Yes, and it would appear to be going on, still - our government has recently set
plans to remove music from the list of required subjects to teach at primary and
secondary school. We have politicians who deem music not to be important enough!

Actually, there was a bit more to Plato's statement than immediately meets the eye.
He argued that  any change in musical style or activity in a society would
immediately effect a change in that society's potitical and social structures - can
we really say he was wrong in that?  Plato was emphasizing just how powerful music
can be (he also gives a famous example of music's healing power), and that that
power must be wielded with wisdom. I think his concern mirrors our contemporary
concern with regard to to some scientific research, 'tampering with nature'. Plato
would have said science was too important to be left in the hands of scientists!

Richard Dobson

mbpcpa@sprynet.com wrote:

> IMHO, the Pythagoreans are worthwhile to study as an object lesson in the sort
> of damage systematic philosophising about music can cause.  I get a big kick out
> of old that old quote about music being too important for musicians.  Of course
> Plato would have rather seen an elite of philosophising politicians dictating
> what everyone should or should not express or experience in the arts.  Wouldn't
> that be fun!  It gives me a vision of Mao-Tse-Tung hosting the Lawrence Welk
> show.