Wake-up call...

In chapter one of Democracy in Music Education, Woodford discusses the pervading ideals behind most music classes: utilitarianism and aestheticism. (11) Utilitarianism teaches students how to "use" music, most commonly through choral or instrumental performance. Aestheticism seeks to teach students how to appreciate music, although the choice of music to be valued is problematic. After reading this section (8-12), something was bothering me. I reread Woodford's description of these two rationales- and realized I couldn't recall any school music experience that could not be characterized as utilitarian or aesthetic. I tried to find an example among my many classroom observations, and in my practicum experiences, but to no avail. While I am certainly not contending that my experiences are indicative of education everywhere, I am still alarmed. Maybe I missed the point, and some past teacher was trying to be an "agent of social change." Should our "hidden" curricula should be facilitated through music and not explicitly stated.? Can music teachers foster communities of critical inquiry below students conscious awareness? Should we- or is it better to champion a "choir for a better world" or "music class community of social consciousness"?