MUED 5814 - Selected Topics in Music Education
Summer 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 30741,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Dr. Paul Louth
Professional Qualifications:
Ph. D., Music (Education), Western University
Master of Music Education, Western University
Bachelor of Education, University of Toronto
Bachelor of Music in Performance, University of Toronto
Diploma in Applied Music, Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology
Professor of Music Education
Email: jplouth@ysu.edu
Office: Bliss Hall 3149
Office Phone: 330-941-1829
Additional Contact Methods:
Feel free to use to use Blackboard’s messaging system if you prefer, but please check the box that says “send an e-mail copy to recipient.”
Preferred Contact Method: email
Communication Expectations:
Please check email at least once per day during the weekdays and respond within 24 hours under normal circumstances; please acknowledge receipt of emails, even when a response is not necessary.
Joseph Louth
Email: jplouth@ysu.edu
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Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | No Readings |
There are no required textbooks for this course. All readings are fully integrated into Blackboard. Various excerpts from the following publications are found in the course:
Alperson, Philip. “Robust Praxialism and the Anti-Aesthetic Turn.” Philosophy of Music Education Review 18, no. 2 (Fall, 2010): 171–193.
Aristotle, The Poetics of Aristotle. Edited with critical notes and a translation by S.H. Butcher, 3rd edition. MacMillan and Company, 1902.
Bowman, Wayne. “Why Do Humans Value Music?” Philosophy of Music Education Review 10, no. 1 (Spring, 2002): 55–63.
Bowman, Wayne. “To What Question(s) is Music Education Advocacy the Answer?” International Journal of Music Education 23, no 2 (2005).
Elliott, David. J. Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. Oxford, 1995.
Hazard, Geoffrey C. and Dana A. Remus. “Advocacy Revalued.” University of Pennslyvania Law Review 159, no. 3 (February, 2011): 751–781.
Langer, Suzanne. Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art. Mentor, 1942.
Louth, J. Paul and Lauren Kapalka Richerme. “Music for All or Partisan Advocacy? Exploring
Socialized Epistemologies.” Philosophy of Music Education Review 31, no. 2 (Fall, 2023): 136–154. https://dx.doi.org/10.2979/pme.2023.a909307
Mason, Lowell. Manual of the Boston Academy of Music, for Instruction In the Elements of Vocal Music on the System of Pestalozzi, 2nd edtion.
McCarthy, Marie and J. Scott Goble. “Music Education Philosophy: Changing Times.” Music Educators Journal 89, no. 1 (September, 2002): 19–26.
Mehr, Samuel A., Manvir Sing, Dean Knox, et al. Universality and Diversity in Human Song. Science 366, no. 6468 (November, 2019). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0868
Meyer, Leonard. B. Emotion and Meaning in Music. The University of Chicago Press, 1956.
Plato, The Republic. Translated by Banjamin Jowett. http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.5.iv.html
Reimer, Bennett. A Philosophy of Music Education. Prentice Hall, 1970.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/29 | Module 1 | Popular & Traditional Music Advocacy Arguments | Week 1 Discussion x 2 (7/2/26) Week 1 Assignment (7/3/26) |
| 7/6 | Module 2 | The Structure of Arguments; Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic & Correlational vs. Causation | Week 2 Discussion x 2 (7/9/26) Week 2 Assignment (7/10/26) |
| 7/13 | Module 3 | Advocacy and Philosophy | Week 3 Discussion (7/16/26) Week 3 Assignment (7/17/26) |
| 7/20 | Module 4 | Advocacy vs. Truth Seeking and the Problem of ‘Music for All’ | Week 4 Discussion (7/23/26) Week 4 Assignment (7/24/26) |
| 7/27 | Module 5 | The Emotional Logic of Music | Week 5 Discussion (7/30/26) Week 5 Assignment (7/31/26) |
| 8/3 | Module 6 | Developing a Toolkit: Balancing Advocacy with Scholarly Ethics | Week 6 Discussion ( 8/6/26 ) Week 6 Assignment (8/7/26) Advocacy Toolkit ( 8/7/26 ) |
| 8/10 | Module 7 | Complete final papers / Help available | Final Position Paper Due (8/14/26) |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.