The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-06-17
! MUSICAL CORNER! !
Conducted e. a. Violin Maker 4
by THOMPSON, and Teacher I,
The Time to Study Music.
CBy Frederick \. Villains. J

(bN ffedcflck y. W Hams
We sometimes hear parents say that
if their children did not have to study
so hard in school they would have them
study music. but after the finish of
school or during vacation they will have
them take up that study. This is
where the parents make II great mis-
take. The best time for children to
study music is during the years they
are attending school. If they wait I'M
til they are through school they are
too old to begin to study music. They
do not have the beginning and 90
through the same studies that children
have already studied and who of course
are much more advanced. Most child
rem who are studying music are attend
ing school also. and while we hear a
good deal of complaint about hard
studies at school. these children sue
coed very well in music. Every child
ought to be able to practice from one
to one and half hours daily and at
tend school work also; if Il child is not
strong enough to do this. | do not think
she is strong enough to attend school.
Such a child ought to have private in
struction and not be confined in Il school
room day after day.
Now in regard to the child~ studying
music i'll vacation time. In my eNpcr
fence as teacher of the pianofortc.
have never yet known of Il case where Il
child accomplished as good results
studying music in vacation time as she
did during the school term. When there
is school, there is less play. and when
there is no school it is all play. | have
often thought that if it was not for the
discipline pupils receive in the public
schools. what would we music teachers
do. When there is school the child ex-
poets To study. and if she is taking
music lessons, that study will receive
some attention every day for she knows
she only has II limited amount of time
each day to practice. In vacation it is
different she thinks she has all day to
that the work is put off and it may not
be done at all. Then in vacation there
are those picnics to attend and frequent
visits to uncles, aunts and cousins, also
company to entertain and all sorts of
things to interrupt their practice. The
teacher receives notes and messages
daily from pupils who cannot take
lesson that week but will try to come
next week, and the teacher wonders if
it pays to teach in vacation. | believe
that every teacher should take a vaca-
ton of few weeks during the summer.
This is necessary for both the teacher
and the pupil if the best of work must
be done during the coming season. But
how long should the vacation be in
order to be of benefit to the teacher as
well as the pupil. 1t seems to me that
a month ought to be long enough.
Some pupils stop taking music lessons
as soon as the school term ends in
June, and do not begin again until
school opens again in September-and
some even put off beginning their stud
les for a few weeks, until they get
started with their school work. Sup
pose all music students were to study
in this way, what would we music
teachers be doing all this time. Can
the average teacher afford to stop
teaching three or four months every
year, Of course his expenses go on
Just the same. Where would the aver
age business man be if he closed up his