance of music education through well developed philosophy. Second, music teachers are able to teach music with firm self-confidence through their own philosophy. Lastly, the refined philosophy provides the music teachers with self-satisfaction in doing their tasks. Reimer used some key concepts in his philosophy: Feeling, insight, and aesthetic experience. Music, according to Reimer, deals with human s feeling that is an important part of human`s thinking. He insisted that it was unreasonable to focus too much on logical/mathematical thinking in the school education, neglecting the aesthetic thinking. Reimer contended that a kind of insight existed in the music. Therefore, Reimer says, we can acquire musical insight through experiencing various music. The meaning of musical work is not completed in itself. The musical meaning could be individualized and diversified whenever each human being has interaction with the music. It means that music exists as an open form. Thus, whoever wants to explore musical meaning can get it by personal experience in music. Reimer called such characteristic as `exploratory aspect of music.` Reimer`s philosophy provides some implications for Korean music education. First, the philosophy of music education should be emphasized in the teacher-education program. Second, Korean music educators should examine the philosophy of school music education in terms of it`s foundation and history. Third, music educators should study the practical meaning of the feeling and insight in music, and try to apply the theory about the feeling and insight to general class rooms. Fourth, music-listening class could be advanced by encouraging the aesthetic experience. Fifth, Korean music educators should examine whether the musical concepts could be main objectives or not. Reimer clearly said that musical concepts were only the means of music teaching, not the objectives. Lastly, music educators should investigate the relationship between Joyful life and the Music in the elementary school curriculum. Some educators` assertion, that is, the Joyful life is totally different subject from the Music, should be re-examined by music educators.