The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-03-10
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN
Paper Read Before the Teachers AssO-
citation at Boyce.
VALUE OF MUSIC FOR PRI-
MARY GRADES.
BY MISS EDNA BRIAN.

BY MISS EDNA BRIAN.
''The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet
sounds,
Is fit for treasons, s~trategems and spoils;
The motions of his spirits are as black as
night,
| And his affections dark as Erebus,
Let no such man be- trusted"
Music, the art par excellence, to
express, convey and excite feeling,
has always exerted a. powerful in
1uence over the minds and hearts
Of men. She is Queen among the
arts, for her realm is the human
heart, and her mission not only to
cheer the broken-hearted and COM.
fort the %sorrowiDg, but to touch
with a sweet consoling grace the
loosened chords in the hearts of
the hayward and sinful, and tune
them into perfect harmony with
God aud the right.
There is not a feeling Of which
the human heart is capable that
may not be intensified and
strengthened by music. Soldiers
are led into the very heat of battle
under the inspiring strains OF some
national air; mothers lull their lit.
tie ones to sleep with their low
sweet lullabier; broken hearted
Jenny Lind moved the world and
touched every heart that came
within sound of her voice; with
the sad, sweet wailing Of her blight
ed life. People called her happy;
she had the world at her feet; but
one had only to hear her sing to
know that her heart strings had
been rudely handled, and she ex.
pressed her soul most naturally i'll
song. Birds slug when they are
happy; and who has heard the mel
ancholy cooling of a dove without
feeling hat there was something
almost human in it's pleading tone
of pathose
Music, the divine art! Mother
Earth who cradles Us in all her
loving embrace, has her own must
Cal expression; ali nature speaks
to as i'll tones of sweetest music.
!; The ripping mountain river, the
i warbling of the birds, her children,
t the roaring of the oceans mig hty
, pillows, the swaying trees, the
angry roar of the thunder, are evil
/. dences that all nature is in harmo-
. ny with a musical soul. Did you
ever hear of a very happy place
: where there was no music? l, fol
one cannot be happy a week with
t out it. ltis as necessary to the ex,
%istence Of happiness and content
ment in my soul, as is bread to the
life Of my body. The idea o
q Heaven without music is absurd il
b the extreme. The singing of thu
angels, and the music of theil
t harps of gold are essential ideas il
our thoughts Of Heaven and al
t its glories.
J Music, that sweetesto fall words
next to mother, home and Heaven
g May not our children sing? /
" has a greater influence over theiI
little lives than the world dream
ed of. Children OF to-day as VIZ
meet them in the public school art
0 not very sanity little beings
It Many of them have not had TIT
best of home influences, nor TIT
9 best example of virtue at home
Why may we not sing morality
into their little souls Why no
" use this happy leans to attain {
true ends The mission Of must,
It in the school is to guide thelittl'
hearts to d feeling of reverence t.
God and love to humanity-th,
eud aud aim Of all true education
. Singing is a healthy mode TO
n developing the vocal chords ant
70 expanding the lungs. The speak
i. ing voice of a chila is often soften
; ed and made pleasant through tn,
constant use Of the vocal chord
y in song, when otherwise it nigh
e go through the world with a harsl
r. nasal twang unpleasant to the sen
siiive ear.
A great many nature lesson
may be taught i'll the little songs
IS We have our winter songs Of Jacl
Frost, Christmas carols, New Yea
a and festival days. The Sprin,
i. songs telling of the awakening 0
the birds and glad returns to life