The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-23
AMERICAN METHOD BEST
Going to Europe for Music Is Pro


nOunced Useless.
Mrs. Hays in an article on the super
iority Of the American method OF teach
ing music says:
American genius has outrivaled the
European in many feldsof Intellectual re-
search. In the branch Of electricity, in
mechanical engineering. in inventive gen
ius the American stands pre-eminent in
the world today. The money centers Of
the world has gradually shifted west
ward and New York now holds this proud
position in the commercial world. What
is true in the above fields of activity is
also true in the musical world. There
was a time, some years ago, when it was
necessary for an American 10 go abroad
70 study art, much as the Greciaus went
TO Egypt, the Romans 10 Anthems etc,
with the quick PERCEPTION OF the Ameri-
cans that which was good Of the Euro
pean methods Of music teaching, was
rapidly absorbed and utilized, the rest
being discarded as useless. The Old
Plaidy system Of technique used from
about the time of Mendelssohn to the
present day IS stII in use IN the Leipsic
and other old conservatories of Europe.
This method was discarded by the
American thoughtfur students thirty
years ago, as being too slow for the
highly sensitive American musical tenn
permanent. William Mason. the wei
known New York musician. who studied
with List. remarked twenty years tgo
TO his friend. W s 3. 1.athews. pub
Usher of Music magazine: The only use
of going 10 Europe 10 study music is to
find how perfectly useless it is TO go.
European methods of teaching are
still initiative ana imperical, while Amer
lean methods are scientific and educa-
tional.. The intelligent and thoughtful
student requires reasons other than those
Of empericism for the man intricaciun Of
his art anr these reasons are only TO be
found In a knowledge OF the sciences di-
rectly concerned in music teaching. /
refer TO the sciences of psychology
acoustics, physiology and even anatomy.
To AR. II. a. KeIso, Jr., director Of the
kelso School of Music and Dramatic Art,
Chicago. are we indebted TO the first
formation of a truly educational method
IL piano teaching, based from beginning
to end upon scientific principles. Besides
thorough knowledge Of music, this meth
DA involves a hloNleuBe or lS9 EIlDtuEy
that the teachers may know how 20 dag
nose the case presented in each pupil, how
TO memorize. what movements are nat
ural as distinguished from mannerisms,
the process of habit formations, how 10
cultivate the emotions. the viii, and diff
erent types Of decision; a knowledge Of
physiology that ne ma know the causes
which operate al velocity playing how TO
avoid weeping sinews, musicians cramp
and paralysis. and how to husband and
control the potent force termed nervous
energy; a knowledge of acoustics that he
may know how TO manage the pedals and
the material-sound with which he has TO
deal. A study Of these subject raises
the teaching of music to the scientific
level of other branches of education.
1T viii be readily seen ny an unprejud-
diced investigation that the most advanc-
ed modern American method Of music
teaching is far in advance Of the old
conservative European schools, and also
that it is better adapted to the highly
sensitive American musical temperament
and enquiring studious mind that the i'm
itauve and out of Gaze methods of
European schools. "ABBIE HAYS"