The Dolores star., 1919-02-21
kindergarten
Helps for Parents
1rncieS Issued by the Deporfmeur
""e Interior. Bureau of E1tucorion
and the
observation-disclosures A
HOW MUSIC HELPS
BY MRS. JEAN N. BARRETT.

little girl who was very miserable
ana managed to make mother or nurse
most unhappy all through the process
oil hairdressing and getting into both
ersome clothes would submit most
graciously IL mother sang
MY mother bids me bind my hair
With knot OF fairest hue;
ne up my sleeves with ribbon rare,
And lace my bodice blue;
tor 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
htS of temper by going to the plano
and playing some stormy. impetuous
bit like SchumannS 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 n 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 10 bring sweetness out of tenn
per. She was very angry one day
with Il sense of some injustice done
her beloved piano. AS she did this
she realized that IL 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 unhappness.
As an Indictment to bravery music
has often been used in the home. A
little boy much afraid of the dark
would 20 upstairs to a dark room for
mother when she played a strong
march for him as he went.
If mothers could realize how many
times II bit of music would be of
greater service than even the kind
est remonstrancc 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 II gay little
tune inprovised 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 a stern
command would start an unhappy
time for all concerned.
Sing Before Work.
one of my childhood memories Is Of
visiting in Il country home where the
mother would often get up from the
breakfast table and say. ..Come let us
sing little before we do the work" "
BAD housekeeping. perhaps. but good
hOmemakng. for | have since learned
that this method was always resorted
to when the morning atmosphere of
the home threatened to he gloomy or
duarrelsome; and the singing never
failed to drive away the clouds. OF
course this use of music is most eff
fective with u child who is either
endowed by nature with the ability to
respond to musical influence or has
been trained in ear and heart {, feel
its effects.
A child who has always heard good
nusic and has early learned to love
and produce ii has great advantage
over one to whom it comes aS Il 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 mudc stronger by it. a little
tour-ycar-od child who had no natu-
raj ability for either singing or play
ing, being deficient in both rhythmic
sense and sense "f pitch. nevertheless
was so sensitive to musical impress
sions that she described the tunes
which were played to her rs being
mink and red and blue like the Sky.
and one which had strong chords with
n staccnto melody above them as the
green tune with red berries. These
;uterpretatiOns of music in terms of
color were later explained by the de-
yelopmrnt of nn unusual degree of
talent with pencil and brush.
Another memory of my childhood
Is of a visit to Il 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 Il volume of sacred poems. The
cadence of her sweet. low voice will
always echo through my memory.
Charm OF Pleasing Voice.
1t is truly IL part of mrsic's minis
try TO spenk through the charm of Il
well-modulated. pleusnnt-toned voice
lending itself freely to The various
moods of the fine nature 1t serves. II
IL truly one of the duties of the
mother and TIE Kindergarten to be Il
.oo;,,, for her children IN this respect.
MS in many others, for children are
very sensitive to voice quility.
While the kindergnrtner's cpportu
n;ty comes later than that of tht
mo,hcr. She has the same responsible
lty to see that the children under iiel