Evening journal., 1921-07-28
SAY AMERICANS
ARN'T MUSICAL
Harvard Professor Explodes
Four Fallacies Regarding
This Country's Culture
PEOPLE HAVE SMALL
CHANGES, HE ASSERTS

BOSTON, July 2s.-The fact that
great deal of music goes on" in
America is no indication that Amer
lea is a musical nation. The belief
that America is a musical nation is
one Of the four fallacies exploded by
Archibald T. Dawson. OF Harvard
University, IN an address given under
the auspices Of Community Service
Of Boston. He gave IL as his opin-
ion that four isn't at all the limiting
number OF the existent fallRcies on
the subject in relation TO the Amer
ican people. but he picked out four
OF the biggest and juciest and pro-
ceeded TO squash them.
The belief that what Is known as
popular" music is the deliberate
choice OF the people at large is one
OF them. The idea that music to be
good music" must be "highbrow"
complicated. dimcult, hard TO
understand--is another.
Mr.. Dawson began by defining his
terms. Popular" he said, he used
In the sense OF generally accepted"
Why should we assume, he argues,
that what we call popular" music
| Is the deliberate choice Of the people
at large, when the public at large Is
given such small opportunity for
selecting <le type OF music over an
other? L you regularly cause a
man to be fed chocolate aclairs, he
frrh 20 ID,
that he will not like roast beef, until
you give him chance to exercise
his own judgment in the matter.
This is exectly the case as regards
popular music, according to Mr..
Dawson.
A profound distrust OF human
nature is shown by composers, pub
fishers. performers and, alasi even
the goodly community service worker
himself in many instances, in as
suminE that the public will prefer
the music that is bad" TO that which
is good"
"This Is what the people want Is
the phrase used as a slogan, and the
patient and long-suffering American
citizen. told that Il is what he wants,
accepts the dictum OF the powers
that be. dicides that II is. after all,
what he does want, and that good"
music is for the elect-the few-the
inner circle.
Anyhow, says Mr.. Davidson. Il is
mistake to think that music. to be
good" must be "highbrow." The
truth is, he says, that the very best
music is often the simplest. Take
the case OF the folksong. Folksongs
rank among the best music. They
are part Of the actual musical Ian
guage OF the people. II is possible.
ne says. for nearly anybody to enjoy
any kind OF music, and only the
'highbrow" wishes TO do away en-
tireiy with ragtime unhappily, how
ever raEtime, jazz and the senti-
mental ballad dehne practically the
entire musical knowledge OF this
! country. and "the great majority oi
the public. unacquainted with the
good, unhesltatlngly accepts as lis
musical birthright the cheap, the
vulgar and the vapid."
Experience Second Hand.
Most OF this experience, too, Is
second hand" he says, FOR in the
actual making OF music the public
has small part. Winding the gram
ophone or pumping the pianola are
first OF all types OF physical exercise
and are slight Indications Of innate
musicalness. Unless you sing, OF
make music Of one kind or another
and do Ct spontaneously, you are not
really musical"
Not until people sing, naturally
and whole heartedly, and really take
enjoyment in singing, will they make
musical nation. Mr.. Dawson lay
the blame for the present musica
, conditions in this country, in larg,
measure at least, on the mismanage
ment OF the subject in the publ,
, schools. Programs suitable foi
countries like England. France and
Italy, he shows. are unsuitable foi
America, which has no such musica
tradition or background as exists II
these lands. He suggests that tn
object Of American musical educa
ton be made the stimulation OF ap
probation OF good music through
the singing OF beautiful songs. Amer
% leans. he says. without such a basi
for musical development, will neve
/, achieve national musical distinc
tion. Il Is useless 10 try to teacl
o children the technique Of music
sight reading. etc. before they hav
= a speaking knowledge OF the musica
language. What he characterize
as one Of the most potent agencie
in insulating American children from
contact with beautiful music ha
been the attitude OF many educator
= in maintaining that foreign folksong
are not adaptable to American schoC
use on the basis that the music
u alien. and that texts translated fror
foreign language are unintelligibl
J. to American children.
% Music Great Aid.
'- Although ! cannot prove to 70
'- that good music stimulates the mer
s. tai circulation and tends to build u
n. the spiritual fibre, firmly beliey
IS that it does" said Mr. Dawson, ado
ing that ne knew from his own e,
ID perience and from the experience
r others with whom he had worked
ID school. camp and community. IN,
~ association with good music yields
s. higher degree OF happiness than
he secured by contact with what peop
L are pleased 10 call popular" musi
K
v. If YOU ARE WELL BRED.
ye You will present your weddir