Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-250) and index.
Contents:
Introduction -- Philosophies of women's education in the United States -- Beyond an accomplishment: a philosophy of music education -- The dawn of a new era in women's education -- Seminary structure: a comparison -- Curricula: academic and ornamental -- Music education for a young lady -- Instrumental music at the seminaries -- Singing ladies: vocal repertoire at the seminaries -- Afterword -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.
Summary:
Jewel A. Smith opens the doors of four female seminaries, revealing a milieu where rigorous training focused on music as an artistic pursuit rather than a social skill. Drawing on previously untapped archives, Smith charts women's musical experiences and training as well as the curricula and instruction available to them, the repertoire they mastered, and the philosophies undergirding their education. She also examines the complex tensions between the ideals of a young democracy and a deeply gendered system of education and professional advancement.An in-depth study of female seminaries as major institutions of learning, Transforming Women's Education illuminates how musical training added to women's lives and how their artistic acumen contributed to American society.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.