ABSTRACT
As noted in the previous chapter, two of the problems presently facing the profession of public-school music education in the U.S. stem from the great differences in beliefs among the people of this nation about what music is and about its importance in human life. The fi rst problem arises from the marked increase in the cultural diversity of the student population of U.S. public schools over the past thirty years, the concomitant efforts of some music educators to include the music of diverse world peoples in the curriculum, and the ensuing ambivalence of other music educators concerning the purposes of their profession in light of this curricular expansion. The second problem concerns the apparent disagreement among the American public on the importance of music instruction in the public schools. Before it will be possible for us to come to terms with these problems, it will be necessary to establish a philosophical foundation, a position from which widely differing beliefs about music can be considered systematically.
