Music as Knowledge

Is a form of knowledge? Is a source of knowledge? Since music and can be taken in a variety of senses, and since the identifiable senses of these terms are slippery at best, the concept of as knowledge is rich with possibilities. One might argue, for example, that some form of knowledge is imparted by each kind of music, or only some, or by every kind of in combination, or by the very fact of music's existence. Following this, one could argue that imparts knowledge to makers, or to some of the listening public, or to all makers and listeners everywhere, and so on. Furthermore, music's status as a source of knowledge might be considered its primary value, or a secondary value, or merely incidental. It is not my intention to rehearse the major themes from as knowledge. Neither will I trumpet a new theme of my own composition. Instead, I intend something akin to what a jazz pianist might do given a classic as the impetus for a solo. I will highlight the importance of a fundamental of thought about by spinning out some of its vertical and horizontal possibilities. Put directly, my purpose here is to explore the epistemological implications of one particular sense of music. The following discussion is divided into three parts. Part one states my bass line sense of together with the tenor of my thoughts on its importance to educators. Part two examines this grounding sense of as a form of knowledge. Part three pursues as a source of knowledge.