Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-12
MUSIC CHARMS
YOUTHFUL MINDS
GREATLYASSISTS IN SECURING
ATTENTION
Melody VitaIizes the Child and Paves
the Way for INTRODUCTION and AS
simiIation of Ideas Along
Other Lines

Other Lines
OF all the speakers who have adj
dressed the N. e. A none has won the
hearts of the audiences more COM
pletely than did Miss Estelle Carpen-
ter, supervisor of music in the pubic
schools of San Francisco. Miss Car
penter spoke yesterday morning before
the department of music education in
the First Congregational church on
The VitalIzing of the Child Through
Song" and in delightful informal
way illustrated her address with child
ish songs and drills and succeeded In
not only interesting her audience but
making them enthusiastic in her out
lined work.
The first paper of the session, writ
ten by Fannie Edgar Thomas of New
York city, was read by Mrs. Frances E,
Clark on the topic, Free Musical Edu-
cation Necessity for the Musical Art
of a Republic.
The paper was in part as follows:
The lecture was under three general
heads: l, weaknesses and evils of paid
musical education; 2, values and in
fluences of free musical education; 8,
music in the public schools not a de-
sideratum but a bridge between desir-
able and undesirable courses.
Following are some of the salient
points of the lecture:
why the United States found 1t
necessary to establish a free system
of general education. Suppose that all
our general instruction today were In
the hands of whoever chose to consti-
tute himself teacher and do as he
pleased without knowledge, training or
supervision, and dependent for the pay
ment OF rent, meat and milk bills upon
moneys derived from pupils. Some in
evitable reasons why people dependent
for a living upon moneys paid them by
pupils cannot possibly teach properly.
Disasters to students and to the music
life of the country outside of the teach
ing field as result of trade and specu-
lation' in musical education. How
paid private music teachers came to-
establish themselves, They not sol
much at fault is conditions;
Musical education must be subject
to logical pedagogic law as all other
educations, with classification of de-
paration by pupils, training of teach
ers, etc. Why a government must feel
the responsibility of correct and pure
art education. What our government
valuable besides actual instruction..
France does this; how it is managed;
some results in production and the
value to national art, to the art of the
Seeks Better instruction
as not the music as taught in our
public schools equivalent to this? No,
musical education is impossible to pub
lie schools by reason of the existence of
other studies, and the difference in gift
and life-object of the pupils. It can
or equipment of the artist for profess
sional life. This preparation and spec
ializing of our artists is left to chance,
haphazard and to foreigners. The
province as preparation. There is dan
ger of that now. They must bridge the
clumsy chasm at present existing be-
ling fields. And they must instruct
the public in the possibilities and
necessities of free musical education.
They are doing this now. The great
est credit and honor are due the lead
ers and workers in our public school
music, for devotion, energy, knowl
edge, intuition. courage and for mar
velous results. Also for the harmony,
disinterestedness and generosity to-
wards each other, in strong contrast to
the private paid contingent. Normal
training in music has been evolved in
the schools. Scientific education is
being followed there. They have fine
outlines, advanced standard, prospec-
tive uniformity, also hunger and thirst
for greater skill
sible to our government? Now? Why?
When? What? Arise, let us go hence;
the end is not yet"
Natrop Blumenfeld of Los Angeles rem
dered several fine violin selections which
were greeted with much applause.
Miss Carpenter then read very inter-
esting paper, after which she told of the
work in the music line accomplished in
! San Francisco following the earthquake
when music largely held the children to-
gether, doing. the work that the truant
officers failed in doing. Miss Carpenter
| told of her work in the school established
| for the refugee children in Golden Gate
park, and of the singing exercises in the
temporary school buildings, where there
were neither seats nor books, and of the
work that was accomplished at the grad
uatng exercises.
Mrs Clark supervisor of music Mil
waukee, Wis, opened the discussion of
Miss Carpenters paper, and in an able
pathetic Interpretation on the part of the
I teacher.
"To vitalize the child means first to
vitalize the teacher" said Mrs Clark.
"She should not stand off ten feet from
the nearest scholar veritable statue,
create enthusiasm from fifty little wrig-
glers who are thinking of something en-
tirely different.
Our children hear too little of the
really good music and too much of the
ragtime or comic operate selections.
CONTINUED applause)
I'VE should bring to the children the
good artists of the community in inter-
preting the music which they have
studied"
Mrs Clark outlined her plan of study
ing the music with the aid of the local
musicians in Interpreting the advanced
work.
Mr.. Foresman followed giving his plan
of vocal study I'm the school. which was
illustrated by Miss Elizabeth Warwick, a
former pupil.
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