The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-17
ARTICLE 2,

II Some people claim that they cannot
take children to concerts because they
are restless and may give offense -
the artists very poor excuse l
think We do not go to a concert in
the unselfish role of helping the per-
former, we go there to help ourselves
We go there to learn something and
to get pleasure. If children are too
restless, teach them to control them
selves at home, in church and at the
parties they attepd and it will be no
martyrs fate you share when you take
them to concerts Recently 1 took Il
12-year-old boy who is a second grade
piano student to hear The Impresario
and he enjoyed all of it except when
the two prima donnas WED with each
other for first place. He said they
fused too long" Another student,
q girl of twelve years, went with me
to hear Salvi, the young harpist. She
told me afterward with beaming eyes
that she would work as hard as she
could to some day become as great a
pianist as Salvi is a harpist. Had
not taken those children to the con-
certs their evenings in either case
would have been routine and no in
SEPARATION would have been provided at
the time
children and young people with vart-
Gus objects in view. Some want to be-
come good players" some teachers
and others take just because they are
urged to by parents, sister, or friends.
Some study music to develop the abil-
willing to confess a deep rooted desire
to become good 'jazz players" This
latter class get plenty of inspiration
from vulgar photograph records. sug-
gestive songs, jazz pieces for the piano
and dance hall music none of which
should ever have found a way to reach
the American home; but they did and
have become an epidemic of a. serious
nature against which no cure prevails.
The only remedy is to offset this kind
of trash with a thoro knowledge of
real music.
This will automatically Danish the
liking people have for this jazzy,
slangy, deYil-may- abandon. Rur-
ing a music lesson. a child receives
technical training which constitutes
largely the visible side of music, such
as signs which are symbolic of sound
in various forms rests, time, tempt,
lingering, Interpretation. etc. A good
teacher will give students rudiments
of harmony and more as needed his
tory and other branches as advance
ment requires But most teachers fail
dismally to instill greater love, more
respect and reverence for music in
the minds of their pupils. Technical
skill is a great possession but under
standing music and its goodness is
infinitely more to be coveted True
understanding of music opens a new
world of thought to all who are fav-
ored to share communion with its
identifying. uplifting, refining powers
Music has come with humanity thru
the ages as an agency thru which 10
give expression to higher emotional
thought, to cheer the dropping spirits
of some and to dust the souls of all.
Music is Gods m esse1zer-fb~t1 II
we can commune with Him in praise
and prayer, extol Him and humble
ourselves. Music will go hand in hand
with life, love, joy and sorrow. thru
all time to come. We cannot know
too much music
It is in America a national moral
weakness to profane music notwith-
standing the fact that we have the
means and material to develop it to a
higher degree if we choose to do So