The herald., 1895-11-28
mental and moral culture to every ind.

mental and moral culture to every indi-
vidual.
fJohn Stewart Mill says VIC should KIN W
everything of something and some
thing OF everything, and as m usio 10 now
| everywhere recognized as part of we'll
balanced educarion we place it under the
head of something about everything.
and realize at once that the time devoted
to it must necessarily be brief and that
the outline of study and methods employ
cd to impart it, are worthy of the gravsst
cons liberation. The endsavor to shorten
as m UGH as possible the time of study
and enable the pupils to make the most
| rapid advancement has been nv study
for over twenty years and herewith pre-
sent for consideration the conclusions
arrived at and the results obtained in my
own work where | use methods entirely
different from those generally employed.
| "A thorough knowledge of the theory OF
music and the fundamental principles OF
harmony and phrasing, clearly and con-
cisely explained. will suffice t. AWAKEN
the musical intelligence and prepare the
way for comprehensive appreciation OF
| the hiddan beauties OF music which will
| from thenceforth gradually reveal them
selves as the mind and soul open to
receive them. Imprimis, all persons can
and should learn TO sing at least enough
to take part in rhorusss. not only for
The pleasure It will afford but because. as
| Schuman says, 1t makes you musical"
| 1t Is nonsense to say that one cannot sing
because he has no voice. The same vocal
organs that are used in speaking should
| serve in singing aud if they do not it is
either because they nave been injured
through ignorant methods Of singing, be-
cause they have become unmanageable
from lack OF use or land this is the most
frequent cause of inability to prod uce
tone or correct pitch) the musical near
| ing has never been Developed. Singing
should be part of the daily course of
study in the public schools bu. should be
| taught only by persons having perfect
understanding OF the true principles OF
| tone production. Incorrect habits of
breathing, faulty tongue and mouth posi-
| .ions, AN immoveabie larynx causing
| first hoarseness. then sore throat. and fin
| ally chronic throat affections) are II few
of the most important causes OF the
! forced, rasping or nasal tones which we
constantly hear in place OF the pure,
sweet, easily rendered tones that never
fail to please, which are Invariably the
result of the proper use OF the vocal
organs.
In the above brief outline of study
have placed as the first requisite to on
understanding of music thorough
knowledge of the theory of music, and in
illustration of the Importance of thor
ouRhness will say that 1t is not sufficient
| to tell pupil That a scale IS composed OF
steps and half steps, bat from the begin
ming he should be made TO recognize the
peculiar Importance of the semi or half
step as compared with the whole tone and
to feel the sympathetic nature by virtue OF
which it imparts to the scale It's satisfac.
tory and marked ending. The musical
education should, under all circumstances
begin with ear training. A pupil should
never be permitted to read from notes
until he has learned that they represent
musical sounds which he himself has
heard and written. Schuman, whose
authority no musician will deny, says.
1.-THE most important thing is the cultiva.
ton of the sense of hearing The pupil
should hear the scale played or sung,
slowly and carefully, a great many times
before being allowed to initiate It,. My
method is to picture the scale. which
call musical ladder, calling attention to
the half steps between and and and
s anc then to sing it while the pupil lis
tens for the half steps. Next | sing eight
half steps, after which l call attention to
the beautiful result OF the combination OF
steps and half steps. Now the pupil is
prepared to sing his scale and is almost
certain to sing it correctly. lie then
writes it in musical shorthand, using d for
do, r for re, etc. Next in order comes
the ear training for tone lengths ana
then the writing from sound of many
little melodies. Finally a staff is con.
structed and the shorthand notation,
transcribed into notes of the usual form,
written upon it in any key desired, Tor
in the meantime the pupil has learned
the musical alphabet and knows that the
scale can begin on one letter as we'll as
another if he only keeps in mind the cor
rect position of the very important little
half steps. Thus We find, in compare
lively few lessons, our beginner writing
music from dictation or memory and
Transporting it with the greatest facility
from one KEY to another. W. 5. b. Mat
hews of Chicago, IN his Twenty Lessons
to a Beginner, published in 1889, has
elaborated this system and combining
with it DIR. William Mason's Touch and
Technic, has given to the. musical world
the most concise, comprehensive and
practical method fer piano beginners ever
published. | have used this valued work
from the date of its publication aid un-
quaifiedly endorse the claim OF Its distin
guished author that lin forty lessons OF
this method musical results are arrived at
both in the pupils intelligence and his
ability to reproduce fine musical distlnc-
tions by means of his playing apparatus
such a > cannot be ohtaine in the ordi-
nary method in two years. if ever
Under this method the old-time drudg-
cry at the piano is a thing OF the past for
the pupil is always alert and interested.
The talented child makes astonishingly
rapid progress, while to the child lacking
in ear, heretofore barred from the charms
of music or forced into q study lfksome
to the last degree, the door to musical
knowledge is thrown open and the en-
trance thereto made delightfully."- attract-
i've. LOTTlE u. WllLARD.
MUSIC AS A SCIENCE AND ART
AS we are now on the threshold of an
other musical season, in which, if judged
by the past, this community viii! show
such lively interest as to prove it to be
eminently a musical one, and as the
coming operas. concerts and musicales
will no doubt be untiringly and iealously
patronizsd, the query naturally arises,
how many of the large mum bers who lis
ten to the various programs will do SO
with a full appreciation of the scope OF
music viewed from an artistic and scien.
tific standpoint. and with a realization
OF the dignity Of its mission. Perhaps
outside the pale Of educated m usIcians
there are few who listen to music under
standingIy in the fulles: sense OF the
word. 1t is fashionable to approve OF
music; but to many it really means little
more than the naturalization of an
agreeable tune to when they may tap
tEn;, croot fans No atborc ooSu,p no