Aesthetics Kristian Kohler Critical Pedagogy III February 23, 2012

Aesthetic Philosophy What distinguishes sound from music? (A&C 43) What qualities separate an ordinary object from an “art” object? (A&C 43) What feelings do you experience through music and other arts?

aesthesis = perception The branch of philosophy that deals with the arts, imagination, perception, and sensation.

The Origins of Aesthetics Modern aesthetic has its roots in early 18 th century Europe les beaux arts : painting, sculpture, poetry, architecture, and music “modern system of the arts” Age of Enlightenment and the elevation of the fine arts, such as opera

continued… Subcategories such as representational, expressionism, and formalism Idea that all arts communicate something common Does the meaning of the art lie in its ability to represent or depict something? How is music representational? Compare vocal and instrumental music… Have you developed a philosophy of aesthetics and how will that influence your teaching? What would the ramifications of an antithetical philosophy be?

Feeling Many teachers praise music for the way it allows students to express their emotions “Whereas by words a man transmits his thoughts to another, by means of art he transmits his feelings” Leo Tolstoy Music as an object that communicates through pitch, rhythm, form, dynamics, etc.

Questions regarding feelings Is someone guaranteed to feel the way the composer intended? If art is viewed as a literal representation, there is only one correct response and transformation and exploration cannot take place Expressionism can be said to be educational to the extent we debate and analyze the “unclear” message we are enjoying. (A&C 47

continued… Critical Pedagogy for Music Education posits that music education is transformative. Is it the music itself that is transformative? Is it what is expressed through the music that transforms? Is music a transformational tool? One’s idea of representations and feelings greatly influence our attitude towards music and the inherent value we place in it. sei- redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3 Dj%26q%3Dmusical%2520aesthetics%2520in%2520music%2520education%26sour ce%3Dweb%26cd%3D2%26ved%3D0CDcQFjAB%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%2 52Fdigitalarchive.gsu.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1085 %2526context%253Deps_diss%26ei%3DbbZFT4idDaHg0QGy0KzqAw%26usg%3 DAFQjCNHckbroh0jWSyvyrygPkAOvEyaLMg%26sig2%3DHcU4SVnN8GdE- olk_6XBpA#search=%22musical%20aesthetics%20music%20education%22

Form Aesthetic autonomy believes that music is powerless to refer to anything; not feelings, ideas, moods, or stories Rather, music is a realm of pure autonomous sound, and its meaning resides in its formal properties alone [formalism]. (A&C 47) Music can stir us to thought and imagination.

continued… Never mind, I’ll find someone like you I wish nothing but the best for you, too, Don’t forget me, I begged, I remember you said Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead. -Adele

continued… Do we recognize the poetry or the melody to which it is attached? Would any set of words to this tune have as much meaning or beauty?

Critique To think of music as a musical work, or art as an artwork, or dance as a dancework, is to leave unexplored a considerable field of lived experience. (A&C 49)

Implications for Our Teaching Is it the music that is transformative, or the musical experience? Can both options exist? Is beauty communicated through the music, or is the music itself representational of beauty? How does our aesthetic philosophy impact the way we present the music and what music we choose to teach?