ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article was to examine changes in Reimer's philosophical positions on music education. During the last half century, Reimer has systematized various philosophical issues related to music education into a cohesive philosophy. His philosophical position has been called 'Music Education as Aesthetic Education' (MEAE).During the last decade of the last century, his philosophical position had been challenged by various views. One of the strongest challenges came from a Canadian music educator, Elliott. Elliot's philosophical position was called 'praxialism.'Reimer responded to those challenges in various ways. In the year of 2003, Reimer published the third edition of his former book. In this book, he synthesized various philological positions. He himself called his more broad position as ' synergistic.'In his synergistic view which Reimer called 'experience-based music education, he accepted a variety of philosophical positions, including multiculturalism and post-modernism.Even though Reimer seems to accept those challenging positions, he has never changed his former emphasis on 'esthetic values' in music. To him, first and foremost focus should be on the inner characteristics of music, other aspects of music such as personal and cultural elements as being supportive.In addition, Reimer suggested a new definition of musical intelligence. He claimed that musical roles and musical intelligences are identical. This concept of musical intelligences challenges traditional views and need further systematic examination.

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