Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-09
A SOUND VIEW
OF TIE REASONS FOR LOW MUSICAL
STANDARD IN AMERICA.
Prof. henry j. Arbenz Call Attention to Some Com
mon Faulis Of American Parents in Sc
curing Instructors for Children.

In the course of talk upon musical
matters yesterday, Prof. Henry j. Ar
benz said:
I'VE are below Europeans 10 musical
culture and taste. Looking about al
the many expressions OF the beautiful,
we see the great effort that is being
made towards higher state OF existence
ana wonder why we have not attained
the same high standard. American
architecture, literature or ethics-in
short, everything but American music
compares favorably with the best Euro
pean products. The superiority OF
Americans in many fields is universally
acknowledged.
The reason why we do not equal
Europe ans unsteady cannot be attriou-
ted TO scarcity Of intelligent students.
Will anyone maintain that our geo
graphical position prevent the existence
of q sound musical organism? Musical
genius may be found here as elsewhere.
Why, then, Is there this difference?
The chief fault lies in the character OF
instruction offered TO the American
student of music. The Importance OF
contact with the best models as means
of artistic education is incontestable,
and yet is only too often not apprecia'
ted. The erroneous opinion prevailing
among many pupils that cheap teach
er is good enough with which TO start,
is source Of most harm TO the cause OF
music.
ITO the incorrect training OF begin
ners may be attributed large share OF
the musical ignorance in this country.
Perhaps the reson for the existence OF
this false notion, can be found In the
fact that young men and women with a
common school education can teach
children to spell and count. But the
analogy between the fitness OF the
school master and that OF the professor
of music Is not we'll founded. A school
teacher can impart elementary knowl-
edge without having received uniVer-
sity training while no teacher OF music
can properly instruct beginners unless
ne has had sound education and
wide musical experience, without
which no one can illustrate ar
tstcally the simplest musical axiom.
All the models set before 1.-The pnpil
should be fauitless at any period OF his
development. The school teacher will
not say that q is b, or that two and two
make five, but many alleged music
teachers will take a pupils time and
money without teaching either correct
time or expression, either correct ing
ering or position; at the same time they
may lead their pupils into false meth
odsand wrong habits that even by years
Of patient and able and thorough in
struction it is hardly possible to correct.
Thoughtful parents in any community
recognize the Importance OF sending
beginners TO the leading teachers.
Children are sometimes placed with an
incompetent instruction because his
services can be had at small cost.
And yet there is nothing TO which
the saying, What is cheap is expensive,
can be applied with more fitness than In
the case of the musical training OF
youth.
"Fully as bad In effect as the cause
lust cited are some OF the modes Of
reaching. A short cut TO knowledge Is
so gratifying that many teachers allow
their pupils to 90 across lots Their
leniency is practiced where severity
alone would do good-in fine, the pupi
is often flattered rather than instructed
and in the end what good has been &C
complished? Until the American pub
lie. in most things so discriminating
recognizes the value of correct inStruc
tion at the hands Of thorough masters
at all times, we cannot hone TO affair
the desirable high standard OF Europe