The Detroit times., 1910-12-19
Music Teachers Association
BY FREDERIC ! H4SKIN

national pride was stimulated that so
| great "A composition should have been
an American product. Since then Nc
Dowell associations have sprung up all
over the country. His music Is studied
| and appreciated despite the fact that
for twenty years OF his life he realized
less than three hundred dollars for
his compositions, which now have
WORLDWIDE recognition as musical
classics. No publisher was willing 70
produce Lamia unless Mcdowell him
| self advanced the frat costs.
During the past year there have
been numberless prizes offered I'm var.
ious parts OF the country for compo-
sitlons by American authors. Twenty
nve opera manuscripts were sent in
TO the metropolitan opera house OF
New York last October In competition
for the thousanddollar prize offered
10 the writer OF the best American
opera. The announcement of the win
ner Will be made early in the New
Year and musical America is eagerly
awaiting the verdict. The General
Federation of Women's clubs, several
OF the states and a large number oil
other agencies have. during the past
year. offered liberal prizes for Amer.
lean musical compositions of various
kinds.
The recognition OF the artistic value
OF American music is being increas-
ingly noticed among foreign artists
At the October concert in Carnegie
Hall, Pittsburg, by Jeanne Joneliis,
the Dutch soprano, American produc-
tions, as sung by her, were received
with 1pIlch apth.Ciaop, nn.. nf th..
finest prima doanas of the operate
stage discovered cnly a few weeks ago
that America has better facilities for
teaching music today than Europe.
A movement is now on foot to have
grand opera in America produced In
the English language. II is asserted
that no European country would sup
| port an American opera company who
gave music only in the Eng
| lish language. and that by the
same token We ought not be con.
| PEELED to listen TO opera entirely in
alien tongues. Aside from this, many
musical students admit that too often
the foreign language covers lad work
on the part or the singer and that er-
rors. which would readily be detected
II the opera were rendered in English,
| pass unrecognized when the language
is not understood.
Ii is little discouraging to those
having this matter at heart to be con-
! fronted with the statement that some
| OF the popular opera companies that
have given productions OF grand opera
In English have resorted during tho
past year to moving pictures during
| their performance. This may have It's
hopeful side, however, In that the
! popular opera company is at least
| playing an important part In educating
the masses by familiarizing them with
! the musical airs OF the clasic operas.
Another evidence OF the growing in
! terest in music in America is the
, increase in the annual expenditures
| for free band concerts all over the
country. New York spent $1,000 for
this purpose during the year, and Chi
! cago followed closely In line. while
almost every city Ill America now
recognizes an appropriation for free
| concerts as legitimate part OF mu-
nicipal expenses.
Musicians generally agree that tho
public taste in music has decidedly
/ improved in the past decade. Even
THE current popular music indicates
this. Coon songs are no longer the
best sellers and trashy common verse
/ does not appeal to the great majority
OF Americans. Even sentimental love
/ songs. which include the bulk OF the
new popular music, are OF a much
higher literary and musical standard
than those of ten years ago and the
tendency Is toward still finer quality.