The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-04-09
Importance of School Music in the
Scheme of Education

Importance of School Music in the
Scheme of Education
To "feel little tune in the heart
is the new music method. To play the
piano is part of nearly every child's
education but how many really know
anything about music? The average
child looks upon scales as a course,
upon practice as a detested task and
music as only a distasteful duty. The
first thing to make the children of
America musical is to awaken love
and vital interest in music as a
great art. Once you have proved
that music is in him and that he can
make it you have changed his mental
attitude.
Every child cannot be turned out a
skillful musician, but he can be train
ed to appreciate, understand and feel
music, form harmonies and carry
melodies and by this world of hap
piness is opened up to him.
1t is a fact proven beyond con-
troversy that the introduction of
music in the public schools has done
more to uplift, refine and create
morale than any other one study.
The same idea is being carried into
the training camps of our army,
where courses are arranged for the
men to sing, because it inspires, en-
courages and heartens them.
We believe that the taxpayers of
the country want to put their money
into that which will be productive of
the most good for their children ano
surely the development of soul along
with mind and body is a thing greatly
to be desired. Music is not for the
favored few but for all who are
reaching out for higher ideals and a
purer, fuller life. 1t is the one art
of earth that we can take with US to
heaven, so why not start this little
bit of heaven here?
The singing in our Sunday schools
and churches means much to the in,
terest and inspiration of the services,
and better singing because the young
people are taught to sing in the
public schools will add to the interest
and Inspiration and hold our boys and
girls to the church, that bulwark of q
nations safety.
Florida is far behind other states
in awakening to the importance OF
this course of study in the public
schools. A fact which is a reflection
upon their intelligence and their ideas
of the best culture.
Taxpayers willingly put their mon
ey into caring for the pigs, in arrest
| ing the ravages of the boil weevil
and the blight that threatens their
trees; all this is good, but we enter a
plea for children that they may not
be rated of lesser value than pigs and
cotton and trees. We can give testi-
mony as to what music means to our
own personal life because we know
and we sometimes suspect that some
of the dear people who oppose the
teaching of music in the public
schools do not know of the wonder
full happiness and uplift they are
shutting from the lives of their chill
dren by their opposition.
We are thoroughly democratic and
we protest with all our power against
the setting aside the best In educa-
ton and culture for the rich, and let
ting the children of those not able to
pay the price of private lessons
starve for the flood of the soul"
It means just few cents increase
in taxes and opens a new world fol
the boys and girls.
Read the following from P. P
Claxton, u. S. commissioner of edu-
cation and be convinced:
"Good music is necessary. AMONG
practical, industrial and CONNER.
cial people, like ourselves, good music
ic necessary not only for enjoyment
and for recreation, but also for in.
spiration and for salvation from
death in the din and dust of trade;
and this music should be democratic
in the truest and best sense. This il
can never be until it becomes an In.
togral part of the education given IL
the schools of all grades"
| Marguerite Porter.