The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-02-03
MUSIC IN GREEK EDUCATION.


the body, and music for the
soul.
Even in the earliest times,
before this real differentiation
in education may be said to
have taken place, before any
amount of attention was given
to intellectual education, mu-
sic was used. In Spartan life,
it appealed to the feelings and
it's purposes was to awaken
military emotions. Various
kinds of poetry were included
under the term music, and the
subjects of these verses we're
always such as should instill
patriotism and enthusiasm in
mems minds. But as Spartan
education was essentially a
martial education, the musical
side never came to have as
broad a scope,or as great prom
inence as in Athenian life.
Among the Athenians, at first,
music was merely an exercise
for strengthening and develop
ing the soul, as gymnastics did
the body. Both were for prep
aration for practical life. When
intellectual education began to
be provided for the study of
letters was taken up, and those
known as musicians or rhap-
sodes were regarded as public
teachers, and music, including
literature, was taught for the
purpose of not educating the
the soul merely, but especially
the philosophic part of the
soul.
Somewhat earlier than this
stage, in the time of Scion
there were the two schools
music school and it's master
the lutte player, and the palaces
ira. Between these the Athei-
ian youth spent his entire day
At the end of his seventh
year he entered these schools
At the music school, the work
for the day began with invoca
ton to the Muses. and to Apol
10, whose statues were in the
room. Then began their men
tai gymnastics of singing,play.
ing on the lutte, and reading
and writing. The songs they
used were, first, religious, as
expressive as possible; then
war songs full of spirit, intend
ed to educate in patriotic and
ethical way, as we'll as musical
After singing, the boys were
taught to play on the lutte OF
Tyre. The Tyre was originally
made by stretching strings
across the inside of Il tortoise
shell. This was the most prim
tive form. The cithara was
more elaborate, with souno
box, giving greater resonance
The Greeks used other kinds
of instruments, but these were
the ones used in the sChoOl,an
every Greek youth was taught
to play on them. They learned
to play the airs they sung. AZ
ter this exercise, came instruc
ton in letters, writing on wa,
covered tablets, and their read
ing. They were given the ele
ments of prosody, in being
taught to read with expression
This was progress towards
good end.
The Greeks realized and be
lieved very strongly in the ed
ucational value of true poetry
From reciting and singing
these works the youth imbibec
the very essence of their ma
tional life.
The ethical influence of this
part of education was very
great. Works which presented
the religious and social princi
pies of the life of the people il
an artistic form, furnished the
youth with high ideals of life
They acquired the power O.
poetic conception and expires
sion.
In their study of reading
only the best was used, ane
good teachers probably gave
from these, instruction II
ethics, in history, geography
etc. An instance of the latte,
was the teaching of geography
from the catalog of the ship:
in the Had.
With the rise of philosophy
and the coming ofthe Sophist:
there were changes in every
thing, individualistic ideas
spread, and there was a like
change in education and il
music. The Sophists took place