The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-08
MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS.


nils useful recreations'from other studies,
would certainly be great advantage
over the present method, and besides the
instruction would become general. 1t
seems to me every music teacher would
be delighted with the prospect OF being
relieved of this tiresonie part of their pro-
fession, ard our public schools immensely
popularized.
The study of vocal and instrumental
music is just the same so far as the
theory is concerned and differs only in
practice.
Teachers of instrumental music do not
as rule teach vocal music, and seldom
give any information that will aid the
pupil in reading and singing tho SIM
plest music apart from the instrument
This.is true because in the one. case the
instrument upon which the music is to
be produced is complete within itself and
independent of the performer, while in
the other the instrument-the vocal or
gans--by q certain prescribed method of
training must be peIformd within the
performer by the operation of the mind
upon the vocal chords, the skill of the per-
former largely dependent upon the kind
of instruction in the cultivation of the
voice. The art of reading music so as to
perform correctly at sight with the I'M
aided voice doe S not belong to the llnpor-
tant study of voice culture, and teachers
thus engaged generally confine their in
struction TO that alone, taking for
granted such persons have mastered the
rudiments of music, can read at sight be-
fore making application for such iustruc-
tion.
BY the systems adopted in the public
schools where music is Il part of the reg
ular course particularly the methods used
in Boston and Philadelphia, the child
soon forms by constant study and prac-
tice of the diatonic anu chromatic scales
and their intervals a veritablc key. board of
the voice organs which can be manipu-
lated by the voice with equal ease and eX
actness as the keys of the piano, the fin
gers, making it an easy ma tier to read
music and sing correctly ordinary music
without having taken single lesson in
voice culture or upon a musical instru-
ment.
The ability to do this is possible to
every scholar enrolled upon our public
school register, provided they have
sound minds and are capable OF initiating
sounds, if an elementary course of music
can be maintained in our public school
system.
l have endeavored to show why these
much desired results are not usually ac-
comn1ished by the methods now in use
and it will suffice to add it is mainly be
cause Of the reasons already given,and in
the absence of suitable training the child
Will adopt for itself some way of learn
ing to sing, usually by initiating others,
which If persisted in will eventually de-
story all the independent musical thought
and action.
This is why so many singers are def.
cient il reading music and often embar-
raised when called upon to sing music
with which they are not familiar, and fur
nishes another reason why the study oil
music should begin with other studies
in the primary departments of ouI public
schools
will simply mention the single obj &c
tion that will no doubt he raised against
the introduction of n musical department
In our schools, and that is, can the city
afford il.
If we consider for moment the hun
dreds and eventually thousands of dollars
spent annually by the people of Roanoke
for sheet music, self instructors, books,
private Instructors and musical instru-
ments, we naturally conclude the city can
well afford such improvements in her
schools. The actual cost however, should
not he counted when we think % the
great and lasting benefits thus derived
by oul chilrdcn and the Improvement
that will he made in n few years in our
social relations and religious institutions.
In establishing an elementary depart
ment in music in orr public schools Il
higher grade. would he necessary the first