History Through Music - Perspectives on The Evolution of Consciousness, Spirituality, Education, and Music Appreciation by Eric G. Muller, Alkion Press, 2026, 516 pages
For about thirty years I taught the History Through Music block to eleventh graders, which is traditionally taught in Waldorf high schools around the world. We endeavor to uncover the origins of music, after which we move through the respective eras until we reach the twentieth century and beyond, always cognizant of the underlying lawfulness. We explore how music is a fascinating reflection of the development of human consciousness. Throughout the course, the students listen to a great variety of live and recorded music from contrasting and successive time periods. To underscore the experiential components of the block, the students participate in singing, improvisations, and discussions. Their interest, enthusiasm, comments, and questions have helped to shape the structure and content of the curriculum over the years. The students inspired my ongoing research and have played an integral part in the creation of this book. While writing, I kept them in mind and addressed them throughout, as evidenced by the diverse classroom examples. Some of their illustrations and drawings accompany and embellish the text. I also teach this course at the Alkion Center for Waldorf Teacher Education and in workshops for adults, where I include the “esoteric” aspects, those gleaned through my studies in anthroposophy, especially the insights by Rudolf Steiner.
I’m deeply indebted and grateful to the expansive overview of the development of human consciousness and its intimate connection to music that Steiner imparted. A few years back, I finally decided to write a book about my experiences and research on music’s fascinating journey throughout history. Questions, more than anything, have fueled this book: What is music? How far back can we trace its history? Why does music affect us so profoundly Who are the people who have shaped the course of music through the ages? What might the music of the future sound like? I have pursued these questions and those that have remained unanswered in musicology, all of which demand a response in our probing times. The results reveal diverse and riveting aspects to music and its imponderable and all-inclusive essence. I track the tonal paths through the epochs right up to the multifaceted present, all the while considering the far-reaching contributions of indigenous music, assessing the scope of Western music’s emergence, or gaging the impact of popular music—always with an eye on contextualizing the various eras and styles. The sweeping evolutionary journey of human consciousness, as portrayed through music, explores humanity’s profound embeddedness in the spirit, followed by its gradual disconnection and loss over time. Yet, in its place, the inexorable development of the individuality allows for the possibility to reconnect to the spirit consciously and out of freedom, as can be observed in the works of an ever-growing array of composers and interpreters. As mentioned, I provide esoteric perspectives that add to contemporary positions. I endeavor to weave together the musical, cultural, and sacred elements in an accessible, yet thought provoking manner, to meet the lay person as much as those well-versed in music.
In History Through Music, a vast panorama unfolds for the reader, buoyed by my decades long experience as an educator and musician. May this book deepen its readers’ understanding of music and its convoluted history, while serving as a valuable resource for educators. - Eric G. Müller
History Through Music by Eric G. Muller is available from Alkion Press here.And it's also available from Amazon here.
Eric G. Müller is the director of Teacher Education at the Alkion Center and has served as a humanities teacher at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf High School in Harlemville, New York, for three decades, where he taught History Through Music, literature, and chorus, as well as directing the high school plays. Born in Durban, South Africa, he studied literature and history at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He continued his studies at Emerson College, England, and at the Institute for Waldorf Pedagogy in Witten-Annen, Germany, where he specialized in drama and music education. He has published numerous books, including novels, children’s books, poetry, and books on education. www.ericgmuller.com. Eric can be reached at [email protected].
For about thirty years I taught the History Through Music block to eleventh graders, which is traditionally taught in Waldorf high schools around the world. We endeavor to uncover the origins of music, after which we move through the respective eras until we reach the twentieth century and beyond, always cognizant of the underlying lawfulness. We explore how music is a fascinating reflection of the development of human consciousness. Throughout the course, the students listen to a great variety of live and recorded music from contrasting and successive time periods. To underscore the experiential components of the block, the students participate in singing, improvisations, and discussions. Their interest, enthusiasm, comments, and questions have helped to shape the structure and content of the curriculum over the years. The students inspired my ongoing research and have played an integral part in the creation of this book. While writing, I kept them in mind and addressed them throughout, as evidenced by the diverse classroom examples. Some of their illustrations and drawings accompany and embellish the text. I also teach this course at the Alkion Center for Waldorf Teacher Education and in workshops for adults, where I include the “esoteric” aspects, those gleaned through my studies in anthroposophy, especially the insights by Rudolf Steiner.
I’m deeply indebted and grateful to the expansive overview of the development of human consciousness and its intimate connection to music that Steiner imparted. A few years back, I finally decided to write a book about my experiences and research on music’s fascinating journey throughout history. Questions, more than anything, have fueled this book: What is music? How far back can we trace its history? Why does music affect us so profoundly Who are the people who have shaped the course of music through the ages? What might the music of the future sound like? I have pursued these questions and those that have remained unanswered in musicology, all of which demand a response in our probing times. The results reveal diverse and riveting aspects to music and its imponderable and all-inclusive essence. I track the tonal paths through the epochs right up to the multifaceted present, all the while considering the far-reaching contributions of indigenous music, assessing the scope of Western music’s emergence, or gaging the impact of popular music—always with an eye on contextualizing the various eras and styles. The sweeping evolutionary journey of human consciousness, as portrayed through music, explores humanity’s profound embeddedness in the spirit, followed by its gradual disconnection and loss over time. Yet, in its place, the inexorable development of the individuality allows for the possibility to reconnect to the spirit consciously and out of freedom, as can be observed in the works of an ever-growing array of composers and interpreters. As mentioned, I provide esoteric perspectives that add to contemporary positions. I endeavor to weave together the musical, cultural, and sacred elements in an accessible, yet thought provoking manner, to meet the lay person as much as those well-versed in music.
In History Through Music, a vast panorama unfolds for the reader, buoyed by my decades long experience as an educator and musician. May this book deepen its readers’ understanding of music and its convoluted history, while serving as a valuable resource for educators. - Eric G. Müller
History Through Music by Eric G. Muller is available from Alkion Press here.And it's also available from Amazon here.
Eric G. Müller is the director of Teacher Education at the Alkion Center and has served as a humanities teacher at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf High School in Harlemville, New York, for three decades, where he taught History Through Music, literature, and chorus, as well as directing the high school plays. Born in Durban, South Africa, he studied literature and history at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He continued his studies at Emerson College, England, and at the Institute for Waldorf Pedagogy in Witten-Annen, Germany, where he specialized in drama and music education. He has published numerous books, including novels, children’s books, poetry, and books on education. www.ericgmuller.com. Eric can be reached at [email protected].
