Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-28
MUSIC TEACHERS MEET.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

The thirty-third annual meeting Of the
Music Teachers National Association. now
IN session at Ann Arbor. Mich, has
called over 500 members gathered from
| forty states. The association this year
| is giving special consideration TO various
| means by which the standard of music IN
America may be more uniform and the
qualifications Of music teachers improved.
| The association believes this last object
can be secured only by legal certification
| Of music teachers throughout the whole
country. and efforts to bring this about
are being actively pushed. Already bills
have been presented to the legislatures of
| Michigan and California. while in other
states similar action is being considered.
| The bill before the Michigan legisla lure
| provides that no teacher shall be per-
mftted to teach music in any town or
| township who has not had at least five
years experience, or is in possession of
a certificate Of qualification signed by a
board OF musical examiners properly
qualified by that state. The California
| bill makes special provision for the regis
| tration Of teachers who have had three
years experience, and for the examina-
ton Of those who have been teaching
successfully for less time than that
Several Of the states are considering a
| law which will place the license for the
| music teacher basis similar to that
| OF the public school teacher. Under these
! conditions, examinations for music teach
erS certificates will be conducted under
the direction of the depa rtment of public
education by properly qualified persons ap
pointed for that purpose. The qualifica-
tons of this state board of musical exam
liners Is at present debated question.
Many music teachers rely upon diplo-
their credentials nf a When
| this is given by reputable musical insti-
tuttons. 1t is reliable But there are many
| so-called musical conservatives in the
I country, which issue SNOWY diplomas to
persons who have perhaps taken only a
few weeks lessons, enabling them to rem
der some effective composition with GER
| tain facility, but who are unacquainted
with the first principles Of real music
On the other hand, there are great
many excellent music teachers capable of
giving proper instruction Of advanced
grade, who cannot show any kind of a
| diploma from a musical school,
Another matter connected with the
status Of music in the United States is
the increased
Increased Attention ttention
Given to the Subject. snda - ' ne
the part of the universities and colleges.
Until within the past decade the depart
| ment OF music in most Of the American
colleges and universities had small i'm
portance IT, indeed. it existed at all.
Music had not been looked upon as a
science to be carefully studied, but rath-
er as an accomplishment which might
easily be dispensed with. Now. however,
this attitude is changing, and the music
students of the university are taken
quite as seriously as the students in any
| other department of work.
Woman students have long desired to
make music count as part of the work
toward a college degree, but in most
cases this privilege has been denied.
Prominent educators are now coming to
the point of acknowledging that if a
uniform standard OF musical attainment
could be agreed upon, there is no reason
why college girl should not be per-
mitted to substitute work in music for
advanced mathematics or some other
subject i'll which She takes no especial
interest. and that this concession would
not in any way lower the value of the
college degree.
Such an arrangement, however, cannot
be made until the higher insti utionS Of
music have agreed upon uniform stand
ard Of requirement. When a certain
amount of work is accepted as obli7
tory for each years study, and a pupil
in music is required to qualify in the
same manner as in mathematics, this
standard will be secured, and it is the
greatest object toward which the efforts
OF the music teachers Of America are
working
The musical development of America is
to large extent dependent upon the
women. The preponderance of women q.
music teachers is even greater than that
of school teachers. whereas the ratio of
music students among The school chill
dren in the United States is equivalent
to twelve girls to one boy. Consequently,
ton for musical standards is being in
sntutcd through the Womens organiza-
tons In Ohio a womans musical club
has lately formulated a schedule Of
musical work for school children from
the fourth to the eighth grade, which is
now receiving the favorable attention of
the Ohio Music Teachers Association 1t
will be suggestive of the standard Of
musical work desired by the music
teachers of that state. With this as a
foundation, the grades Of music through
the different schools can be SyStematiZed
to the end of The university course, which
gives the degree Of doctor of music.
* !.
The Music Teachers National Associa-
ton practically holds the same place in
the musical
Standing in Country dew elopment
of Music Association. that ths go Sonn Nr
tional Educational Association holds in
the development Of public education |
Many of the members of the National
Educational Association are also men, |
bers of the Music Teachers National AS |
ISOLATION, and they are securing the In |
fluence Of the larger organizations to- |
ward their movement for the uniformity |
of musical standards. just as the uni |
formity of the requirements Of the put |
lie school curriculum has been secured.
1t is considered important that there be |
a close cooperation between the school
worker and the music teacher. While |
vocal music is a recognized part of the |
public school curriculum. the instru- }
mental music teacher, though outside |
the school, needs to get closely in touch |
with all the school work of the child and |
to arrange the musical studies to har-
monte. In the development of vocal
music 1t is felt that there should also