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Abstract
Abstract
This study explores the intersection between existentialist philosophy and secondary music education, driven by my experiences as a preservice music educator studying both music education and philosophy. To examine how existentialist themes show up in the band classroom, I interviewed four high school band directors about behaviors they observe in their students. Their responses showed that students and teachers alike engage with existential concepts including autonomy, intersubjective awareness, and authentic expression through participation in band. However, the interviews also revealed barriers within music education that can limit attention given to humanistic development. This research encourages music educators to think about how ensemble classes can support personal growth as well as musical growth.
A visual representation of how themes of freedom, subjectivity, and authenticity overlap across existentialist philosophy and music education, including examples of how these ideas appear in both fields.
Methods
Methods
Participants in this study were four high school band directors representing a range of teaching experiences, educational backgrounds, and school settings. I developed a set of interview exploring existentialist themes of freedom, subjectivity, and authenticity, as they relate to students' actions in the music classroom. These questions were phrased in accessible, straightforward language to decrease possible confusion, and were reviewed by both a philosophy professor and a music education professor for clarity and relevance. To see the full list of interview questions, follow the QR code or click this link to view Appendix A.
After receiving IRB approval, I conducted interviews via Zoom. Prior to each interview, participants received the questions, as well as working definitions of each key theme. I used Zoom's auto-transcription, and later reviewed and edited each transcript for accuracy. I coded transcripts using NVivo, and organized findings by themes and subthemes addressed in the interviews. After analyzing the data, I shared a summary of findings with each participant to verify the accuracy of my interpretations and ensure their perspectives were accurately represented.
Scan this QR code to view Appendices and Sources Cited:
Findings and Discussion
Findings and Discussion
By asking music educators about the existential awareness of their students, I aimed to explore how the themes of freedom/responsibility, subjectivity/intersubjectivity, and authenticity manifest in the music classroom. While most teachers lack the philosophical background to identify goals of music education as existentialist, many of their musical and nonmusical goals closely align with existentialist ideas. Based on interview responses, the following themes emerged in each of the interview categories:
Freedom and Responsibility:
Freedom and Responsibility:
Autonomy increases with age
Student autonomy is closely tied to leadership opportunities, peer influence, levels of student maturity and experience
Student leaders are more likely to act independently, while others often follow peer models
Accountability varies
Students avoid taking responsibility for various reasons, including social pressures and family influence
Veteran teachers cited experience and relationship building as factors that improved student accountability
The Role of the Educator in Encouraging Self-Determination
Empower student decision making
Establish predictable, safe classroom environment
Build strong student-teacher relationships
Acknowledge their influence beyond technical instructor - fostering growth and independence
Barriers to Realizing Freedom
Social media and popular culture
Developmental maturity
Socioeconomic circumstances and lack of home structure
Large class sizes and classroom logistics
Assuming that these barriers are here to stay, what does this mean for guiding students toward realizing their autonomy?
Drawing on Sartre’s writings, these barriers represent “facticity,” as they are external conditions out of our control. We don’t have to change our facticity to embrace freedom, we only have to realize our ability to transcend it.
Teachers can guide students towards overcoming these barriers rather than letting them define students’ limitations.
Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity:
Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity:
Teaching Diverse Learners
Cultural/socioeconomic backgrounds shape students’ relationship with music
Teachers adapt repertoire and instruction to reflect diverse experiences of students
Expanding Musical Awareness Beyond the Self
As students gain confidence, their attention shifts from individual performance to ensemble listening and connection
Awareness increases with age and experience.
Teacher strategies - questioning, audiation skills, clarifying expectations, discussion of musical meaning
Informal Musical Experiences
Non-classroom musical engagements deepen students’ ensemble experience
Strong student-teacher relationships encourage sharing of informal musical experiences
Barriers to Sharing Informal Musical Experiences
Time constraints in rehearsal
Limited access to outside opportunities
Limited resources or structural support
Why is it important for music teachers to capitalize on their students’ individual relationships with music?
Heidegger described subjectivity as being tied up with intersubjectivity - the self is defined by the experiences of others in the world.
