El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-06-10
Singing in the Public Schools.

The public school system, tc whic
we are indebted for SO much that
invaluable in the cultivation of person
al graces, is also responsible for som
grievous Injuries. Chief among thes
may be recsonei the damage done t
young voices in the common practlc
of singing in concert, " which consul
tutes regular fe ature of the daily eX
erci- eS in almost every school in tn
country.
Every one who has himself been
pupil of the public schools or who ha
sited the public schools as it exist
today carries in memory distinct anc
not altogether delightful recollection
of this vOca exercise as it is aimos
invariably cOnuuc ed. Perfect time
conscientious tide ity 10 the words O
each verse and line and a treme ndou:
vigor ar almost always insisted upon
Really tuueful notes, melody a proper
use of the lungs and vocal organs, the
development of clear, fute-like notes,
are matters which Usually do not
enter within the teachers ken, and
are, therefore, mentioned, Sing up
loud" is the almost .invariable injunc.
| ton.
Nothing but cold, which for the
time incapacitates the child, or, in
some cases, absolute lack of any COM
preher sion of time or tune, are regard
ed as sufficient excuse to exempt pu-
pill from active participation in this
vocal parade 1t i. considered breach
of good manners to halt or hold back
from this shrill chorus, or, worse still,
a breach of discipline. The songs com
monty sung 10 the schoOlroom are alb
surdly inadap ed to young voices, ard
embrace the most unnatural stretches
of compass, difficult infections and
trill-, notes that demand the entire
power of finely developed mature
voice 10 properly sustain and hold
Yet the children who run in with
breath exhausted in play or by long
and hurried wal from the home to the
school are called upon to lift up their
voices in song. If there happens TO be
really fine and prom sing young voice
among the pupils of any grade its own
er is fatterei and cajoled into constant
ly placing it at the service of the school
leading the grand chorus of eager, I'M
melodious little squallers, triumphant
ly reaching to high note that the
others cannot attain, singing solos on
Fridays Or at open entertainments,
ing and abusing it on every possible
CccasiOn, until in after yea S it becomes
a matter of surprised comment that
bright little Miss NJ, who had such
prom sing voice as child, can now
either not sing a note or has one of the
most disagreea BILE ard discordant of
voice! The pubic schools are respon
sible for nine-tenths of the ruined
voices of the land.
Now any one who will take pan 10
inform himself about the training b.
which the great voices of the world
have been developed will scOver that
the same care and caution must be
exercised in the development of a
beautiful voice that is pecessary in
handling some rare and exquisite bit
of porcelain. Indeed, no pOtter's
wheel ever shaped anything so fragile
and sensitive as the delicate and
voice. When Adelina Patti was de-
veloping the marvellous voice which
has made her the idol of the world.
she was never permitted to raise her
voice above series of soft, humming
notes save upon the rare and greatly
deplored occasions when the he DIS of |
he family exchequer rendered it nee !
essary, to give the public a glimpse of
,he glorious young voice which was |
strength and sweetness with |
he years Again, there is period in |
bay's voice when it is undergoing the |
.hange that will in time deepen and |
strengthen it, when it is absolute des- |
,rnction to the vocal chords for the |
ad 10 sing at all All OF the famous
BOY choristers ard their teachers are
iwar of this, and a close espionage is /
ke p upon every young male singer to
letect tt first wsvering note which |
hall be the warning of the approach
# this period. This change is in
1t sometimes comes without
at the early age of twelve. 1t
8 often deferred until fifteen or even
sixteen; but when voice is priced and
preser wed, not a note is per-
nitted the singer even if the period of
ira nsition extends, as sometimes har-
pens, over period of half dozpn
,ears. Yet boys of this age, in Oeu
public schools, are constantly encour-
sged aud even commanded to sing with
he rest, to ''Sing up loud' in their
harsh, cracked voices, to the ire
7ocable ruin of all possibilities of
uture me Ody.
There is but one city in the union
where this matter of properly:guarding,
G and training youthful voices
las ever received the attention it de-
erves. Oddly enough, of all places
q the union, this is Oh ,cagO-Chicago,
he city OF pork pack ng, of grain
,am bling, of prOdigious display and
and rush and enterprise, but
he city which is pilling up magnif-
cent educational institutions with
superb endowments, which is leading
q arU anu architecture, WHICH gave us
he great Columbian Exposition and
which is taking the lead in the western
world in more way S than one. About
en years ago talent ted and cOnscienti-
JUS teacher of vocal music in that city,
hiding that almost every pupil that
zane to him from the public schools
vas affected with what he called a
'spraiued throat" usually already
ruined by ignorant aud il
ogical training, himself undertook, by
way of experiment, to see what he
'ould do with class of primary pupils
n a public school. He trained the
children daily, teaching them tol
breathe properly, to use their voices
correctly. but. rarely permitting them
o sing above a whisper or low, soft
o urmur. The result was marvellous.
instead OF the harsh, buzz-saw voice
to be the common heritage of
merican school children, it was dis
covered that a large majority of the
voung voices were sweet and full of
Melody, and not one or two, but sew
,ral, really beautiful voices were de-
yeloped in the course of the first years
So satisfactory was this new
method of training and so notable its
'esults that it became regularly incor-
Tod RI IF tho Chi snhno1