The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-02-23
child Study Of Music

lords about music STUDY as
"a icy ch,ld life may be appreclet-
s'sssu sour readers. This Y = .,. gay
81. = great deal is expected 9. c.a a,s.,
nen rhev 20 to school, they give 1ne.
on ,Srnants in churches, they are
nter.a Aa - learn the domestic and
npe ss; arts while they are n
ns ~, and it is not uncommon 70 see
cnoOl ,; u faces as they trudge along,
eaV MN books, and on top OF IT All,
ny ~ ~ axpected to learn music, II
~ q, have shown any 'alsn1 - =
ghateyer. ~,
=. a.. = : family OF adults and child
&, when the pater families Is ap-
g, ,hed In regard to music education
v H. family, he. or the mother, Will
IS ~ sver to the tsnder mercies Of the
81. -, 4 teacher, child aged six or
ss,, and leave the grown daughter
ANN ,,sont any choice In the matter. The
s 's.,I adds one more burden to It's
.sady overflled life.
1srsw one little girl who was about
Jan years old, She took all the
v,,nary branches in school, went TO q
rs.iny rink twice week, dancing
s .sso, music, elocution, and, fancy
s .sS besides the Domestic Science
ma during the week. Her look OF
mature age was absolutely pitiful
80 re doubted whether or not by
~ lime she is able to do anything.
a n was given her merely because
NJ II, narents wanted to show her of,
= ihey were not willing to wait I'M
4 " her small physical life was ready
IS the burden. In addition to the
sSoye there was never an entertain
,ort At her church, or at our Music
srbool but what she was ready to be
4 Il and wanting to do more than
NJ mart. She was only one example
!, the oyerworked child Of today.
matter OF fact, music study
i. too dificult for the average child,
Tnless specifically given. Children
an 20 a certain distance in music,
thst il children OF six or seven, or
.y4n mn to eight years OF age, and
then there is necessary pause in
mar progress. They have grasped
N that their little brains, and their
MANAGEMENT in the grades at school
VIII allow.
Parents will become dissatisfied
Win their progress, and possibly COM
Main about it, the teacher is usually
blamed, and perhaps q change in
teachers is made, with, of course. no
better result. The child has simply
lad all It can take at its period Of
Development, 1t has learned really
quite dificuit pieces can even play
quite creditably, and the fond parents
are proud, and naturally want more,
Tor music is just like any other
science, II one does not progress and
constantly use it, there is bound to
BE- progression Not being able te
advance as 1t ought, the child natnr
ally tires Of the subject. and one more
Ii added to the list OF failures in
music, and the beautiful art is blam
ed, instead Of the ignorant way o.
applying it.
Furthermore, If the studies The
child learns at school we're admins
tered in the same way that music Is
devoid Of companionship, devoid O
vital interests, and at home under this
ever critical eye Of the parent, or ye'
more critical brothers and sister,
there would be correspondingly lesl
progress.
And, as in music more than any
thing else, absolute concentration i
necessary, for It's many mysteries t
be mastered, is it not almost un
reasonable to expect music lessor
at the home or even at the teacher
home, which is merely residence, t
be attended with results satisfactor,
either to the teacher or parent?
Again, the music lesson is given a
the most, only twice q week. and tina
usually after the hours of the da.
school, or early in the morning, wedg
ed in between other things, as az
cessory to the main existence, not I'm
portant, side issue merely. 1t is tn
most complex OF studies, it uses a
most every faculty at the very ou1
set, and II these have not been PROF
erly trained, 1t is a drawback from tn
very beginning, and yet 1t Is expect
ca that It be learned, mastered ever
With two hours a week by a smal
child, when the arithmetic, the LAM
uage lessons, and other things ar
drummed into them by faithft
teacher, every day, but one, and ais
every hour OF the day. Thus is trea
Cd the most difficult of studies, tina
which men and women with larg
comprehensive brains have worked o
al their lives and have not yet eve
begun to comprehend.
After the third grade in music,
child cannot accomplish very mucl
owing to the size OF the hand. Ate
mat grade, we must begin to intr,
uuce chords, octaves, and large reacl
es Of the hand, which are utterly in