Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-08-05
Training Little Children
ARTICLE XVI
BY Mrs Jean NJ Borrett

II
the children of our family owe to her
jingles. can very distinctly remem-
Der my father playing with US and
trotting US to the rhythm OF Ride a
trot horse" "To Boston, to Boston
TO buy penny bun" and Little
bow-wow to the mill"
No child, thoroughly imbued with
these rhymes, will have any trouble
in comprehending three and four
part rhythms, with their varied sub
divisions and accents. How much
more delightful to hive all this rhyth
mic instinct grow up unconsciously
from happy play time than to have
it left until child is old enough to
be conscious of his lack in this re-
spect and has to go through exacting
and tiresome drills to overcome it.
Happy the child whose lot is cast
in joyous musical atmosphere!
There is thus implanted in his in
nef being a something which will
help him to go through many trials
with a brave heart and an unconquer-
able hops and faith that this is after
all good world. We co1stastly
hear mothers say, mo, my children
have no talent for music and shall
not bother to have them learn any
thing about It,"
If could feel that had in all my
life made a few mothers, few
teachers, understand the difference
between music as a performance and
music as life element, and thereby
gained for a few children this power
which more than any other stirs the
vital forces by whics we live, should
feel that my share of lifes troubles
were a small price to pay.
A like misapprehension in the do
main or art would Danish from home
and school the beautiful pictures and
art forms which awaken love of all
that wonderful world of beauty re-
vealed to the seeing eye and the ap-
preciative misd because, perforce, so
very, very few children have any tai
ent for drawing, painting or model
ing.
One of the first steps in rousisg a
feeling for music is to lead a child
to listen. How much stress is laid
in our scheme of education upon
teaching child to observe, to see;
how little upon teaching him to hear
The eye is made dominast in all
things and we lose much enjoyment
which trained sense of hearing
might bring us. God made the birds
beautiful but He also gave them
songs, so tender, so thrillisg that the
very breath stops that we may listen
as we sit at twilight near the home
of wood thrush or song sparrow
To the open ear is not the gentle,
silvery murmur of the brook as it
calls through the forest as keen de-
light as is its crystal simmer in
setting of green, when we have fol
owed it's call and found it's home?
Let us not forget that the morning
stars sang together, and that He who
created them meant His children to
hear their music in the melodies and
harmonies of all His great creation.
The child brought up in the city |
hasn't the beautiful sounds of nature
from which to get his first lessons in
listening, but mother and kindergar-
tner can make use of what they have
Even the scissors grinder and rag
nan help us out here. One Of my
little pupils, the daughter Of musical
gained her first idea of imi-
,ating sounds correctly from rag
mans call. and we we're having our
essOns one day we heard this song
come, was going to say float in at
he window, but the ragman's tones
ire rather too strenuous to be called
ioating tones: Rags, rags, rags;
my old rags or bott's." This tune
IAN be written thus. Do 81 Ia sol sol
Iol do do, but no words can describe
he quality Of the tones. At once
the theme and little Fran
.es, 10 my great surprise, initiated
ne exactly. whereas before this she
lad hardly been able to get one sin
lie note correctly. His tune was
inique and it appealed to her.
Lead the children to listen in ev-
Try way you can think OF. Tap on
Inherent substances, wood, glass, sill
'er. You may lind a lampshade that
ives forth definite musical pitch.
'lay tunes on tumblers, tuning them
o musical pitches by varying the
quantity Of water in them and strik-
ng lightly with silver knife or spoon.
This device found most useful in
rousing interest in music In boy
Who eemed to have no musical in
tinct whatever
A writer says: The greater part
i children's time is spent in elabo-
ate impersonation and make-believe,
nd the entire basis Of their educa-
ion is acquired through THIS 7direct-f
Y assimilative faculty" This applies
1ost forcibly to music and gives to
hose who have the care Of children
lmost unlimited opportunity for de-
clipping musical expression.
A lullaby song at the child's bed.
ide at night Ia A benedict;On beyond