The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-04-11

II q
conyenience which the people Of
fother countries enjoy How iona
twill this continue?
Music in Pubic schools.
AS. q result of the fistFuction IN
music given in the public schools Of
st. Louis, each graduate ii the high
schools Of that city Is familiar With
Ihtty grand opera choruses or selec.
tions from oratorios, IN addition to
a vide range Of less pFetentious
songs Of merit. This work, which ii
observed with interest by, ofieIals Of
the United States Bureau Of Educa.
ition has been carried on'in It's pres
lent form for i've years. an the
course Of this time a great chorus OF
1880 st. Louis school children, ac-
companied by the Damrosch symph,
opy Orchestra, sang with great sue
cess selections from classical COM
positions and music of the highest
character. Several orchestral
choral concerts have been given
Jointly with the st. Louis symphony
Orchestra, the vocal pTeces being al
lvided equally among the three
choruses Of about 400 children each:
Among the composers represented ID
the repertoire Of the st. Louis
school children are wagner, Omen
bacht Beethoven. MeGdeisso,hn, Gou:
nod, Verdi, Greig and Costa. ASsiit2
The supervisor or music instruc-
ton in sthe st. louis Sp1blic schools
sand: s''As early assthe seventh
grade children are given selections
from the easier arrangements Of
Eoratories and grand operas. and
from music Of like character, and
training in such choruses is contfn-
Iued through the high school: In
lthis way we inculcate a love and
understanding of classical music
with such good effect that among
the $4,000 school children, of st:
Louis there are few advanced pupils
who would not much rather sing
fine music than rag time. However,
we shall not be satisfied till the chill
dren are brought to the point where
they will understand and enjoy
symphony musics.a training in which
is very nearly the ultima Thule
of the music lovers education. at
the present rate of progress. the
children ought to reach this stage
of music culture in five years. I"
'"Any child can be taught to
sing" said E. L.. coburn, super
visor OF music, "'if the teacher. will
simply 3play.or sing the strain oftea
enough in company with him, That
| is the basic principle on which we
work-the child is started to sing
ling by singing to him, not by
making him learn the scale. In the
end, technique comes to him easily,
q 80 = . 4 ? .
talmost unconsciously, With the re-
suit that the new method OF teaching
singing by, singing actually develops
more sight-readers of music than did
the old methedFof teaching singing
tby practicing the scale"
THE work which isibeIng done In
music in the St. Louis schools may
be regarded as of wide importance. &
said James C.. Boykin, the editor Of
the United States Bureau of "Educa-
ton, "bySreasou OF the fact that It
Is a conspicuous example of the
truth that the potential musical
ability of the American people lis
practically as great5as is that of any
other nation, requiring nothing more
than training to bring, It out. The
absence of a general forward; move
tment In musical educatiopi among
the schools of this country. has been
a matter of concern to this bureau,
whlcht therefore welcomes all the
more cordially the excellent work
idone in the St. Louis schools. That
the arts directed to the ear make a
deeper emotional appeal than do
those directed solely to the eye can
hardly be questioned, and there lie
no disputing the conclusion that our
children must be trained to love
music, to crave it, and to produceit,
If they are to arrive at a fully
grounded maturity"
---- 49,
| M HAIgIEl.l