Teaching Music with the Humanities

Dr. Junius Johnson—a classical Christian educator, author, and Yale-trained scholar of theology, philosophy, and literature—explores the vital role of music in the humanities classroom and demonstrates how to incorporate various listening exercises in the curriculum. Why is the recovery of classical music necessary for engaging students in the Great Tradition? Does a teacher require specialized training in music? What is the danger of confining music to an extracurricular subject? This course will unpack the tradition of teaching music as a mathematical discipline in the Quadrivium as well as a transcendent path to erudition.

With examples drawn from great 19th and 20th century composers like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich, Dr. Johnson shares his knowledge and passion for music to help educators hone the skills of close listening and create meaningful musical experiences for their students.

Dr. Junius Johnson is an independent scholar, teacher, musician, and writer. He is the executive director of Junius Johnson Academics, through which he offers innovative classes for both children and adults that aim to marry the sense of wonder with intellectual rigor. An avid devotee of story, he is especially drawn to fantasy, science fiction, and young adult novels. He performs professionally on the french horn and electric bass. He holds a BA from Oral Roberts University (English Lit), an MAR from Yale Divinity School (Historical Theology), and an MA, two MPhils, and a PhD (Philosophical Theology) from Yale University. He is the author of five books, including The Father of Lights: A Theology of Beauty and a book version of his course with ClassicalU, On Teaching Fairy Stories (including a forward by Louis Markos and an additional chapter of content from author). An engaging speaker and teacher, he is a frequent guest contributor to blogs and podcasts on faith and culture, and is a member of The Cultivating Project. Junius has other courses on ClassicalU such as Theology of Beauty and the Imagination: A Guide to Wonder which you can find on his presenter profile page.

To learn more about earning a certificate for this course, please visit “How do I Obtain a Course Certificate?” on our FAQ page. Our course certificates are valued by classical schools and co-ops worldwide, and you can also be on your way to obtaining an elective credit toward a Level 2 certificate with your completion of this course. Teachers certified with either ACSI or ACCS will see continuing education unit (CEU) credits listed on our course certificate for you to submit to either organization (with more information on certification credit here).

See the full music course outline below, and you can also listen to Junius talk about this course in this podcast episode: