The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-08-31

| expected to do the same as an adult in | reading music and watching the con- 1 ductor at the same time Time names may answer the demands of those who seek after new devices and have for gotten the good old way by which they themselves were taught to measure time. l must insist that with pupils in the act of reading music any device which does not permit pupils for them selves to estimate the length of notes and rests by self-made counts or beats, and which does not indicate each sep arate beat by a different count or mo- ton for each note or rest, cannot possl- bly, meet all the conditions.
 1 have said much in this paper in opposition to rote music; be it under stood, however, that these strictures apply only to that theory of instruction which estimates progress in music by the number of songs committed. NO one questions the power of song to str young blood. It is ofttimes more po- tent than speech to convey needed les sons in loyalty, reverence, obedience, filial affection, love of the beautiful and other virtues, which if withheld from children of tender years until they can actually read the music they sing might never be learned. But if these lessons are to be taught through the happy me diunl of song, let not the hours thus oc- cupied be charged up to education in the all important science of reading music. It may be the privilege, but it is not the province of music or the mu- sic teacher to make use of his art for this purpose or for the purpose or en- livening the dullness of other recita- tions.
 In music, as in everything else, the foundation must be laid before the su- perstructure is built l have had occa- sion to notice that those who are most active in excluding musical notation from primary grades, are also the most strenuous in introducing the clements of other studies in those grades, It has been demonstrated over and over again that the elements of music, if properly presented, can be more successfully taught in primary grades than in any other branch of study. It must be an old experience with you, as it IS with me that children of tender years learn to read notes before they read other wise. Like myself, you can bear wit ness to the enthusiasm and unbound ed pleasure of little children, when they find themselves for the first time, actually reading their little exercises.
 In this grand country of ours, where loyalty to the flag counts for so much, it is our duty, not only as teachers, but | as American citizens, to use our vast opportunities in promoting reverence | for that glorious symbol of our great ness. In<the practice of national songs
 we can do more to inculcate love or country, than any and all other agen- cies put together. and so without abat- ing one jot or title of my previous argu- ment, l would advocate the practice Of national songs, whether by rote or note, in every grade from primary to high school.
 It remains to be said, however, that the results of rote practice, even with the most popular songs, are not always in equal ratio with the labor and ener- | gy expended in their preparation Judging by displays of childish enthu- siasm we have often been led to be- lieve that the sentiment of song was thoroughly understood and appreciated ! and yet, we have been suddenly unde- ceived in the discovery of some word or words interpolated by the children which have been entirely irrelevant and sometimes absurd
 The most astounding article that have ever read in this connection is contained in the July number of Me- Clures Magazine. If you have not read the article referred to. 1t will pay you to look it up.
 It is coming to be understood that the teaching of music in the public schools is a profession in itself. It is no dis paragement to say that not all good musicians make .good teachers. The ability to teach and the ability to in terpret music rarely inhere in the same person; in fact, 1t is somewhat dan- gerous to possess both qualifications. In a few instances which have come under my observation, the artist has captured | the teacher and ignomlnious failure in | the school room has been the result. In addition to a thorough musical educa- tion the public school music teacher l should have some of the qualities of a general in knowing how to organize; in the exercise of patience, he should be | a veritabe Job; he should possess Su- | preme tact in management; he should | know how to put away discontinue and conceal disgust; he should be able | to inspire his class with enthusiasm; he should be fertile in devices for se- curing and holding the attention of the 1 children; he should have no vinegar in | his composition, on the contrary, he | should be the embodiment of cheerful | ness and should never show signs of weariness; he should not worry over the fact that the press and the public | quite often fail to appreciate the hum | drum work of the school room, while | they are so quick to applaud finished performance of musicffi most important | of all, he should have a cuticle tough enough to withstand any amount of public castigation.
 I can best illustrate my meaning by speaking of my own work. At the end of each school year I prepare a series of test exercises. both in sight singing and distation. The classes are mark ed excellent, good, fair and poor accord Ing to their proficiency, for instance, the results in the gramma schools of New Haven, for the year ending June 3O 190O are as follows: Number of rooms marked E, 146; marked G, 90; marked F, 57; marked P '; average in distation, 2747. Number of star sing CTS (pupils who have sung perfectly at