Satis Coleman—A Spiritual Philosophy for Music Education

Abstract

Satis Coleman (1878–1961) was a pioneering but underacknowledged teacher in the history of American music education. Hers was a voice of teaching creativity in the twentieth century, which occurred at the progressive Lincoln Lab School and Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. This article considers Coleman’s music education philosophy, which contained a distinctly spiritual characteristic. Parker Palmer’s definition of spirituality, “the eternal human yearning to be connected with something larger than our own egos,” offers a lens for examining Coleman’s spirituality, which included a distinctive view of God, living simply, wholesome humility, emotions, and silence in nature. Our profession can benefit from deeper understanding of the work of creative teachers, such as Coleman.