The aim of this book has been to draw together those parts of developmental psychology that can explain the phenomena of musical development: these explanations should form the natural foundation for music education. In this final chapter I try to identify some of the specific areas of music education in which my aim might be accomplished. This is in no sense intended to be a comprehensive review of music education, but rather a fairly brief outline of the salient issues to which developmental psychology ought to be able to make a contribution.

The term ‘music education’ has different definitions and connotations within different disciplines, as well as in different countries, and so it is difficult to know whether or not a particular theoretical idea is likely to be universally applicable. Because different countries have radically different educational philosophies, institutions, and policies, there are wide variations in the ways in which theory is translated into practice. There are also wide variations in the importance of music and music education relative to other subjects on the curriculum. A glance at the 9th Yearbook of the International Society for Music Education (Dobbs, 1982) soon conveys this diversity: the contributions come from many countries across four continents, each with its individual traditions and emphases.