Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1920-05-05
MUSIC AND OTHER ARTS
BY Helen Caldwell
Student Morristown Hi School


ly than other people, One of these
was Thoreau.
One of the most characteristic
tories we have of Thoreau was
told by a friend who accompanied
MIN on one of his walks about
Concord. The two men were
talking of arrow heads. Thoreaus
companion expressed his surprise
that anyone could see in these
fields such small pieces of quartz
Here is one now" said Thoreau,
picking up one.
Thoreau was proud of his keen
power Of observation, and used
to explain it by saying that he
knew what to look for. What is
here so we'll said of the eye can
also be said of the ear. We can
not hear until we learn how to
listen. Yet how few peep" Cealize
what care and study, what love
and enthusiasm are needed to
make a good listener, especially
20 :he rarest for moi sound
music.
Music was not invented--it WAS
created by Cog. Even animals
have d love for it. Some of the
widest have been tanned by the
Influence of music.
The North American Indians
and the Esquimaux use drums to
express their emotions of Joy,
grief, love. In the olden days in
Israel and Egypt, instrumental
music was the fashion. Great
orchestras of strink and wind IN
struments were in daily attend
ance at the palaces of the nobility
The superstitiOus nature of the
Israelites prevented them from
cultivating it to any great ex-
tent. The minds of the Hebrews
were given up to the study of
physiological nature, but when
they once gave vent to their feel
ings, their song came from the
Heart.
Man is incaable of existinfg
without leaving marks of his idea
tity behind him. Given two men
with equal intellects but with
different amounts of individual
ity, 1t is not difficult to foretell
which will achieve the more sue
cess. If this be the case of the
Individual, how much more 50
will it be in the case of nation
We often hear people say, for
example, that they are fond of
popular music" but that what
they call classical music is toe
dry and heavy Tor them. The say
this complacently, as if it We're
entirely the fault of the music
and that their state of mind had
nothing whatever to do with it.
The reason for their preference
is that while their ears can
catch the swing of the rollicking
time, they are not trained to seize
the more delicate beauties of a
melody by Shuman or Chopin.
Let them cultivate their powers
OF hearing by listening with their
minds as we'll as their ears; and
these rarer, finer beauties will
charm them more day by day;
while the old favorites will, in
the same proportion seem to grow
more and more noisy and mean
frgless.
There is nothing to b eashamed
Of in being fond of popular
tunes" provided we admit that
there are beauties in other things
that We do not see. Indeed it is
Il foundation for fine taste il
music.
In tn past we have beer lack
ing in music in the Morristo"l
schools. This year. for the Fl s.
,sne. the department of MUSIC
was organided in our schools un
Der the direction Of professor
Stookey. Several musical enter
tainments have been given b.
tn quartets. glee clubs, orches
tras, and choruses of the schools
Daily instruction is given in al
grades, from the first grade thru
the fourth year high school.
A great improvement has beef
shown over the past, to say no
thing of the good it has done il
the different Sunday schools ane
Church services. If this is con
tinued, how much greater will i
be in the future. All school:
should have music in the curric
ulum. 1t is the hope that music
will soon be a regular study al
over the county.