Smyrna times., 1898-07-27
MUSIC IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
An Effort Being Made to Introduce Music
as a Part of the Curriculum.


being made to add the study of vocal
music to the already well selected cur
riculum of our graded schools and
thereby make them second to none OF
the modern schools of our State. With
this idea in view a committee of the
Schools Directors has been appointed
to look into the matter and report at
the next meeting of the Board. This
committee is composed Mr.. l.. M.
Price, chairman, Mr.. John G. Stockly
and Prof. G. H. LeFevre.
Music installed in our schools will
fill long felt want for this important
part of this culture in this town. To
many this seems to meet with hear tier
approval than the adding of the higher
branches of learning. They see in the
study of music, more use to be derived |
from it than most any of the highest |
branches they can take up. Not only |
for the pleasure of the scholar who
may study it, but from the use he or
she may be to society in the years to
come. Our church choirs are suffering
to-day for want of new talent, and a
serious question confronts them to
known who will be able to take their
places when they step out. From this
point of view, music taught IN our pub
lie schools will be of inestimable value
to the society of our town. The back
bone of our church choirs, to-day, are
those who received early training IN
the old Academy, which stood in the
lot adjoining Bailey's lumberyard. 1t
was in that little brick school house
under the instruction of Prof. Groves
and Miss Sturgiss that many of our
present singers received their first IN
struction. They are all known to you:
Mrs. Elva Cummins, Mrs. Edith Cum
minis. Miss Lizzie Mcdowell, Miss
Laura Bell, Mrs. L. Irving Handy,
Mrs. John A. Hoffecker, Mrs. F. f.
Evans, Mrs. F. E. POstles, Mrs Helen
Oakley, Mrs. Kate Roberts, Messrs. w.
o. Hoffecker, L. M. Price, John A.
Hoffecker, Walter T. Massey, J. Ed.
Hoffecker, VIM. P. Dickson, Gamaliel
Garrison, and many others. Out of
that school our church choirs have
, been mainly made up, and why isn't
: this a good reason for the introducing
l of vocal music in our Public schools.
Surely it will not be time idly spent
' and yet out of it may come a blessing
1 to the town and society.
t The system, as recommended by the
= chairman of the Music Committee, is
the modern "Tonic Sol ia Method o.
k learning to sing and read music from
a the staff " This system is the bed
rock of the rudimentary principles o
: vocal music and is the plainest, safes
n and easiest acquired method in exist
ence, particularly with children, ant
in point of cost for books, charts, &c.
It the cheapest. 1t is desired by a mum
Der of the Board to have this system
:, introduced by the distinguished teach
er and master of this method, MI
is Richard Welton, of Connecticut, VIII
nuo SuCCCooANAlJ III Y
the west and south. He has held in
n portant church positions as Organis
and choir master i'll New York Cit
d. and Chicago.
:, This distinguished teacher was secul
k ed by the Dover Century Club to teac
sight singing, vocal culture, chori
d. singing. &C., and the Board of Educi
D. tion, finding Mr.. Welton to be a ma
q. of rare ability as teacher, and a rel
ed genius as a musician, lost no time
securing him to teach in the Publ
~ Schools there. The Board to-da
n. speaks in the highest terms of the mi
ma sical accomplishments of both teacher
and scholars acquired during the eigl
u weeks he was engaged to instru
is them.
n. 1t is reasonable to expect that a ma
:, who has the talent and has given til
~ greater part of his life to the study an
teaching of music, can accom- plish in
re- short time what may take others, wi
'al do not profess to be skilled in voc
II music, years to do. Hence it is vel
ter plain fact that the small tuition fee
$50. 90 necessary to secure Mr.. WeltC
a. for eight weeks, would be a saving
mn the town in the gain that would be {
asst fected to the teachers rather than bu
den them to teach the old way, incu
Ia, ring much labor and time in preparil
themselves to teach in a satifacto
ker manner. In addition to the above f
OF of $4,000, there would be the expen
Il, of books, which in this system won
cor % be cheaper than any other course, COZ
ing but 10 to 20 cents each accordi
for to the grade. It is believed that eve
'er child desiring to learn how to sing a
of read from the staff would be willing
of purchase his or her own book. I'll
=, would reduce the expenses to the mi
sne snn imum of about $500, including sol
her charts &c.
Die, The "Tonic Sol ia Method" is end,
sed by the highest authorities in Am
90 " lea, men of recognized ability as
rise S. Tomlins, of Chicago; W. s.
on Matthews, editor of music, Frederi
w. Root, Geo. F. Root and Col. FRI
his els W. Parker, the leading educator
Use. America. This system is taught at 1
Wis Drexel Institute, Philadelphia;
lrst Chautauqua, through the west, and
almost taught universally throughC
of the German and the English Pub
ley, Schools. It is considered the progr
%meT % sive musical course of the age
ny ot schools.
en- Our Board of Directors, as stated
The last weeks issue, is in good fnanc
IAN IAN condition and can afford to take Il
em- wise step. Who can measure the b'
ling eft which would be secured, not oil
=, to those passing through our schoC
11u.' but to the generation that will folio
ned The Board should not turn this m
ter aside. The citizens will welco
lila it gladly, and parents will be plea
'rge to see it become a permanent part
Ion the Public School Curriculum.
1of-
In Honor of Miss Fryer.