The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-10-06

America is 10 become a musical naClOl
it must be accomplished largely thru
the medium of the public schools
Since the vast majority of our citizens
receive their training in our public
schools, herein lies our greatest op
portunity for making America a mu
steal nation.
Musical development must begi1
with the individual and while he j.
yet young. 1t is a deplorable fact thai
we are not a singing people; in short
America is in it's infancy in music
Thus, many, many children enter the
public schools before they receive theil
first real opportunity to learn to sing
They do not know that they have a
singing voice and cannot use it.
President Wilson made the first
definite step ever made by a national
executive in this direction when he SET
aside the week of February 22nd as
a National Week of Song" The ne.
cessity of a singing army was the in.
centive for this move which has pro-
duced many interesting results.
We are told that America has not
always been a nation which does not
sing but that a half century or more
ago one heard more of the singing of
songs IN the streets and in the homes
and that we have been convinced that
u own music is crude and that it
should be displaced by the classical
music of Europe. 1t is not new music
which we need but an appreciation of
Europe's music added to the love of
u own folk songs and the ability to
sing and appreciate them.
There is no more profitable way of
spending leisure time than in the
realm of music and in this fact is the
great justification for the teaching
of music on a credit basis in our pub
lie schools.
Too often does one meet the individ-
ual who loves music and appreciates
it but who laments the fact that he
"a play no musical instrument and
that the tune has not yet been invent
ed which he can sing, hum or whistle.
True enough, few persons are en-
dowed with exceptional musical tai
ent, but everyone, unless handicapped
by a physical defect, has a singing
voice and needs only to find it. With
this end in view the promoters of pub
lie school music aim to produce the
singing America of som years past
and bring with it the ability to in
terpret and appreciate the music of
the world.
The most successful effort along
this line which has yet been made has
been through the music memory con
test. In an effort to bring about a
keener sense of appreciation of the
music we should know and love, the
public schools Of Glasgow, in coop
Grafton with the newspapers, churches,
movie theatre, business men and those
interested in better music, will launch
shortly a music memory contest in
which all students above the third
grade will be competitors.
The primary aim of this contest is
to interest the entire community in a
class of music which has, in some
ways, been forced into the background
by the so-called popular music or
"~jazz." That this so-called popular"
music has it's place we do admit, but,
as rythm was the first form of music
among our primitive ancestors, so
the "jazz" of today appeals to man
through his primitive instinct and by
its rythm alone, not it's melody.
The lovely melodies and exquisite
harmonies of the music given US by
the truly great musicians bring to us
music in its true sense, a means of
expression for every mood. 1t is
through appreciation only that we are
able to interpret and find for our
selves a real comfort and enjoyment
such as naught else but music can
bring.
There is but one way to learn to
appreciate this music and that is to
hear it over and over again. The fol-
lowing excerpt from the Great Falls
Tribune for Sunday, Sept. "a, ex-
presses, in a very adequate way the
opinion of all those interested in the
movement for better music at home
and abroad.
THE training of students in music
has been a subject close to the heart
OF men of rank and means and the OBJ
Ject of government and municipal
subvention. In most of the countries
n many of the larger cities of Eu-
rope art is considered a legitimate OBJ
ject for public aid and fostering, and
music receives a fair share of funds
set aside for that purpose.
The appreciation of music in the
part of the United States known as
the wild west" has been growing
rapidly, and the demand for coed mu-
sic IS showing a gratifying increase.
Inc average non-musical auditor is
generally ready enough to enioy a
tune, but when classical music is CIV
en- ne does not enter into the spirit of
the occasion. A taste for good music
comes largely from listening to it,
The listener must, therefore, educate
himself to see the beauty of the diff
ferent kinds of music. 1t stands to
reason that the only way to learn to
appreciate good music is to hear it.
But If the listener knows what to
look for his task will surely be made
easier.
Hearing good music is. therefore
1ltty per cent of a musical education