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Period: 500 BCE to 400
Golden Age of Greece- MusEd in Athens
Music education was one of four central disciplines of the arts for males. Boys were taught music in school on the lyre and aulos (early oboe) as well as in choirs. Choral singing was a regular part of life for citizens. Choirs of this time period would represent certain tribes, and would compete at ceremonies. -
Period: 400 to 700
Athenian Specialization of MusEd
Over time, the intensity of intertribal competitions rose, and professional musicians became the major makeup of ceremonial choirs. Performances became more complex, and amateur involvement declined.
Many philosophers produced writings regarding music education. The Trivium and Quadrivium were established during this time, music being the final component of the latter. This was an early music theory text written by Boethius. -
800
Chant Notation was Developed
This was done mainly as an effort to standardize the chants that would be used for church services. -
1500
Early Schools of the Church
Churches organized schools in an orphanage-type setting. These schools were called conservatorio. -
Bay Psalm Book Published
The Bay Psalm Book was published in the United States. This was the first published songbook at the time. -
Boston Singing School
The first singing school was established in Boston -
Paris Conservatory
The Paris Conservatory was founded, the earliest music school in Europe -
Western-World Music School Boom
The number of music schools in Europe increased during the 1800's. The Royal Academy of Music (1822), The Prague Conservatory (1811), The Musikakademie Hochschule Fur Musik (1817), the Leipzig Conservatory (1843), and many other schools came about during this time. -
Joseph Naef
Naef founded an elementary school based on Pestalozzian methods he observed while traveling in Europe -
Public School Music
Lowell Mason introduced music as a subject in the Boston public schools -
Teacher Training Programs
The first state supported normal school devoted to teacher training opened in Lexington, Massachusetts -
Peabody Conservatory
The Peabody Conservatory was established in the U.S. -
First MENC Meeting
Music supervisors who were members of the National Education Association held their first meeting in Keokuk, Iowa. -
Music Supervisors National Conference
The group of music supervisors within the National Education Association adopted the name "Music Supervisors National Conference." -
Music Education Research Council Formed
Karl Gehrkens set the national goal for music education to be "Music for every child, every child for music." This was in light of the recent tenet formulated by Osbourne McConathy, which states that "Every child should be educated in music according to his natural capacities, and his studies should function in the musical life of the community." -
MSNC to MENC
The MSNC changed its name to Music Educators National Conference -
MENC Relocated
The national office of MENC was moved from Chicago to Washington, D.C. -
Period: to
Post-War Decline in Arts Education
World War II directly affected the size of the public schools in America, and self contained elementary classrooms became popular in many areas. A shift to science and math education in 1957 further distanced the arts from what people saw as a necessary part of core curriculum. The "back to basics" movement of the late 60's also caused a reduction in school enrichment programs. -
Yale Seminar
This federally supported conference on arts education met in New Haven and discussed how current school music programs had not kept up with the developments that had taken place in recent history. This conference had little direct influence over music education practices, but it did influence future projects, like the Juilliard Repertory Project. -
Tanglewood Symposium
The Tanglewood Symposium met. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Congress enacted this act into law, which directly affected music classrooms -
A Nation At Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform
This was published by President Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in an effort to define what should make up the core curriculum of schools. It did not emphasize arts education whatsoever -
Academic Preparation for College: What Students Need to Know and Be Able to Do
This report published by College Board was a survey of different knowledge and skill sets students should familiarize themselves with before applying for college. It strongly supported arts education. -
Professional Certification Program
The MENC introduced this program, and the first registered music educators were named in 1990. -
No Child Left Behind Act
Authorized several state-administered education programs in an effort to provide support to students who were performing below their grade level in core subject areas.