Combining the Philosophies

Rather than mutual exclusion, use of the combined philosophies presents a more acceptable approach for accommodating both the role of feelings along with the cognitive activities found in the music experience. Finding the middle ground that is a feasible and workable solution to decades of philosophical debate is an educator’s personal adventure. There will not be any guarantee that the use of any philosophical system will provide an educator with the perfect curriculum, however, the understanding of one’s philosophical placement will provide the avenues for exploration in order to present a thoughtful and provoking program. It is up to the student to choose to engage.
Perhaps, Reimer found his blend of philosophical thought as he submitted his third revision of A Philosophy of Music Education in 2003. From this revision, one reads about the enlightenment of a need for a synergistic approach to music education that proposes a model of experience-based music teaching and learning that joins the reality of the music created with the interpretation by individuals. (1)

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1. Bennett Reimer, A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision, 3rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2003), 38.