Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-01-03

The effect OF music alone in awakening
the sympashies Of the pupils toward one an>
other, is richly worth the efor. of any teach
er to inaugurase and maintain it. It has that
peculiar power TO refine the feelings and sub.
due the passions which no other exercise can
boast. 1t Was . we'll grounded opinion Of
Martin Luther that, next TO the knowledge
Of the Bible, the knowledge Of music & he
6rss Of the arts. Hence, IL teachers would
have their pupils love o:.e another and rev.
erenee them, the.e Is no better way TO bring
1t about :..lAn BY encouraging this Art. The
wcsid has already seen it, and to-day We
have scarcely . school worthy Of the name
which does not practice it. The mistake
0 is in quality, not in quantity. Though
there may be some Who do not sing enough,
yet nearly all sing more or less, and the
point j. now. do they make the practice ~
beneficial - they might? Do they develop
the principles Of the science IS they practice
the art? I fear not, and in this neglec.t they
forfeit the golden opportunity. Just then
and there is the best time to turn such exer
cises 70 . practical advantage. Suppose the
singing exercise occupies twenty minutes
per day-uhich it should By all means do
in that time you have sung four or Eve pie.
ces, written in some little book in which the
music j. also written. The pupils are thu
brought into contact with written music con
~tinually. Yet how many Of them know il !
There are some Indeed, who are we'll advan,
ced in grammar, and yet do not know Of
such = thing Is written music. Then - Z
FIRST lesson you can tell them that the tune
10 written il the book. The question nstu-
rally arises in every listle mind, Where il
h?a "How is it?" "How can they wriie
. tune 7" etc. What teacher could not tell
Of he five horizontal bars, and the included
spaces which constitute the stat? Draw il
upon The blackboard, and tell them It Is ths
same which they see in their books. All
this Will not occupy more than two Of thu
twenty minutes ; yet you have awakened 81
interest worth all the exercise besides. Thi.
is not 1t all difficult, nor would il be difficult
70 develop the whole subject in this simple
way each day adding some new thought
and each day dropping some hint to excite
their curiosity anew. Thus Q few words q
each exercise, . little drill on the principles
and frequent reviews, will effect more thar
We think. would recommend great care il
giving these exercises. For instance, in tn
practice, ~criticise closely the pronunciation
The expression, and al that is wrongly done
In naming the syllablesof the octave, do no
allow them 70 say sui and IL for sol and Il
DO not allow them 70 form the habit o
dnwling, etc. All these things are more CO
silly corrected nov than after the habi. i
formed. But enough On this. By this dali,
drill in the progressive style it will not b
long until every scholar can tell the ke
note by the Oats and sharps appended, i
their little songs. The main point is NO,
eained-the main thing accomplished.
Just now, while every other thing in thi
scholastic world is being improved, this i'm
portant snd vital subject ought TO receive q
IGNITION. We have introduced map draw
ing, and other Improvements Why not mu
sic? Has the eye any better right to b
pleased than the easf We must answer
no.. Then teachers must make IN effort j
this work. DO not say you ere not quail
fed" have no taste fos music" etc.
have heard people make such G NOR
than once. You do not accept such excuse
from yous pupils. Shall. such be accepte
from teschess? We think not. Ifyou pei
sist that you have no taste, our answer mua
BE-, work without . taste. Many teacher
bave no taste for mathematics or othogra
ply. But that does not exempt them froi
the duty. The children Aace . taste for m,
sic, and Il ought to be cultivated. Til
school room Is the best place for this cult
walton, and the school teacher is the be-
agent for it, accomplishment.
!. VS.. s.