The Washington herald., 1915-10-15

Dear Aunt Chatty, one of our moth
ers wrote not long ago, won you please
tell me how to make my little girl prac-
tice as she ought? We are having her
take music lessons from a rather eXpen-
sive teacher, although my husband is not
a rich man. but the child is a real trial
about practicing. I almost have to stand
over her with stick to keep her at the
piano for an hour. 1 am so unhappy
about it, for the thing I wanted most of
all when l was young was to take music
lessons and il was never possible. Now
that my husband is willing to make sac
rifiCes so that We can give our. girl the
advantages l did not have, it is crime,
almost that she does not appreciate
them The child is just sulky about 1t
when | scold her and says she doesn't
like music. anyway. l cannot under
stand it and l wish you would tell me
what you think about it.
have a friend who is music teacher
and she has often spoken OF her troubles
with the children who are forced by
their mothers to take piano lessons when
they have not a scrap of talent for music.
She was telling me of one child, the
daughter of q friend of ours, who is one
of her pupils.
The poor youngster,'' she said, has
no more td.''ll lOl tA'S6iA q tA4N''> -
supposed to have; but the mother has;
in fact, the mother would have been a
real musician if her talent had been cul-
tiyated. but when she was young, her
over-indulGent mother made her do roth
ing she did not care to do. She hated
practicing. as every child does, ana so
the mother did not insist that very oo-
vious talent should be developed. Now
that she is grown she blames that moth
er severely for her neglect.
Does she think her little girl has in
herited her talent?' l asked.
apparently she does not recognize that
her child has no music in her" was the
rtlly she seems to believe that l can
give the youngster capacity, as we'll as
techniGue! But that child is terror.
In her hatred of her lessons she is cross
and il-tempered as cat-1 beg the cat
pardon" she added whimsically. glanclns
at my handsome Persian who rose with
dignity from his nap on the rug Just at
that point. Nearly every time the moth
er is called from the room that child slips
from the stool and creeps under the piano
and | simply cannot dislodSe her. We
wait until the mother returns and then
she pulls her out and sets her up on the
stool again with q shake. l really am
sorry for the child"
1t really Is not all due to the mothers
own disappointment, though. know that
mother we'll, and l happen to know that
she is one of a very large class OF people
who have an Idea every girl must te
taught to play the piano whether she hos
any attitude for music or not She be-
longs to the era Of the girl who mus
have Accomplishments" must play q
little must paint a little. must have
smattering of French. and know how tc
embroider, but is never taught any one
thing really we'll.
Happily those days are almost over
Most of the mothers know are studying
their children to discover theic real apti
tudes, and then making every effort tc
have each child's bent 80 cultivated thai
1t can be put to some use. Unitarian
You inquire Perhaps SO; but we will
take that up for another talk. Just nov
I want to advise mothers who have dit
hculty in making thei- girls practice te
find out i;Est whether the children have
enough love Of music to make 1t worth
while 10 give them pCsic lessons Mt all
II they have not, then why waste nonf
which would yield better returns II spen
for sr:.etbing that would develop tn
child tetter?
But do not want you by any means t
think that dlsapprove OF music LESSONS
do think a knowledge Of music hal
great cultural value. and everybod!
| should understand something about II
The trouble often is. especially with yer!
young children. that we make them prac
tice too long at time. I remember whel
I was q child an hour seemed an eter
nifty. - mothers who have compliance
| of thiS dimculty before, I have said
| thought, nfteen minutes at one time va
] long enough for Q beginner to practice