Clifford K. Madsen’s Contributions to Music Education and Music Therapy: Love of Learning summarizes the life and work of Dr. Clifford Madsen, a luminary in music education and author of a dozen books, the first recipient of the Senior Researcher Award from the Music Educators National Conference, and mentor and teacher to generations of music educators and music therapists. This text presents Madsen’s philosophy, career, and legacy through an exploration of primary sources and extensive interviews with former students, outlining the philosophical tenets Madsen espouses while contextualizing those tenets within his teachings, research, and service. What began as an exercise to record Madsen’s work for archival purposes resulted in a study of how his philosophy manifested in a significant offering to music educators.

Throughout a prolific academic career, Dr. Madsen has led Florida State University to a position of preeminence in the fields of music education and music therapy. Yet as detailed here, his greatest impact goes beyond lesson plans and syllabi, epitomized by a love of learning. As Bob Duke stated, "What is monumental about Cliff is not what he has written. It is what he has done as a human being for other human beings."