The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-03
mUsrc rHAr EpuoATFs.


Between the soul Of a boy and the
soul Of a good song there is a response.
Continue and extend the practice Of
singing in the public schools and you
do your city as well as your county.
state and nation a good service" Those
were the words which contained the gist
OF a lecture delivered at the high school
a few days ago by william B. Tomlins.
not only musical master, but man
possessing sufficient ripeness of exper-
fence to warrant his making the asser-
tions above credited to him.
With a little reflection it is not diff
cult to see that what he says is a great
truth, IN relation to the power which
music exerts over peoples lives. There
must be a response from the human
soul when a great production Is heard,
and although the impression may seem
to fade and entirely disappear, such is
not the case.
Music is simply the means which the
great artists employed in giving express
sion to their natures and it follows cas-
lily that when any person is brought in
touch with their modes of soul-speaking
he becomes benefited by the same.
It is perhaps as true as Prof. Tomlins
said that nothing else but music that is
of harmonic expression. That isl too
deep a branch of the subject for a lay
man to discuss, but he and others may
understand. He spoke of much of the
'tommy-rot" that is going around in
musical circles today that people sup
pose to be real music, when it is not.
And in this connection to whatever he
may have referred by that word it
should be said that musicians can inn
mensely improve the standing of that
art by eliminating a lot of the "flub''
which is sandwiched in as a part of too
many entertainments. It may be all
right for the few who have a liking for
such-who can grasp the golden thread
through a tangled maze of what seems
to the less cultivated ear collation. of
outlandish sounds, but when otherwise
intended it ever misses its mark.
What the whole country needs is the
revival Of more patriotic music every
where Let the children sing the songs
that all can understand and that have a
simple plain story Of something inspir-
ing, and likewise have the bands play
the national airs from one end of the
catalogue to the other. And after they
have finished the expression of those
patriots of other times and lands can
be brought in and presented prohtably.
They contain an uplift that is
noble, telling something of devotion and
patriotism that will always leave their
better impress upon the hearer.
The summer is at hand; the season Of
the weekly open air concert. In many Of
the county seat towns of Kansas the
people win turn out during the balmy
evenings to hear the best music that
their band can give them And if it only
be in the way that has been suggested
here it will be the best possible. There
is altogether too much ignorance of the
tunes which have inspired the soldiers
of this country when they were going
into battle, and soothed them into the
nobler dreams Of the best after the war
is over. People may think it is time
wasted in giving to the cultivation OF
such music in the youth of the country.
but it win be reaped in harvest SO rich
| that no one can fOretell what it viii be.
In those towns where concerts never
have been held it would be an excellent
plan to have them instituted this year.
It may seem to have but little direct re-
suit. but in the future it will come back
to a community or commonwealth in
ways that few will read but which none
the less is a power for good.