Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education

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Summary: Canadians know Multiculturalism
Review: It is exciting to finally see American educators recognize the brilliance of Canadian scholars like David J. Elliott. I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Elliott speak at the Canadian Music Educators'Conference Research Forum back in 1991 and his ideas as well as others like Harold Fiske and Robert Walker were a refreshing change from the long-held music education philosophies of American Bennett Reimer and Englishman Keith Swanwick. Elliott was just formulating his ideas back then but he was most inspirational. As a music specialist, I have created a curriculum based on teaching multiculturalism through composition in my elementary program. I'm glad to finally see a multicultural philosophy for the arts that offers an alternative to the Eurocentric Aesthetic viewpoint.

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Summary: Essential reading for all music educators
Review: Music Matters is one of the very best and most important books in the field. I've had it for 5 years. After several readings, beginning in grad school, I still keep going back to it again and again. It's depth and wisdom are amazing. This book is both profoundly inspiring and brilliantly relevant to everyday teaching.

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Summary: Elliott's "Old" philosophy of music education
Review: Since the publication of Bennett Reimer's third edition of A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision, (2003) Elliott's book becomes passe. While Elliott single-mindedly advances music education as performance education, Reimer is inclusive of all the ways people enjoy music, and proposes a music education that is inclusive of the way music really is in our world. His is a brand "new philosophy" of music education, while Elliott's now seems dated and tired indeed. The reviews and ratings of Reimer's book are of the previous edition. Everyone who reads the third edition will find it revelatory -- a new way to conceive what music education has been and needs to be.

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Summary: Superb Scholarship
Review: This book is a superb example of brilliant logic, exhaustive research and beautiful writing. It is by far the best text on music education written in decades. It is vastly superior to the weak, unsupported, and llogical 'old-think' peddled by Mark, Reimer and Swanwick all these years. The latter texts are only admired nowadays by 'true believers' . Also, far from being mere 'musings' from Elliot's many articles --as the reviewer (below) falsely claims --- this book is a stunning example of what a TRUE scholar can achieve and has achieved for music education!!

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Summary: brilliant and bold
Review: This is not a book simply for educators in music. It is a book for all music thinkers (listeners, performers, composers, teachers). Elliott tackles all aspects of music. He joins both philosophical and practical matters succinctly and because of this, Music Matters is a must for all involved in music. Elliott's expansive thinking and all-encompassing philosophy is much in need -- especially now. It is really a shame that writers such as Swanwick and Reimer have not caught on.