themusicteacher
Muse
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2009
- Messages
- 708
I'm wondering what you all might think is the most effective path for arts education to take in the public school sphere. The aesthetic, arts for arts sake approach has been and continues to be the dominant philosophy in most arts ed, especially in music. I was certainly brought up and trained in this way. However, the more I've learned and experienced, I feel myself being drawn a bit more to the praxial, arts for practical use stand. In a general sense, most art, particularly for younger people, is not an aesthetic object to be contemplated but one to be used and absorbed.
Ultimately, shouldn't arts education be more accessible to more of a broad population and in the ways they experience art? If more students are brought under the guidance of a skilled arts educator and allowed the time space and skill development to help achieve their own goals, are they more likely to perhaps "branch out" slightly from their praxialism to include an aesthetic point-of-view?
Personally, I don't think it's an either-or proposition but American schools, from top to bottom, have largely supported the aesthetic view. Consequently, students may participate in arts programs briefly but few take what they do in school beyond those walls into their lives. Many students choose not to take arts classes at all. What can arts education and educators do to bring more students into the fold and feel as though their creativity, opinions, tastes and interests will be served rather than looked at as an obstacle to be overcome?
Ultimately, shouldn't arts education be more accessible to more of a broad population and in the ways they experience art? If more students are brought under the guidance of a skilled arts educator and allowed the time space and skill development to help achieve their own goals, are they more likely to perhaps "branch out" slightly from their praxialism to include an aesthetic point-of-view?
Personally, I don't think it's an either-or proposition but American schools, from top to bottom, have largely supported the aesthetic view. Consequently, students may participate in arts programs briefly but few take what they do in school beyond those walls into their lives. Many students choose not to take arts classes at all. What can arts education and educators do to bring more students into the fold and feel as though their creativity, opinions, tastes and interests will be served rather than looked at as an obstacle to be overcome?