Major Schools of Music Philosophy

Major Schools of Music Philosophy

            Below you will find a listing of the major philosophies of music and a brief incomplete explanation of what these philosophies represent.  The reason that I have taken the time to give this list with annotation is that many Christian musicians do not know about many of these philosophical positions.  In order to understand a music philosopher’s writings one must understand his or her philosophical beliefs.  All music philosophers write with some philosophical position in mind.  It can be said with certainty that every music philosopher has an “ax to grind”.  They are all hoping to sell some philosophical belief to the reader.  As they used to say on the farm, “All those guys have a dog in this fight”.  As I have said so often, no one writes in a bubble or a vacuum and no one musics in a vacuum, because every serious writer or musician is trying to say (express) something when he or she writes or musics.

SYMBOLISTS—believe that music’s symbols are objects used to represent abstract insight into an understanding the nature of human feeling.  

ABSOLUTISTS—believe that musical meaning lies completely within the context of the music itself.  It is the theory that music is not about anything.

 REFERENTIALISTS-- believe that musical meanings refer to the extra-musical world of concepts, actions, emotional states, and character.  In other words they believe that music’s meaning must have some connection to meanings outside of the music itself. 

 NOTE:  I believe that all musicing and listening to music is affected by the references one brings to the great art of music from the world outside of music. I also believe that there is meaning in the formal properties of the music itself and its meaning, in some instances may be relevant to our lives outside of music.

EXPRESSIONISTS– believe that music’s relationships are in some sense capable of exciting feelings (arousal theory) and emotions in the listener.

FORMALISTS—believe that music’s meaning lies in the perception and understanding of the musical relationships set forth in the form and structure of the music.  They believe in the concept of “music for music’s sake”.  Most of them seem to believe that music’s meaning is primarily intellectual.  In other words, they generally believe that “Music’s beauty, its essential nature, and its highest value are things that are music’s and music’s alone.”  Philosophical Perspectives on Music, Wayne Bowman, p. 194.  I believe that the term “absolute” music is not the best way to express what is meant by instrumental music.  I believe that a much better term used by some music philosophers is “music alone”.   My reasoning is that no music is “absolute” in a Christian’s philosophy.  Only God is absolute.  In my writings and lectures I do not want students to believe that instrumental music is autonomous philosophically.