Bennett Reimer
Encyclopedia
From 1978 until retirement in 1997, Bennett Reimer (1932–present) held the John W. Beattie Endowed Chair in Music at Northwestern University
, where he was Chair of the Music Education
Department, Director of the Ph.D. program in Music Education, and founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience, a research group of Ph.D. students and faculty. He previously was on the faculties of Case Western Reserve University
, Cleveland, Ohio (1965–1978) where he held the Kulas Endowed Chair in Music and was Chair of the Music Education Department; the University of Illinois, Urbana (1960–1965); Madison College, Harrisonburg, Virginia (1958–1960); and the Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary
, (1955–1957). He holds the bachelor's degree in Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia
, and master's and doctorate degrees in Music Education from the University of Illinois, where he worked with Charles Leonhard
and Harry Broudy
. Beginning his career in music as a clarinetist and then oboist, Reimer then became a specialist in the philosophy of music education, curriculum development, theory of research, and comprehensive arts education programs.
) Committee on Aesthetic Education; was MENC liaison for Arts Education Initiatives: represented MENC as a member of The Alliance for Curriculum Reform and the Aesthetic Education Curriculum Program sponsored by the U.S. Office of Education; was a member of the six-person task force that wrote the National Standards for Music Education; and was one of six Commission Authors of position papers for the MENC Vision 2020 Project(The Housewright Symposium / Vision 2020
). He was Director of a three-year research project on the general music curriculum sponsored by the U.S. Office of Education; was a research exchange scholar studying music education practices from Kindergarten through Conservatory in China for a 3-month period in 1986, sponsored by the Chinese government and Harvard Project Zero; was for six years Co-Director and Principal Consultant for the teacher education project “Education for Aesthetic Awareness: The Cleveland Area Project for the Arts in the Schools;” and for five years was a member of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Awards Committee for Exemplary School Arts Programs.
Reimer presents many keynote addresses and lectures each year throughout the United States and the world, including appearances in England, Japan, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa, China, and Australia. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from DePaul University, Chicago, in 1997. Also in 1997 he was designated the third “Legend of Teaching” in the history of the Northwestern University School of Music. A special double issue of The Journal of Aesthetic Education, "Musings: Essays in Honor of Bennett Reimer," was published in Winter, 2000. In 2002, Reimer was inducted into the Music Educators Hall of Fame. In 2008 he was the recipient of the MENC Senior Researcher Award.
University of Illinois, Urbana. M.S. 1955.
University of Illinois, Urbana. Ed.D. 1963.
1958-1960 Madison College, Harrisonburg, VA. Assistant Professor. Wind Ensembles; woodwinds; theory; conducting; music appreciation. Director of Music, Campus Laboratory School.
1960-1965 University of Illinois, Urbana. Instructor, Assistant Professor. Foundations of Music Education. Music and College Placement Consultant, University of Illinois Educational Placement Office.
1965-1978 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Kulas Professor of Music; Director of Music Education.
1978-1997 Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. John W. Beattie Professor of Music; Chairman of Music Education; Founder and Director, Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, where he was Chair of the Music Education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
Department, Director of the Ph.D. program in Music Education, and founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience, a research group of Ph.D. students and faculty. He previously was on the faculties of Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, Cleveland, Ohio (1965–1978) where he held the Kulas Endowed Chair in Music and was Chair of the Music Education Department; the University of Illinois, Urbana (1960–1965); Madison College, Harrisonburg, Virginia (1958–1960); and the Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, (1955–1957). He holds the bachelor's degree in Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia
State University of New York at Fredonia
The State University of New York at Fredonia is a four-year liberal arts college located in Fredonia, New York, United States; it is a constituent college of the State University of New York...
, and master's and doctorate degrees in Music Education from the University of Illinois, where he worked with Charles Leonhard
Charles Leonhard
Charles Leonhard was an American music educator and academic. He was one of the first to argue for a focus upon aesthetic education within music education. For most of his career, he was a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.-Life and career:Born in Anadarko, Oklahoma,...
and Harry Broudy
Harry Broudy
Harry S. Broudy is a Polish-born educator.Broudy attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University where he received his Bachelors Degree in German literature and philosophy in 1929. From there he went to Harvard University and earned his Masters degree in 1933 and his Ph.D in 1936...
. Beginning his career in music as a clarinetist and then oboist, Reimer then became a specialist in the philosophy of music education, curriculum development, theory of research, and comprehensive arts education programs.
Publications
Reimer’s book A Philosophy of Music Education, first published in 1970, a second edition in 1989, and a third edition, A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision, in 2003, (Prentice Hall) has been translated into French, Japanese, and Chinese, with a Greek edition in preparation. He is author and editor of some two dozen other books and has written over 145 articles and chapters on a variety of topics in music and arts education. Reimer’s textbooks on music for grades one through eight, Silver Burdett Music, were the most widely used throughout the United States and the world for two decades.Professional contributions
As a participant in the professional life of his field, Reimer has served on the Editorial Boards of all the major journals; was National Chairman of the Music Educators National Conference (MENCMENC: The National Association for Music Education
MENC: The National Association for Music Education is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education and as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States...
) Committee on Aesthetic Education; was MENC liaison for Arts Education Initiatives: represented MENC as a member of The Alliance for Curriculum Reform and the Aesthetic Education Curriculum Program sponsored by the U.S. Office of Education; was a member of the six-person task force that wrote the National Standards for Music Education; and was one of six Commission Authors of position papers for the MENC Vision 2020 Project(The Housewright Symposium / Vision 2020
The Housewright Symposium / Vision 2020
The Vision 2020 Symposium was presented in 2000 at the Florida State University, where Wiley Housewright had been dean of the School of Music for many years. The Housewright Declaration is the statement of belief that summarized the Symposium. The Vision 2020 Symposium was intended to create a...
). He was Director of a three-year research project on the general music curriculum sponsored by the U.S. Office of Education; was a research exchange scholar studying music education practices from Kindergarten through Conservatory in China for a 3-month period in 1986, sponsored by the Chinese government and Harvard Project Zero; was for six years Co-Director and Principal Consultant for the teacher education project “Education for Aesthetic Awareness: The Cleveland Area Project for the Arts in the Schools;” and for five years was a member of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Awards Committee for Exemplary School Arts Programs.
Reimer presents many keynote addresses and lectures each year throughout the United States and the world, including appearances in England, Japan, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa, China, and Australia. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from DePaul University, Chicago, in 1997. Also in 1997 he was designated the third “Legend of Teaching” in the history of the Northwestern University School of Music. A special double issue of The Journal of Aesthetic Education, "Musings: Essays in Honor of Bennett Reimer," was published in Winter, 2000. In 2002, Reimer was inducted into the Music Educators Hall of Fame. In 2008 he was the recipient of the MENC Senior Researcher Award.
Education record
State University of New York, College at Fredonia. B.S. 1954.University of Illinois, Urbana. M.S. 1955.
University of Illinois, Urbana. Ed.D. 1963.
Educational employment
1955-1957 Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William and Mary, Richmond, VA. Instructor. Band Director; woodwinds; theory; conducting; music appreciation.1958-1960 Madison College, Harrisonburg, VA. Assistant Professor. Wind Ensembles; woodwinds; theory; conducting; music appreciation. Director of Music, Campus Laboratory School.
1960-1965 University of Illinois, Urbana. Instructor, Assistant Professor. Foundations of Music Education. Music and College Placement Consultant, University of Illinois Educational Placement Office.
1965-1978 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Kulas Professor of Music; Director of Music Education.
1978-1997 Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. John W. Beattie Professor of Music; Chairman of Music Education; Founder and Director, Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience.