The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-22


 TTNHE average American is as yet
 strangely oblivious of the full
 | measure of benefit derivable from a thorough musical training. The popular conception of such training may be de- fined as the ability to sing well or to per- form efficiently upon an instrument. Few outside of those who have themselves uh- dergone some decree of musical cultlVa- tion seem in any manner conscious of the need for further studies, for familiarity with the history of the art, for knowl- edge of such quasi-scientific matters as the principles of rhythm, harmony. coun- terpoint form; or of the fact that, fail- ing such knowledge, the quality or true musicianship cannot exist. Moreover, it Is strange more than strange. that the value of these topics as q source or men, tai training is not more extensively rec- ognized than is actually the case.
 In spite of all the talk of the better ment and increasing vogue of musical courses in our universities. the popularity of such courses as compared with those in the mathematical. chemical, physical and literary subjects is almost pitifully small. For some inexplicable reason the vast majority of students cannot bring themselves to look upon the study of music as a thing to be taken in the same serious manner as, for instance, that or geometry, calculus, physics. chemistry. 1t may be argued, of course, that the num- her of prospective composers is small as contrasted with the mass of those who
 far prnfpSSipnS In which the sciences just mentioned play an essential part. And yet it is possible to oppose this with the statement that even those who have no intention whatso- ever of ultimately following these pro- fessions never hesitate for moment in exalting such sciences as physics or chem istry far above those of harmony or coun- terpoint. The college curriculum, repre- sentative of the opinion of the faculty, does the same.
 The great American student body cannot reconcile itself to looking upon the study of music with the seriousness accorded other clements of culture. He who enrolls in a musical course generally feels 1t in cumbent upon himself to offer some sort of apologetlc explanation of his action. Seven times out of 10 he is studying music, not for any love of the art Uor there are not few who, strange to say, regard such love as q singularly un- manly affection), but because the course is reputed easy and productive of few valued points to be secured with a minimum expenditure of time and mental effort Occasionally, however, the un- wary student may be unwise enough to embark upon study of harmony, sub Timely confident that the intellectual labor involved is purely nominal. His rude awakening follows quickly and unpleas- antly.
 To those who choose to inquire why such studies as geometry. trigonometry. chem- istry, physics, psychology and some others of the kind are made compulsory the an swer Is usually given that they are un- excelled agencies for mental training; that they teach the student to think logically. directly, that they sharpen his analytical perceptions, and that it is not so muc, the actual subject matter as 1t is this thought directing quality that constitutes their main value to those who have no practical need of them in later life. Such being the case, it is strange that the sciences of harmony, counterpoiht' instrumentation have not yet taken their place in the estimation of college profess ors alongside of geometry or physics-ai- though for this the picturesque musical ignorance of the average American col lere professor is probably to large ex- tent blameworthy.
 Essentially mathematical in their funda- mental nature the artistic sciences of har- mony and counterpoint require degree of intellectual concentration and course of thought as logically and carefully di- rected as that necessitated for the solution of a geometrical problem. Their laws are not inflexible and immutable from year to year. of course, but the comparative slight degrees of change do not affect the 1 validity of the principle involved. What ever may be the notifications of detai | eptaiied by the alterations of taste in sue i ceedng generations the basis of it all is rigidly mathematical, uncompromisingly logical in the last analysis. The process of dealing vita such matters as chord , formations. progressions. moduIations