Morning journal and courier., 1891-07-24
Echoe. or the Recent Cennscticut

Echoes OF the Recent Connections
Musical Convention.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
On all sides we hear complimentary allu-
sions to the late exhibitions of pulic school
music. President Allen of the State
Teachers Music association, in his address
at the late convention, expressed the hope
that before we entered the twentieth CEN
tury--now close at hand-s'every city and
town in the United States might have its
Jepson." This was indeed high praise
from resident of the capital city, and one
of the leading musicians in the state. The
following flattering notice is copied from
the New London Morning Telegraph:
The Connecticut Music Teachers associa-
tiation was organized but one year ago in
Hartford for 'mutual improvement by in
terchange of thought and for the elevation
of musical taste in the general public"
and held its annual convention in New
Haven last week. Its first meeting was
considered very successful, bringing to-
gether, as it did, musicians and music
lovers from all parts of the state. Papers
were read and discussed on the different
were rendered of vocal and instrumental
music and were heard and enjoyed by
hundreds of people.
But if that meeting was successful what
shall be said of the second annual conven-
ton held last week, when fully two thou
II sand people assembled to hear the grand
concert by the several church choirs-some
of New Haven and some of Bridgeports
The association lays great stress upon
L J. zE
and at both conventions much time was
allotted to the consideration and discus
sion of this subject. Last year Irving
Emerson of Hartford read a statistical re-
port of music teaching in the public schools
of Connecticut. Benjamin Jepson, super
visor of the public schools of New
Haven, also read very interesting
paper, on vocal music as regular
schools, setting forth the great need of
systematic instruction in the science of
reading, thus laying solid foundation up
on which to build later a superstructure:
and in New Haven he devoted an after
noon to the same subject, but in 'some-
what different manner. Instead of read
| ing paper enlarging upon what might.
could. would or should be done by good
music teachers in the schools he brought
to the Hyperion four hundred school
children, and showed practically and in a
most entertaining way what has been done
| in the schools of New Haven under his
own supervision.
The writer has attended many children's
entertainments, concerts and exhibitions,
but never anything of the kind that called
forth such warm sympathy and sincere
admiration as the work done by Mr.. Jep-
sons four hundred pupils. Beginning
with the youngest of them, possibly about
hoo, Sroif ots
exercises with the first five sounds of the
scale; then seven note cadences to the
| third, fifth, sixth and eighth of the scale,
| and scale exercises in double, triple and
quadruple time Some of the children
were sent to the blackboard and as their
| teachers sang little three note cadences
they wrote them out on the staff. They
also sang at sight several exercises in
| double, triple and quadruple time, and all
| this quite without an accompaniment.
The children of the next grade higher
did, of course, more difficult work. Scale
numbers were called, the children respond
| ing with syllables. A very interesting
| feature was an "All Key" exercise; every
letter of the scale being used successfully
as key note. Chord practice by division
and number; part exercises from music
readers on treble and bass clefs in all keys.
1t is unnecessary to follow them step by
step up to the highest grade-children
from about twelve to fourteen years Of
age. Scale numbers with accidentals were
called to these pupils and they responded
unerringly with the syllables. They trans
| posed the scale into several keys; wrote
rapidly and correctly three seven-note ca
dences from the sound of the piano alone;
| wrote from dictation a seven-note cadence
| in the key of G on the bass clef, and
transposed it into several keys and sang
| admirably four part music from the fourth
music reader, illustrating accidentals in
all keys with every variety of time and ex-
preston.
Words fail to convey to those who did
| not hear them a just account of their work.
1t was indeed admirable and most encour-
aging to all interested in such work, not
withstanding the statistics read by Mr..
Emerson at Hartford last year. These sta
tistics showed that in 1889 127, 900 children
were enrolled in the public schools and
that only % per cent. of that number were
attending schools where music was per-
| mitted Also that of the twelve cities in
the state of Connecticut only five have
special OF professional musician to superin-
| tend the study or to teach music to the
regular teachers and pupils In other
schools nothing like the study Of music is
attempted, but songs and hymns are
learned by note, and in most instances,
even when part singing is attempted, it is
thumped out on the piano until the chill
dren are familiar with their respective
parts and can sing them by 'theart."
How different is this kind of work, with
which most of US are only too familiar,
from that of the New Haven school chill
| dren!
But Mr.. Jepson tells us that the eyes of
the public are being gradually opened te
the condition of things which has hitherto
prevailed in the schools, and it affords
} solid satisfaction to the advocates of the
, science of music VS.. rote practice, thai
public sentiment is being daily and hourly
enlisted on the side of music as a study.