Music History and Appreciation in the Two-Year College Curriculum

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the status of music history and appreciation courses in the nation's community and junior colleges.¹ Data on course offerings and enrollments in music history/appreciation courses were obtained in Spring 1975 and Spring 1977 from a representative sample of 178 two-year colleges participating in a nationwide study of the humanities curriculum in community and junior colleges. Among the findings reported were: (a) most two-year colleges offered a course in either music history or music appreciation in Spring 1975 (74.2%) and in Spring 1977 (70.2%); (b) enrollments in music history/appreciation courses declined by 9.5% in the same time period in which total college enrollments increased by 7.4%; and (c) nearly all of the music history and appreciation courses offered in two-year colleges are designed primarily for transfer program students. Recommendations on how music departments can increase their enrollments are offered in this paper.

Keywords

aesthetic experience college curriculum enrollments music students nonmusic students

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