Music and Education

This short work of 1848 examines the nature of music, arguing for its high moral and educational value.

Joseph Mainzer (1801–51) was a significant figure in the development of the choral movement, bringing musical education and singing to the general public. Published in 1848, this short work argues for the considerable value of music as part of general education, outlining its many moral and social benefits.Published in 1848, this short work by Joseph Mainzer (1801–51) argues for the considerable value of music as part of general education. A German priest, teacher and composer, Mainzer had an important influence on the development of amateur music and the choral movement in the first half of the nineteenth century. Attracting large numbers of adult labourers, he gave free singing classes, using his own highly influential teaching system. Music, Mainzer argues here, not only brings direct moral and social benefits, but also takes the place of potentially harmful habits and leisure activities, such as the drinking of alcohol. The work defines music in relation to its educational value and potential, exploring the origins, development and moral influence of music since the ancient Greeks. Mainzer also discusses the ways in which music is taught at all levels.