The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-26

education falling to appoint the director
and his assistants, not on account of the
impossibility of procuring at and capable
persons for these positions, but on account
of the opposition of a minority OF the
board to the whole system.
This opposition, be 1t understood, is not
wholly founded upon an objection 10 the
teaching of music in the schools, so much
as it Is to making 1t compulsory on both
| teachers and scholars to become musical
pupil. The objection is both general and
specific. General, In that it is claimed
that actually making music a compulsory
| branch of education will Interfere with
other more useful and necessary studies,
that it is useless because the majority of
children leave school at too early an age TO
be benefited by such instruction that
many of the pupils have not the 'ear" or
taste necessary to acquire knowledge of
| music aud that it Is foreign to the public
school system as established by our con-
situations and laws and as intended by its
founders. The specific objections are that
time enough Is not allowed to acquire a
thorough knowledge of music, and that
the "smattering" thereof, if anything, so
obtained is at the expense of other instruc-
ton that 1t is absurd to expect the
| teachers to ''cram" enough music in one
hour of each week so as to be able, with
any degree of benefit, TO dole 1t out to the
pupils in homeopathic doses of twelve
minutes per day; and that 1t is too expen-
sive even If it does not conceal Sob
with vendors of instruction books l49
Notwithstanding these objections, which
are officially promulgated by the board OF
trustees of one of the ward public schools,
it seems to lie conceded on all hands that
some sort of musical education would be
beneficial alike TO teacher and pupil, but
how much, how little, or the manner in
which it shall be impaired, is something
upon which it seems impossible TO come to
an agreement. In some parts of Massa-
ceusetts, the plan, something like the one
proposed in New York, has been tried and
with eminent success. If we are correctly
informed, it there rests with the towns OIL
cities to determine whether or not music
shall be taught and, If their decision is that
1t shall be, then the attendance of the
teachers and pupils thereon is compulsory
We have no doubt of It's cheering and re
fining influence, and that as a relaxation
from other studies it is directly beneficial
in that thereby, with the relaxation, comes
new activity to the mind by which il
is in the best condition for receiving
new ideas. Experience. In Massachusetts
as well as in Vermont, has demonstrated
that it is relief alike TO teacher and pupil
tends to overcome encouragement and il
directly conducive to good order. We be-
lieve moreover that i; ;nusic is made a ru
dmental part of education, an attendance
upon its instruction should be compulsory
to be Of any advantage-the children of ou
public schools being of too tender years t
determine in what branches they will be in
structed, and in what not. The result o.
the New York experiment will be watched
with interest and have much to do with de
termining the matter throughout the coun
try. y is .HlI sgrat aaais