Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1895-01-01
THE STUDY OF Wslc.
Shall CAildren BE Made to Study Music
Talent or No Talents

1ALent OF NO 1Alentg
In the matter of music children may
be divided into three classes-those who
have ability and industry combined,
those who have ability without industry,
and those who have no native ability
whatever. 1t is with the last two that
the problem has to do. For the children
Of gift and energy a smooth path is
clearly marked ont.
Some of the most rarely gifted chill
dren are determinedly lazy in early
youth. Such musical natures are a re-
sponsibility too often let go to shipwreck
because of want of proper insistence that
they shall work. Parents make up their
minds it is no use to drive them; that
despite all their ear and taste they can
never be made to do anything. Efforts
on their behalf arc relaxed Just at the
very point when n little strength of
authority might have secured n proper
development of the child powers 1t is
an absurd decision that all children des-
tined to become anything in a musical
way will have the natural disposition &c
work. More than half probably will not,
cruelties is perpetrated in overlooking
their musical possibilities simply be-
cause they are idle. Such children
should have their path imperatively
chalked out for them, and it should be
seen that they walk il. If they show
an aptitude for any particular instru-
ment, they should be made TO practice
it, not to a strict degree at first, but by
steady stages until it ceases to be a Ia
Dor. To impose on their little ardent
natures too severe technical ground all
at once is perhaps as disastrous rs utter
neglect would be. They must be care
fully handled Systematically. Let child
who has the capacity to work up be-
tween lessons three etudes, but hates and
breads to do it, be given one instead.
There now come the children who are
apparently without any talent, who
can hardly detect the difference between
one tone and another. One of two things
is usually done with these-either, hav-
ing no talent, they are put under a
pressure of study to constrain them to
develop one, or after brief trial they are
given up rs entirely hopeless. The best
method of dealing with these children
is seldom resorted to and lies midway
between. Away far down in the most
tuneless child's nature there may lie a
germ of music unsupported by every
body else and undiscoverable to the
child himself perhaps until he has long
passed the age of study. This little
germ can be killed outright in early
youth, and when it is killed it is usual
II the piano that does it. If all chill.
dren, talent or no talent, were instruct
ed in early youth in the theory of music,
were grounded in the figures of nota-
ton just as they are in the figures of
arithmetic, at whatever period of life
this little germ disclosed itself, they
would be able to encourage it by their
technical knowledge, instead of feeling
that it is too late, and altogether use
less, because they are theoretically ig-
norant of music.
There has rarely been a child born to
whom an education in rhythm and the
effort of the mind to conquer musical
mathematics have not proved of imme-
diate help even in other branches All
children should receive at least this. II
productive of no present results in the
field OF music itself, lnnumerable cases
of precedence so to show that there is
no possible foretelling when it may be-
come productive. Many Q taste has been
known to blossom in young people after
bearing q number of operas and con.
certs, and the ear has Unexpectedly been
opened to the beauty in variety of tone.
Take the child of no talent. teach il
theory if only as a good mental exer'
else, and teach it rhythm if only as an
aid to harmony in poise and movement,
then let the ear come if it will, there
will be method, of use also in other di.
rections. ready to support it. Under nc
circumstances can it be we'll to neglect
this theoretic musical education, which
never taxes the patience as does q use
less and monotonous practice, and which
will prepare the child, should musical
environment develop talent later, tC
utilize it from the first. The above
voices the opinions of some of the best
musical authorities as reported in Har
per's Bazaar.