Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-07-17
Creative Music Idea Spreads
Throughout Schools OF State

music education is that every fchilG
is musician at heart" and that he
should be given the opportunity to
participate in musical experiences
which he genuinely enjoys. Freedom
IN the medium of expression depends.
OF course, upon the equipment which
! the school has to offere or upon the
ingenuity of the teacher.
Primitive Instruments.
Fortunately, some of the simple
primitive Instruments which young
children most enjoy playing are easy
10 provide. Drums, triangles, tam
bourlnes, rhythm sticks and Indian
rattles for the rhythm band activities
OF the elementary grades can be made
inexpensively.
Some schools use sets of tuned
| water glasses for melody plaving.
Others provide psalteries, harps.
tlageolets and marimbas. From the
fourth grade on, we find interest in
bands and orchestras which give chill
dren valuable experience in working
together as we'll as skill in playing
individual instruments. Harmonica
bands are popular in many schools.
Under the direction of Mrs Chry-
the Greensboro Schools, two sixth
grades undertook to make marim-
bas. Several children worked on a
marimba together. The bars of red
wood had to be sawed, tested and
filed down with the minutest ac-
curacy. After the instruments were
finished, the children played rounds
and part songs on them. Several ori-
glnal pieces were written for the
marimbas by various members of the
group. A radio program, a chapel
program, a P T. A. program and
several demonstrations were given
by various members of these groups.
New Role of Music.
Besides stressing the enjoyment of
music, modern educators emphasize
the importance of music as factor
in child development. Music plays
new role, ministering to the child's
growth and aiding him in making
social adjustments. 1t helps the shy
child to gain confidence and the ag-
gressive child to adjust to a group
Children often make up songs which
reveal situations or conflicts in their
lives that would otherwise remain
unknown to adults. For example,
Jack, age six, who lives in New York
and is often left alone has evidently
been frightened by the threat OF
calling the cop" This is the song
he sings to his teacher:
Il have got a little bird
Who slides in my window:
Nice little bird-he sings and l listen
to him.
We try to catch him but he is too
fast for us.
Why can't we catch him?
l want him to be mine.
1 hold him until the man at the store
gets a cage
And we put him in the cage;
He wants to break the cage
He tries to stel but the people tell
him
They're going to call the cop
And he'll be killed
And there will be no more birdieS."
This gives us a glimpse or the
value Of creative music in relation to
Mental Hygiene. But probably the !
most interesting role tnat music mas
played in the development of school
activities is in the integration pro-
gram which has supplanted the old
method of teaching subjects separate
1y Units of work are enriched by
the addition of music which fits in
with the subject matter or by ori-
ginal music which children make up
for special projects. Teachers who
have not had musical training some
times exchange work with others
who have so that several grades may
benefit.
This plan seems to have succeeded
very we'll in the Goldsboro schools.
In order that all the second graders,
for instance, may have classes in
rhythms (Which require someone
playing the piano) one teacher plays
for three groups. The other two
teachers who cannot play the piano
reciprocate by helping her with art
work.
How Groups Work.
Some of the many activities which