Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-18
MUSIC AT HOME.
Its Valuable Influence Upon An the
Members Of the Family.
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
The old fashioned singing school was
blessed influence in society, poorly replaced by
reading circles and home study Part singing
ought to be one of the first things taught
child by note, not for show, but for delight.
1t does not require expensive cultivation 10
much as good taste and feeling to produce
music that will feed the ear with pleasure.
And there is no such quickener of the tastes
and finer part of mind as music, feelingly
taught. 1t is the regulator of the nerves, the
vent for emotions. Physically, it is worth
more than gymnastics for aerating the blood,
developing the lungs and chest and sending
the circulation freely through the frame. Mu-
sic-training, as given by an artist teacher, il
beauty-training for the whole nature. see
50; such teacher with her pupil, personally assur-
ing herself as to the looseness and At Of stays,
demanding what food was taken and how much,
and what exercise giving more thorough
physical scrutiny and care than one doctor
in a hundred. Then came the mental
training to develop the sentiment of the song
in the mind, till one seemed to sing from the
heart OF a vision, conscious only Of a thought
and voice to utter it. If expression is the
result OF impression, as we all know, judge
the value OF such musical work in developing a
girls face and figure. Piano playing is another
thing. Gounod proved himself master of his
art In the pointed opinion he gave two years
since against devoting time to the piano unless
striking talent approves itself. He found it a
penance to the publ and the public, to attempt
any degree of finish, when a decent accompani-
ment in true time, and neatly-played dance
music is most that is desired for social pleas
ure. Professional talent or the exceptional
amateur should furnish the instrumental music
of higher sort. Almost any pupil can learn
for carpet dance without particular taste or
distaste for music. But where the passion for
music exists there is no such cruelty as re-
pressing 1t for any reason whatever.
THE TASTE FOR SINGING
should be made as much part Of young peo-
Piles life as possible. Better the glee club than
the reading club, if there can be but one, and
singing at home, about the house and out of
doors, should be favored in every child. Not
singing for show, but singing for pleasure. Songs
which express natural, joyous sentiments
should be preferred, and patriotic songs of the
best sort. The child will learn to love his
country through its songs. First of all, the
American songs with their history should be
taught, or rather caught from hearing them
well sung, which is the best way to learn to
sing in the world. Historic ballads should be
part OF childs earliest education, sung by his
ers arms, repeated when the family
circle gather in the dusk. In this
way the great virtues of bravery, self-devotion,
and love of country are wrought into the
fbers OF his being, which never forget their
early thrill. The penny ballads of England
have been the training of thousands of inlet
tered heroes. The songs of Scotland kept the
ardor handed on from the heart of Bruce. The
Iliad and Odyssey recited by the wayside kept
Greece nation long after it would have fallen
to be mere province without their tales which
kept Greek valor alive. They never lose their
force, these great primitive stories for have
seen band of Wisconsin harvesters at their
incoming spell-bound by pages of the Iliad, read
by a student enthusiastic over his classics.
What is it stirs the sentiment which makes
heroes of common mem but slight things like
the streaming of flag, the throb of drum,
the refrain of a ballad, the cry Of a war-song-
the ciphere which stand for the impressions of
a life, from infancy to manhood. You cannot
rear the fine physical type without this enthu-
siasm, the worship of grand deeds and ideas.