The Colorado statesman. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1895-1961, 1919-02-22
kindergarten
Helps for Parents
Articles Issued by fte Depormeuf
offhs Interior. bureau of Educarfon
and the
National Kiudergorfen ssociofiou
HOW MUSIC HELPS
BY MRS. JEAN N. BARRETT.

theories.
A little girl who was very miserable
and managed to make mother or nurse
most unhappy all through the process
Of hairdresstng and getting into both
ersome clothes would submit most
Sraciously IL 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 Haydns beautiful
air.
Another mother learned to help her
little boy work off some of his stormy
fits of temper by going to the piano
and playing some stormy, impetuous
bit like Schumann's "Wild Rider"
The boy did not know why this was
done. but he felt the mood of the mu-
sic because it 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
a child she recognized this power of
music to bring sweetness out of tenn
per. She was very angry one day
with sense of some injustice done
her, and in this mood started to play
her beloved piano. AS she did this
she realized that If she played she
would soon cease to be 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 Indictment to bravery music
has often been used in the home. A
little boy much afraid of the dark
would go upstairs to dark room for
mother when she played strong
march for him as he went.
If mothers could realize how many
times bit of music would be of
greater service than even the kind
est remonstrance 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 tagging 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
to pick up playthings or perform some
other unwelcome task. where n stern
command would start an unhappy
time for all concerned.
Sing Before Work.
One of my childhood memories is of
visiting in country home where the
mother would often get up from the
breakfast table and say, "Come let us
sing a little before we do the work"
Bad housekeeping, perhaps, but good
homemaking, for l have since learned
that this method was always resorted
to when the morning atmosphere of
the home threatened to be gloomy or
quarrelsOme and the singing never
failed to drive away the clouds. OF
course this use of music is most eff
fective with child who is either
endowed by nature with the ability to
respond to musical influence or has
been trained in ear and heart II feel
its effects.
a child who has always heard good
music and has early learned to love
and produce it has great advantage
over one to whom it comes us a later
and more foreign achievement. Re
sponsiveness to the atmosphere of
music is not, however, dependent upon
the ability to create it, although of
course made stronger by 1t. A little
four year-old child who had no natu-
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 were played to her as being
pink and red and blue like the sky.
and one which had strong chords with
a staccato melody above them as the
green tune with red berries. These
interpretations of music In terms of
color were later explained by the de-
velopment of an unusual degree of
talent with pencil and brush.
Another memory of my childhood
is of visit to n dear auntie, who, on
Sunday afternoons, took her little Wis
itor to the west pasture, and amid the
splendor 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 musics minis
try TO speak through the charm of
well-modulated, pleasant-toned voice,
lending itself freely to the various
moods of the fine nature it serves. 1t
Is truly one of the duties of the
mother and the Kindergarten to be a
mode! for her children in this respect.
ms in many others, for children are
very sensitive to voice quality.
While the Undergraduates opportu-
nifty comes later than that of the