Evening star., 1939-02-13
Make Child
Practice
Music
Accomplishments
Always Require
Serious Work
BY ANGELO PATRI.

This is an old story. A child
asks for music lessons. His parents
agree that he should have them
engage a teacher and hope for the
best. The teacher reports that
her pupil is progressing well; that he
ought in time to be a good mu-
sician. All he needs IS to practice
But he does not practice.
The struggle begins. "It's time
for you to practice your music
lesson"
20, bother. I don't want to prac-
tice. I hate it,"
You asked for lessons and your
father and I pinched ourselves to
give them to you. Now you won't
practice. You 60 right in and sit
down and begin. I'll sit beside
YOU"
Reluctantly the young musician
takes his place. Wrathfully mother
takes hers beside him. He begins
one, two three, One two three.
Ma. what time is it?"
Mother talks it over with the
music teacher. The teacher is firm
for going on. He will make a good
musician. All he needs is practice
But does he really learn any,
thing?" I haven't heard him play
anything but the same piece that
he learned at the start" says father.
Eyes, he does. He does really
well when he is made to do it.
But don't know whether it is
right to make him do what he
does not want to do. Maybe he
will grow to hate music, and me,
and the teacher, and the piano"
What of it? If parents and
teachers said, VERY we'll. If you
don't want to you don't have to-
every time child baked at work.
ing you can imagine the rest. In
every job there is drudgery, plenty
Of it. That has to be done before
the finished work stands forth in
all its beauty. Nobody ever sue
ceeded in doing anything without
t1rst overcoming his dislike of the
labor it demanded.
Every worker knows how hard
1t is to begin. The warning voice
whispers, Time to sit down at the
typewriter and my heart falls
down, down to the pit. Better
begin, better start" Each foot
weighs ton. Il need drink OF
water right away. And where did
I put that letter I had to answer?
I'll have to look for it. Nice day
out. I ought to have some fresh
air. Oh! There's. the telephone. >
Anything that saves us from druid
gerry of labor will do. But the end
comes. Relentlessly something in
side us calls Time, and we groan
the last groan and begin. Soon we
forget about the suffering we en-
dure. The work catches us up and
we go on happily, doing the very
best we can and glad of the chance
to do it.
We know this. That is why we
gently take the tagging musician
by the hand and push the piano
stool under him and leave him
with the promise, "Ill be listening
I'll call you when I hear your
piece come out just right" We
know that If his nose is pushed into
his job long enough, often enough
he will learn to accept it with
resignation, then with joy.
This applies to all children save
those who are stone deaf. A mu-
sician has to have musicians ears
before he can have musicians hands
OF course, make him practice!
- MIR. Patri has prepared leaf
let entitled, Poor Readers" in
which he gives parents many
suggestions on how to help chill
dren improve their reading. Send
for it, addressing your request
to Mr.. Angelo Patri, Child
Psychology Department Of this
paper. Inclose . self addressed,
stamped (3-oent) envelope,