. ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁music ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁After ▁the ▁pre aching ▁of ▁Re ver end ▁Thomas ▁Sym mes , ▁the ▁first ▁singing ▁school ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 7 ▁in ▁Boston ▁ ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁impro ving ▁singing ▁and ▁music ▁reading ▁in ▁the ▁church . ▁These ▁singing ▁schools ▁gradually ▁spread ▁throughout ▁the ▁colon ies . ▁ ▁Music ▁education ▁continued ▁to ▁fl our ish ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Music ▁in ▁Boston . ▁Re ver end ▁John ▁Tu ft s ▁published ▁An ▁Introduction ▁to ▁the ▁Sing ing ▁of ▁Ps alm ▁T unes ▁Using ▁Non - Tr ad itional ▁Not ation ▁which ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁music ▁text book ▁in ▁the ▁colon ies . ▁Between ▁ 1 7 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 2 0 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 7 5 ▁t une ▁books ▁would ▁be ▁published ▁by ▁such ▁authors ▁as ▁Samuel ▁Holy oke , ▁Francis ▁Hop kin son , ▁William ▁Bill ings , ▁and ▁Oliver ▁Hold en . ▁ ▁Music ▁began ▁to ▁spread ▁as ▁a ▁curr icular ▁subject ▁into ▁other ▁school ▁districts . ▁So on ▁after ▁music ▁expanded ▁to ▁all ▁grade ▁levels ▁and ▁the ▁teaching ▁of ▁music ▁reading ▁was ▁improved ▁until ▁the ▁music ▁curr icul um ▁grew ▁to ▁include ▁several ▁activities ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁music ▁reading . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁public ▁school ▁music ▁had ▁spread ▁throughout ▁the ▁country . ▁▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 2 , ▁Low