Which statement best captures Bennett Reimer's view on music education?

• A. Music should be taught through aesthetics, focusing on feeling and emotion.
• B. Music should be taught through formal theory and technical drills.
• C. Music is innate and must be nurtured by age 9.
• D. Spiral curriculum and cognitive psychology.

Answer: (A)

Reimer’s view centers on aesthetics in music education—treating music as an art form that conveys meaning and emotion, and teaching students to experience, interpret, and value music. The statement that music should be taught through aesthetics, focusing on feeling and emotion, best captures this approach. In practice, learning is about engaging with musical works, expressing response, and developing personal meaning and appreciation, not just mastering theory or technique.

The other statements reflect different educational emphases: focusing on formal theory and drills emphasizes technical mastery over expressive experience; claiming music is innate with a specific nurture age introduces a talent- or timing-based view not central to Reimer; and invoking a spiral curriculum with cognitive psychology aligns with other educational theories rather than Reimer’s aesthetic-focused stance.