Evening star., 1938-11-24
Students Turn Studio
Into Indian Camp
With Rain Chant
Tom-Tom Throbs While
Third of Broadcast
Series Goes on Air

A group of Washington school
children yesterday turned the stu
dio at Radio Station WMAL into
an Indian camp as they beat on the
tom-tom and chanted for rain.
They were second grade pupils at
the Brightwood School appearing in
the third of a series Of broadcaStS
sponsored by The Star with the CO.
operation of public school authori-
ties and the National Broadcasting
Co. to introduce the school system
to the taxpayers.
Indian arts were illustrated be-
cause of the nearness of Thanksgiv-
ing to illustrate the enrichment
Of the school program through the
arts.
Making their debut on the air, the
children were highly excited as the
minutes licked off until 4 o'clock,
but then assumed the confidence of
experienced performers as they
went on.
Make Chorus Of Songs.
HAS anybody any particular In
dian songs he would like to sing
today?" asked Mrs. Madaline Slye,
the teacher.
Blond little Dick in the corduroy
pants thought he'd like to sing
Uncheeda's sleep Song"
"Yes, and let's have the rain
chant" added Bob, that brings the
rain to the Indians of the desert"
Later another request was made
for the wind song.
Does that make you see any pic
ture?" asked Mrs. Slye.
Yes" replied Dick. 1T makes me
see cactus out on the desert sway
ing in the breeze"
TOm-TOm Music.
And then there was the tom-tom
music from Harry, Alfred and Rich
ard, who failed to catch the stop
sign from the announcer when the
accompanying music stopped and
continued few seconds with a trio
selection.
A poem by an Indian boy was read
and original poems by Janet and
Cynthia written with Indian SIM
plicity were also given.
The practical value of this sort of
training was explained by Mrs.
Bessie Wood Cramer, principal of
the Peabody Hilton school,
There is an increasing recognition
Of the great value for children being
able to participate fully in the world
of beauty about them" she said.
"Gradually children begin to under
stand the artistic phases of their
own experiences
Creative Impulses Developed.
The intellectual development of
the children. Mrs. Cramer declared,
Is only one phase of their total de-
velopment. There is also the emo
tional side, she pointed out, and that
side is provided for by planned ex-
perienceS in the arts and culture of
the Indians, emphasizing apprecia-
ton of Indian life and culture and
development of child creative i'm
pulses.
The understanding of the artistic
phases of their own experiences, she
said, comes about through the emo
tional response to beautiful things
and through the child's effort to ex-
press in beautiful form his own feel
ings and ideas.
Mrs. Mary Crowley Ford played
the part of Mrs. Martin, the mother
to whom Mrs. Cramer explained
the reasons for the teachings about
the Indians.
Next Weeks Broadcast.
The program for the broadcast
next week was announced as fea-
turing sixth-grade pupils of the
Langdon school under Mrs. Francis
s. Haas in current events discus
sion to illustrate a theme of learn
ing to live by living. First Assistant
Supt. Robert L. Haycock is to speak
The broadcast, the fourth in the
series on the Modern Little Red
Schoolhouse, will be Wednesday at
1 pm.
The children sat silently through
the announcement until they were
told they were off the air.
'Whew!" sighed one little girl,
I'm glad that's over" The rest
scrambled to get into the picture.