The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-18
ideas for UWuanea

opponents of kindergarten work in Thu
country, in an address the other day OF
Tho Use of Music in Child Culture
said
"As to what the musical education O.
a child shall be we have had no norma
standard. So far we seem to vibratt
between the extremes of too much OF
none at all. We say children have talenl
or no talent. We either start a child IL
his musical training with @ distinct view
of making an artist Of him or we ignore
hin altogether. We have had no middle
ground which considered music as a par
of his general education and normal de
%velopment rather than as an art to BIZ
specially cultivated. This we show in !
lack of discrimination in the choice OF
music. which we would not tolerate ir
pictures and Stories for our children.
rs there not a healthful middle
ground that we can take in which weak
limitations and merely pretty songs ano
sensational melodies and jingles can
make way for those which have bone and
fiber, character and purpose? An expert
ment was made in a vacation school this
summer with children wholly unused to
good music, music tina says something
n has q basis for saying it. After sing
ing music of this class for some time
the children lost all interest in the jingles
and sensational airs which they had pre-
ferred before, because they liked the
story songs so much better.
*@
.HThese songs were largely on the folk
song order, containing hea,thful, whole
some thought suggestion on the basis of
sorne real thing, tradition, or past ex-
perience, and related to some real doings
in their lives. We tried as far as possible
to carry out the old traditional thought
of song as part of life, which wholly
succeeded, though given to children of
out latter day American civilization
where o and work have long since
parted company. Now it was a nature
sorry told in a simple direct way and
made interesting through interpretive
Rhythmic of naelodic treatment. Often
there was q song of occupation empha-
sizing some special activity and again a
good rousing noise for the boys where the
little savage might have full play in lusty
voice and strong accent.
"a vesper faynn which inspired a
strong religious sentiment so worked out
the art thought that when we had finish
ed one Of the children pointed to a print
of Millet's .Angelus' which hung on the
wall n said:-"There it is" So great
was the transformation of rudeness and
crudeness through this thought suggest
ing process of the music work that a
class of the most unruly boys begged
every day for Reinecke's delightful fairy
9Tr~..E 49, Vr-I:A- -.
the Glen attuning their rough voices
to sweetest quality. in order to meet the
aesthetic demand of the Interpretation.
For impression, the child must know
and feel beauty long before he can voice
or express it. Silent and dim in the
baby's mind lies the little seed of appre-
citation in fold upon fold of fancy's deli
cate tissue. Shall we rudely and crude
" and wfongfully shock it into con-
~scious2ess on the lower plane of emo
tionaI lie, which will result most GER
tasEiy in the intimate lower moral tone
Of The individual? The use of light and
lrisht-noE bad, bat trivial-music, such
rs the marches used generally in the
Kindergarten at present, suggests thoughts
for reflection. Through the ear we can
play upon a ehiId's whole inner self and
can make or ma much that stands for
his finer power.
in our endeavor to simplify and meet
the child's limited capacitynof expression
We need not feed him with characteristic
inan;ties or nilk-and-water sentimental
varieties. The fact that music is saying
something soon become obvious to the
youngest child without calling his atten-
ton 10 the fact. Let the music speak for
itself. Sing wen, play well, and plan
definitely for him. Be.sure that you are
lestiEg it speak, and. if your music is
good and has reason for being, he will
get its message.
Only the young really nave fun; only
the young, and persons of whatever age
who have managed to keep youth alive
in them, says afIarper's Weekly Older
persons nave pleasures and satisfactions.
Successes please them. They like to win;
they like to accomplish their ends, and to
make them meet, too, and if possible
overlap. They like society and conversa-
ton. clothes, books, horses and various
qualifications of taste. They are capa-
bie u IiluthS q SOOu uedi OIL SaIlSIdc-
ton in Christmas gifts, not only because
they love the givers, but because the
things given please them. 1t is not al
together a waste of effort to give presents
to adult persons. 1t pleases them after
a fashion. If you nave enough gifts to
go around, let the srown-up have their
share. Be kind to them. To become
grown-up is the common lot. Scarcely
any n evades it satisfactorily. 1t has
happened to you, or, if not. it will pres
entity, and for your own protection and
in your own interest you Should see that
grewn-ups have due consideration shown
them. Feed them pretty well on Christ
mas Day. They like TO be well fed; you
may have noticed that If they have
been l~hard-worked, make it holiday for
them, inc induce them to go out and
walk about and prattle to one another.
But don't let them play too hard. That
is enc of the weaknesses of the contem-
Dorary growr-ups. 1t is the fashion-a
new fashion-for them TO play every
chance they get, and they are very apt
to overdue it. # your grown-ups play
goif. persuade them that eighteen holes
arc plenty enough for Christmas Day; if
they go out on Bicycles. insist that ten
miles and back is far enough. A grown
Giscrectly managed is capable Of alb
sorb.Ig a good deal OF Christmas warmth,