Aesthetic Experience with Music Part 2

 

 Aesthetic Experience with Music Part 2

 Praxialists (educators who believe that students should perform music  instead of just listening to it) doubt that students who are not knowledgeable musically are capable of having an aesthetic experience with music. They also question how often those who are musically knowledgeable actually have aesthetic experiences with music and musicing.  So, there is no general agreement among music philosophies about aesthetic musical experiences at progressing levels of knowledge and experience with music and musicing..

There is general agreement among music philosophers that some people who experience musicing are capable of having aesthetic experiences at least part of the time.  Therefore, the Christian musician and music educator should not ignore the philosophical issues that surround aesthetic experiences.  So, all Christian musicians need to consider if and how aesthetic experiences with music do or do not affect sacred musicing.  As I have stated many times in my philosophical writings, music is an artform.  Hence, sacred music is an artform.  Although sacred musicing is not primarily about art, it is still a fact that we do music unto God with artforms.