Introduction

Music education in colonial America was originally a matter of private initiative, as exemplified by the entrepreneurial singing masters of New England who eventually brought their music and their singing lessons to other parts of the country. Music education became a function of the public schools in 1838, when it was accepted as a curricular subject by the Boston School Committee (board of education). Music has had a strong impact on education throughout the United States and has generated many writings intended to justify its place in the school curriculum. The writings that follow show an evolution of beliefs in the value and necessity of music education.