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Importance Of Education On Education

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Music is a gift from God, a little taste of heaven, and it influences and impacts people in a way that nothing else in the universe can mirror. In Plato’s The Republic, his teacher, Socrates, discusses the ideal education. He claims that “the rearing in music is most sovereign,” and makes an argument to defend his stance (80; bk.3, ln.401, d). Education for Socrates is not informative; rather, he sees education as a formative tool to shape the soul of an individual. Socrates describes music in a very broad sense. “Music” in The Republic refers to both literary education (includes poetry, speeches, stories…etc.) and the conventional song/melody. Socrates’ views on musical education are true because music is formative, music teaches character and good morals, and because the Bible expresses the importance of music.
Music should be the starting point of education, mainly because of the formative power music possesses. In the modern world, the word “expressive” describes the qualities of music, simply a way of displaying feelings and emotions. Socrates describes music as formative, a means that actually changes and shapes people.
Isn’t this why the rearing in music is most sovereign? Because rhythm and harmony most of all insinuate themselves into the inmost part of the soul and most vigorously lay hold of it in bringing grace with them; and they make a man graceful if he is correctly reared, if not, the opposite (80; bk.3, ln.401, d).
As Socrates states, music, more than

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