Music philosophy is a branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature and essence of music. It delves into questions about the nature of music, its meaning, aesthetics, perception, and its role in human life and culture. Here are some key topics and questions often explored in music philosophy:
1. Definition of Music: What is music? Philosophers have attempted to provide definitions that capture the essence of music, considering elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony and emotional expression.
2. Aesthetics of Music: Aesthetics deals with the study of beauty, taste, and artistic experience. Music aesthetics explores questions about what makes music beautiful or expressive, and how we perceive and appreciate it.
3. Emotion and Expression in Music: Music has the power to evoke emotions in listeners and performers. Philosophers contemplate how music can communicate and express emotions, even without words.
4. Ethics of Music: Music can have moral implications, such as in the context of music censorship or the responsibility of musicians to use their art responsibly. Ethical questions in music philosophy explore the impact of music on society and its potential to promote positive or negative values.
5. Music and Identity: Music often plays a role in forming individual and group identities. Philosophers study how music shapes cultural identity, social belonging and personal self-expression.
6. Meaning in Music: What does music mean? Philosophers explore whether music has intrinsic meaning or if its meaning is derived from cultural, historical, or personal contexts.
7. Ontology of Music: This area of study deals with the existence and reality of music. Philosophers enquire whether music exists as abstract ideas, physical sound vibrations, or a combination of both.
8. The Role of the Composer and Performer: Philosophers contemplate the role and agency of composers and performers in creating and interpreting music. They also examine questions of authorship and artistic intent.
9. Philosophy of Musical Experience: How do we experience music, and what is the nature of musical experience? Philosophers explore the cognitive, emotional and embodied aspects of engaging with music.
10. Music and Time: Time plays a fundamental role in music. Philosophers consider the temporal structure of music and its impact on our perception and experience of sound.
Music philosophy draws on various philosophical traditions, including aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and phenomenology. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the profound and universal impact of music on human culture, emotions and cognition. As a multidisciplinary field, it invites exploration from both philosophers and musicologists seeking a deeper understanding of the art form that has been an integral part of human existence for millennia.
MV does not offer courses or lessons on music philosophy. As this is a highly specialised field of inquiry, such courses are offered in higher institutions of learning. However, elements of philosophy will be embedded where necessary in the teaching of guitar.
For those interested in this area and wish to explore this field of study further, the following sources are recommended: 
Barth, Karl. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Translated by Clarence K. Pott. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986. Bortslap, John. The Classical Revolution: Thoughts on New Music in the 21st Century. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2017. Caldecott, Stratford. Beauty for Truth's Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2017.Clark, Walter Aaron. Los Romeros: Royal Family of the Spanish Guitar. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2018.Federal, Georg. Music Philology. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2011.Hargreaves, David. J. The Developmental Psychology of Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986.Klavan, Spencer A. Music in Ancient Greece: Melody, Rhythm and Life. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2021. MacMillan, James. A Scots Song: A Life of Music. Edinburgh: Berlin Limited, 2019.Martinelli, Riccardo. Philosophy of Music: A History. Translated by Sarah De Sanction. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2019.Merriam, Alan P. The Anthropology of Music. Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1964.Sacks, Oliver. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. London: Picador, 2007. Scruton, Roger. Wagner's Parsifal: The Music of Redemption. Penguin Books, 2021.Seashore, Carl E. Psychology of Music. NY: Dover Publications, 1967.Taylor, James S. Poetic Knowledge: The Recovery of Education. NY: New York Press, 1998.Turley, Stephen R. Echoes of Eternity: A Classical Guide to Music. Camp Hill, PA: Classical Academic Press, 2018.