Now that we have explored music education’s proactive role in this topic (musical activism), let’s now take a look at music education’s reactive role: musical catharsis. “Catharsis is from the Ancient Greek word κάθαρσις, katharsis, meaning “purification” or “cleansing”. In English it can refer to a number of different excreting acts. It is most commonly used today to refer to the purification and purgation of thoughts and emotions by way of expressing them.” (Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharsis)
Because the emotions we may have to these global issues can (and perhaps should) be extreme, it’s important for music educators to acknowledge the validity of extreme music, such as heavy metal. Though counter-cultural music like heavy metal, punk, gangsta rap, trap, and others can be difficult to address in educational settings, their importance in our students’ lives are as immeasurable as they are undeniable. Here’s an example of how extreme music can provide profound positive impact to our emotional health: