Today I am going to discuss, very very briefly my position on the "garden variety" of schools of music philosophy. Bennett Rimmer stated, "Aesthetics must be used by the music educator to serve his purposes." He also said, "Only those portions of aesthetics useful to his purpose need be used." A Philosophy of Music Education, p 13. I believe he was correct in his perception of how to use aesthetics in one's philosophical pursuit. I feel the same way about aligning one's self with the major current schools of music philosophy: Formalism, Expressionism, Referentialism, Symbolism and Absolutism. They all contain elements of usefulness, but are not worthy to accept completely.
Perhaps I'm an un-absolutist, slightly formalist, fringe referentialist who believes in aesthetic experiences but refuses to either worship these encounters with music or considers them to be the only worthy outcome of musicing. I am by no means a strict absolute formalist, but I do believe that the internal formal properties are of vital importance to what makes piece of music a beautiful, quality, organized, aesthetic, artistic musical composition. I am undecided about whether or not music contains symbols which are transmitted to the listener.
Although I m not a strict referentialist, I am constrained to acknowledge that no one performs or listens to music in a vacuum. Every performer and listener brings something to a listening or performing experience. Therefore, I do find myself, at least partially, on the fringes of the camp or the music referentialists. However, I am quite certain that they would in no case claim me!
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