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

! national pride was stimulated that 50
great 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 10
produce LAMA unless Mcdowell him
self advanced the first costs.
During the past year there have
been numberless prizes offered ia var.
ious parts OF the country for compo-
sitions by American authors. Twenty
five opera manuscripts were sent in
to the Metropolitan opera house or
Now York last October III competition
for the thousand-dollar prize offered
TO 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 or
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 Jonells,
the Dutch soprano. American produc.
tons, as sung by her. were received
with much enthusiasm. One of the
finest prima donnas of the operate
stage discovered only few weeks ago
that America has better facilities for
teaching music today than Europe.
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 tho
same token We ought not be con.
PEELED 10 listen TO opera entirely In
alien tongues. Aside from this, many
musical students admit that too often
the foreign language covers bad work
on the part Of the singer and that er-
rors, which would readily be detected
IL the opera were rendered In English,
pass unrecogniZed when the language
is not understood
IL is little discouraging TO those
having this matter at heart to be con-
tronted with the statement that some
OF the popular opera companies that
have given productions Of grand opera
In English have resorted during the
past year to moving pictures during
their performance. This may have its
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 CLASSIC 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 100000 for
this purpose during the year. and Chi.
cago followed closely In line, while
almost every city in America now
recognizes an appropriation for free
concerts as q 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 much
higher literary and musical standard
than those Of ten years ago and the
tendency Is toward still finer quality.