Which educator advocated music education grounded in aesthetic experience?

• A. Bennett Reimer
• B. David Elliott
• C. Edwin Gordon
• D. Jerome Bruner

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is education in music grounded in appreciating music as art and experiencing its beauty, meaning, and emotional impact. Bennett Reimer is the educator most closely associated with this approach. He argued that the purpose of music education should be to cultivate students’ aesthetic experiences—helping them listen deeply, interpret expressive qualities, and value music for its own sake rather than focusing primarily on technical skills or cognitive analysis. In practice, this means selecting meaningful repertoire, guiding reflective listening, and creating opportunities for authentic musical experiences that invite personal and emotional response. Other educators have emphasized different goals, such as process and social creation, cognitive development, or audiation, rather than framing aesthetics as the central aim.