Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-03-09
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
MUSIC AND ART IN
THE SCHOOL

Is music a fad or has II a mission? |
II the only mission OF the public
school is 10 teach children how TO
read, write and cipher then IT can
all be done In much less time and
the country can reduce its 400.00G
cachers 10 less than 100000 and
urn over three-fourths OF the hool
money to the politicians and the po-
leo partments. but II IL is exDe T.
dhat the schools can In eight
ara teach all children to read
lacntly and fealingly. 70 spell ali
Jrdo correctly. and perform all ex-
mples accurately. then / beg 10
ubmh that the expectation will
,or be realized Ia eight years or
eighteen years.
The masniiying Of the three RS
- the exclusion OF all else makes
schools that can hold children only
u means OF compulsory school
aw That statement Is an indict.
sHt Of any school system TIA. Gr.lsI
~ lie and spirit out Of many chilli.
zen instead OF putting life into them.
one mission Of public school music
3 TO wipe that word compulsory"
:. tns school laws. Children viii
.,.rn ten tunes as much IN nalf OF
uo school day II the other nall Is
,a4e bright ana CHEEKY, Appearing
.4u reiishing.
what Is the real vital mission OF
$50 public school?
- a. not 70 10 Tor the thildr, II as
.4Jlo what tney will lind, ali ia
... o5ns.Ictai through lie, no. s.mpy
business, not simply In tho earn
90 o. living. but IN the home auu
society in the using OF money
/. well as in the getLng OF It, Ia
IJoyins lie as wen as IN beng /
Die to lie, in getting genuine plea
are as well as In giving pleasure
others, and in keeping youths
nd adults from going wrong PHI 81
ally. intellectually and morally /
.ught not this to be the mission OF
40 public schools?
Music and art may be made to 10
laIy more than any other subject /
~ the disposition and for the char
stCr. If it may become a limit.ess |
,csslng in this way, is it not one of
~ most worth while Instruments of
ing the work which the public
aocls should do?
Thon too, music and art develop a
3gorentlal attitude that is very
,uch needed In our day. In the
resent skeptical state Of the public
md toward dogmatism and its a.
ost rayorential attitude toward the
bile school, It Is worth all the
Jachiug music costs, and much
sre. 70 breathe into the lite OF
4ldhood. through music and art a
or-u nee that need not be dogmatie
Id religious aspiration that ned
Jt DO sectarlan.
Again, music rightly taught is Capa'
L. OF causing as much mental de-
lopment as the mystic symbols o
sebra or tho planting Of attn
lots in brain soil II is not enough
lat the school should merely sing.
should know what Il sings, why
nd how. Music is an exact science
fathomless philosophy an exhaust
IS psychology and a brilliant art
10 ridiculous, therefore, to argue
nat &c has no eduoativo value
Il is almost a crime against child
God and childhoods opportunity to-
zach of the warriors and the tri-
mphs through courage and not to
ach of men like Handel and Hadyn
lendelssohn and Beethoven, Mozart
nd Wagner, the story OF whose liz
Is more fascinating than that of
,3uophon or Caesar. There is alb
olutcly no occasion for any one to
ny that we must be less accurate or
lpi1 Ia number work. must read
'ss iutolligently or write less dis
Hcuy In order to get time for pub
e school music to make us more de-
out. more patriotic, more inte'le,tu-
4 and more noble chan we could be
without It. when teachers and pa
rons have learned to appreciate this
cot as factthe cry Of lack of
Tine" will be heard no more.
Music is not a fad Il is an integ
al part OF education and will main
ain It's place In the public school
system