Reviving Classical Music Through Interdisciplinary Teaching: A Cognitive Integration Approach

Abstract

This paper provides a brief overview of classical music's value in society with primary focus on the decline of music appreciation among modern audiences. This issue is complicated by the decline of arts education programs, which have been forced to adapt with current educational and economic expectations. Consequently, interdisciplinary programs have increased in implementation and have proven successful in many classrooms. However, using Bresler's (1995) analysis of interdisciplinary approaches, the majority of these programs approach arts integration in a subservient approach, rather than the more actively engaging cognitive integration approach. This project involves the design of a course that equally engages students in the subjects of music and literature through the study of tone poems and their source literature. The success of this proposed curriculum is supported by post-course surveys, but the results were limited due to issues in the course administration, supporting the need for a larger-scope pilot study.