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Primary and secondary music teachers generally focus more on appearances such as flashy performances, rather than on depth of knowledge. Musical literacy should replace performance as the primary measure of teaching success.

A broad analysis of music education, focusing on the failure of educators to provide an aesthetic foundation for the study of music, is offered. Specific suggestions for changing music education programs are included.

An analysis of music education, focusing on the relationship of music to the general academic curriculum, is offered. It is asserted that broad general knowledge is needed to fully appreciate music.

This study examined students' evaluations of applied music teaching as a function of the students' attributes of locus of control and field dependence/independence. 70 undergraduate music majors listened to an audiotape of an applied piano lesson taught by one of two teachers. Subjects evaluated the teacher by means of (a) the Applied Teaching Rating Scale and (b) the Favorable and Unfavorable Scales of the Adjective Checklist. The former ratings and the ratio of favorable to unfavorable adjectives were examined by means of 3 x 3 factorial multivariate analysis of variance. A significant effect of locus of control was found for the adjective ratio, with externally oriented subjects rating teachers significantly less favorably than relatively internally oriented subjects. No significant main effect for field dependence was found. A significant interaction was noted for both the ratings and the adjective ratio, with 19% and 15% of the variance, respectively, explained.

This column is a result of discussion at the Society for General Music meeting on April, 2002, in Nashville. I am pleased to have the opportunity to share ideas, materials, [...]