For students to better understand the role music plays in their life, their awareness must be expanded beyond themselves.
Beauvoir wrote that shared projects make life meaningful
Participation in musical ensembles exemplifies working towards shared goals.
For students to develop a wider awareness of their place within a society, they must first become aware of their role in an ensemble.
Authenticity:
Authenticity:
External and Internal Motivators
Sense of belonging
Enjoyment of making music
Emotional expression and creativity
Sense of accomplishment/ self-efficacy
The Role of the Educator in Modeling Authenticity
Teachers reflect on and share their musical journeys
Guide students in forming personal connections with repertoire
Guide students through formal and informal reflections
Student-centered instructional focus supports deeper musicality and personal investment
Authentic Emotional Expression
Increases with technical proficiency
Skill level differences are correlated with rehearsal priorities
Teachers noted a tension between rehearsal for accuracy and rehearsal for meaningful music-making
Barriers to Authenticity
Cultural expectations of increased involvement
Difficulty prioritizing and understanding personal values
Field-wide emphasis on technical perfection
If students are motivated to participate in music for varying reasons, how can we adapt our instruction to nurture those motivations?
Expand opportunities for reflection to include student values/motivations.
Recognize the distinction between internal motivators (how students feel about making music) and external motivators (decisions made by teachers)
If external expectations become an end goal, students may lose opportunities to experience internal rewards.
Nietzsche emphasized questioning widely held values
Technical skills are a prerequisite for emotional expression
After being established, foundations must be transcended for students to experience music more personally, emotionally, and authentically
Conclusions and Future Study
Conclusions and Future Study
Factors in today’s culture such as overcommitment, social media, and value capture can inhibit students’ existential growth. While ensembles have the potential to cultivate autonomy, intersubjective awareness, and authenticity, a disconnect still remains between music education’s common priorities and the capability to engage with humanistic themes. Technical accuracy does not need to be the final goal if teachers can align their actions with their stated beliefs about their responsibility to help students grow musically and non-musically.
Future research can examine this disconnect more closely by including students’ perspectives. Surveys could explore students’ music-related values, motivations, focus in rehearsals, and their sense of alignment with their individuality, to offer insights into how music instruction can better support holistic development.
Big Question:
How can music educators push past systematic barriers to unlock the potential of large ensembles for building both musical skills and existential awareness?
Researcher Information
Researcher Information
Undergraduate Researcher: Colleen Gorski is a Music Education major with a minor in Ethics, Society, and Culture, graduating from Miami University's Honors College in May of 2025.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Reed is an Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of Music Education at Miami University.
Additional Mentor: Dr. Melissa Shew is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy with a joint appointment as a senior faculty fellow with the Center for Teaching and Learning at Marquette University.
NACE Career Readiness Competencies
NACE Career Readiness Competencies
Through my research experience, I have developed and improved in the following NACE Competencies:
Career and Self Development: Exploring the intersection between music education and existentialist philosophy gave me an opportunity to connect these fields in ways I hadn't seen before. This increased my awareness of how I can further pursue interdisciplinary research in my future. In the process of bridging these fields, I sought out mentors in both philosophy and music education, developing relationships that support my academic and professional growth.
Communication: I strengthened my ability to clearly and effectively communicate ideas across disciplines. I introduced and reframed philosophical themes with my music education mentors, and spoke of day-to-day music teaching experience with my philosophy mentors. Additionally, I navigated the verbal and nonverbal communication necessary for successful interviews, and regularly served as a translator between the fields of music and philosophy.
Critical Thinking: Throughout my research process, I faced challenges including determining relevant themes in the broad field of existentialism, surveying a broad range of literature in both philosophy and music education, and finding the balance between accessible language and clear communication of ideas. Additionally, this project was my first foray into research, so I learned about qualitative studies, analyzing data, and connecting patterns across sources.
Technology: In this research project, I used the "auto-generated transcript" feature on Zoom, as well as the coding software NVivo to aid in my data collection and analysis process. Embracing these new uses of technology increased my confidence in using new technology, and were useful tools for smoothing out the research process.
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