The Washington times., 1904-03-20
Study of Music in America
Project OF Making Music High
School Study.

School STUDY,
The dearth of good music AID musi-
cal talent in this country has been
fruitful source CT speculation for 10!
these many years, and nobody has eN-
actly formulated an adequate theory
to account for such q state of things
Some people dismiss the subject with
the sUpeEeiHous remark that we axe
too business-lize a people to be arts
tic; but the Germans are quite as
busincss-liko as we. and have not had
all tie music taken ont Of them, not
by amy means. Others lay the de-
tic.cncy-to the fact that our country
people are hard workers, but some
of the most beautiful fo!k-songs OF
the world havc been evolved among
peasautry who worked harder than
most American 1armers do. Again.
it is said that we have not the artistic
temperament, but we seem TO have al
the different kinds of temperament
there are i'm the world. and the arts
tie should BE among them Others,
again, aveg that American chiIdreN
ara not well instructed in music. and
81 is suggested that music ought 10 De
made q high school study. as singing
is already taught in the lower grades.
Some people say the Puritaps are re-
sponsible, bat inasm1ch as the South.
which was never Puritan, ard the
West, which has never been much al
fected by that influence, have devei-
oped no more musical eeniuses than
New England, in proportion 10 popu-
laiion. that theory seems a little lame.
The probabilities are that al these
causes and some others have had
something tc 10 with Jhe case. one
difference between the life of the az
eraee American and that Of the in-
habitant Of some ether countries Is
that the American is less tranquil, and
has a greater variety Of interests.
Instead of finding IN music a Constant
soiace for dali or lonely hours, an arr
to be studied in all spare minutes. Le
IS likely 10 regard il as a diversion
among other diversions. He is striv-
ing for things which, in other coun-
tries. would be out of his reach. Hence
he does not spend long patient hours
ON music, ON wood carving, or On
other semi-artistic recreations. No
artificial scheme can do away with this
difficulty ia the way Of musica!
progress.
It is possible that another circum-
stance, which has been hitherto over
looked by theorists ON the subject, IS
ccntributory to our lack of popular
music and folksongs. This is the case
with which pianos and organs can be
had, and the tendency TO regard these
as the only instruments Of muse
available for the student. The fact Is
that The piano, with lis abundant OPP
poItunity for the exercise of tech
nique, the great variety of compos.-
tons suited to It, and its multiplicity
of strings, Offers rather a premium on
mediocIity. The Indifferent player,
or the player without feeling. can dis
guise his deficiencies from himself
good deal better in playing on q piano
than be could if a banjo, a violin. OF
La flute were the only instrument at
hand. The countries in which folk
music has been most highly developed
are those in which, ihe peasants have
had only simple instruments, and TIE
old pianos ola which Beethoven and
Mozart played were simple affairs. y
melody sung. OF played on the harp,
is Immediately found good, bad. or
Indifferent, by even the unframed
listener: played by a piano or orches-
ira glazing imperfeciiona may pass
unnoticed by the average audience.
Mediocre performances of this kind
have done much to dcbase the musical
taste of the country