The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-02-20
Kindergarten
Helps for Parents
Articles Issued By fjbs DEPARTMENT
offhe Interior. Bure0Hpf Education
and the
N0don0ikhsd sdergarfenA ssociasson
HOW MUSIC HELPS
BY MRS. JEAN N. BARRETT.

A few Instances of what has Deefi
done IN some homes through the
power OF music will. / know, tell you
more than the mere advancement of
theories.
A little girl who was very miserable
and managed To make mother or nurse
most unhappy all through the process
of hairdressing and getting into both
crsome clothes would submit most
sraciously if mother Sang-
MY mother bids me bind my hair
With knot OF fairest hue:
Tie up my sleeves with ribbon rare.
And lace my bodice blue
For why. she says. sit still and weep
While others are at play?
an adaptation of Haydn's beautiful
air.
Another mother learned to help her
little boy work of some of his stormy
fits of temper by going to the piano
and playing some stormy, impetuOus
bit like Schumann's '2Nild Rider"
The hoy did not know why this was
done. but he felt the mood of the mu-
sic because IL exactly fitted his own.
and he would career around the
room like veritable wild pony, until
his emotion. which might have worked
harm to himself and others, had spent
Itself in this harmless. way.
My sister remembers that even as
n child she recognized this power of
music to bring sweetness out of tenn
per. She was very angry ones day
with II sense Of some injustice done
her. and in this mood started to play
her beloved piano. AS she did this
she realized that II she played she
would soon cease to he angry. and not
being ready to give up her resentful
mood she rejected the gentle ministry
of music and went to her hoom to
nurse her unhappiness.
As an incitement to bravery music
has often been, used in the home.
little boy much ufr1id of the dark
would go upstairs to n dark room for
mother when she played strong
march for him MS he went.
II mothers could realize how many
times bit of music would he of
grenter service than even the kind
est remOnstrnnce they would have
crashing chords ready for the angry
boy. nonsense song to drive scowls
from the face of little daughter. and
Jolly jig to set lngging feet and droop-
ing spirits dancing: while gay little
tune improvised or adapted for the
occasion would often bring cheerful
obedience In response to the request
10 pick up playthlngs or perform some
other unwelcome task. where sterh
command would start an unhappy
time for all concerned. .,-.....
Sing Before Work.
One Of my childhood memories II Of
visiting in II country home where the
mother would often get up from the
breakfast table and say. Come let us
sing II little before we do the work"
Bad housekeeping. perhaps. but good
homemukins. for have since learned
that this method wns always resorted
to when the morning atmosphere of
the home threatened to be gloomy or
luarrelsome. and the. singing never
failed to drive away the clouds. OF
course this use of music Is most ef-
seciive with n child who Is either
endowed by nature with the ability to
respond to musical influence or has
been trained In ca. and heart I, feel
its effects.
A child who has always heard good
.iusic and has early learned TO love
and produce II has great advantage
over one tn whom 1t comes as n later
and more foreign achievement. Re-
sponsiveness to the atmosphere of
music is not. however, dependent upon
the ability to create II. although of
course made stronger by il. A little
tour-ycar-old child who had no nntu-
raj ability for either singing or play
ing, being deficient in both rhythmic
sense and sense of pitch. nevertheless
was so sensitive to musical impress
SiOns that she described the tunes
which We're played to her as being
pink and red and blue like the sky.
and one which had strong chords with
!, staccnto melody above them as the
green tune with red berries. These
interpretations of music in terms of
color were lntc: explained by the de-
velopment of an unusual degree of
talent with pencil and brush.
Another memory of my childhood
Is of n visit to dear auntie, who. on
Sunday afternoons. took her little Wis
itor to the west pasture. and amid the
Fplendor of the sinking red sun read
from volume of sacred poems. The
cadence of her sweet. low voice will
always echo through my memory.
Charm Of PLEASING Voice
1t Is truly part of music's minis
try to speak through the charm of Il
well-mOdulated. pleasant tened voice,
lending itself freely to The various
moods of the fine nature it serves. It
Is truly one of the duties of Sthe
mot hnr nnd tie kinderyu rtner to he IL