Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-28

| abilities. for he soon proposed to teach music himself and that in new field, namely, in all grades of the public schools, which he did with such success that pr. Mason advised him to make that his speciality, In 1853 MT. Mason be- came superintendent of music in the
 schools of Louisville, where he success
 fully introduced singing first by rote and
 then by note into all departments. A call
 came from Cincinnati for MT. Mason's
 services in her public schools, which he
 accepted. Here he repeated his suc-
 cesses. The call for his charts became
 so frequent that he could no longer print
 them with stencils, as he had up to this
 time, and no type being obtainable, he
 was obliged to invent it, and he had to
 assume the financial responsibility.
 This grew into "The National System"
 of Messrs. Ginn & Go. of Boston, who
 still publish his charts and books. These
 became instantly famous His charts
 and books were exhibited at worlds
 fairs and awarded medals in rapid sue
 cession.
 At the close of the civil war, in which
 he served, he chose Boston as his home,
 having been appointed music instructor
 In the schools. The superintendent of
 public schools gave Dr. Mason permis-
 sion to do with the primary schools as
 he chose, and he made them the fore
 most, musically speaking, in America. After fourteen years of service in Bos- ton, Dr. Mason, as a result of the favora-
 ble report of his exhibit at the Centennial exposition by the Japanese delegates, was invited to Japan. He accepted and there met with his usual success. He
 held tri-weeky meetings with the mu-
 sieians and poets of the mikado's house.
 hold, to whom he played music, mostly
 of German origin, which the court poets
 would versify Into appropriate Japanese
 rhythm, and thus 1t came about that
 German folk songs are now sung in Japan all over the empire, and school music there Is now called the "Mason Song" After three years work in Japan he came back to America, but before leaving the empress publicly thanked him for what he had done for the Japanese ! schools and the mikado made him>valua- | ble presents, some of which are now In | the Boston Art museum.
 MT. Mason next went to Germany to study, that he might improve and extend his system If possible. He spent four months In Berlin in order to study the training of the Dom cathedral choir;
 then he went to Leipsig and attended classes, especially the elementary ones,
 in all the various branches of education
 so as to obtain indications, as he called
 them, for the purpose of improving his
 National Music Course" system al- ready popular in the United States for some twenty years. Although in a
 strange land, he met with keen apprecia- ton. Critics paid him high compliments and a committee was chosen to cooper ate with him In compiling a German edi-
 tion of his work, Die Neue Gesang- schule."
 It was on May "A, last year, that MT. Mason received a. complimentary testi- monal in the exhibition hall of the Eng lish High school. With the exception of the testimonial given to Dr. Smith it was the most notable event of the kind which had taken place in Boston in several years The dozen speakers who were present to pay their tribute of respect to MT. Mason were representatives of the various stages of his musical life, and their presence together on the platform was a remarkable testimony to the far reaching influence of his work.