Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-07-17
And It's All Because
Methods of Teaching
Have Und ergone
Rapid Changes; Every
One Can Enjoy Music
Properly Presented
BY X. w. MADRY.

N. W. NA1ADR1
Chapel Hill. July 17.-Everyone
Interested in the education of chill
dren these days IS hearing about
"Creative Music.
The idea has spread so rapidly
within the past few years that in
many public schools all over the
country "Creative Music" has be-
come an important part of the cur
riculum.
Through its State Department of
Education. California has just pub
Iished a book on Music Education
in the Elementary Schools" which
creative methods of teaching. Many
other states have already begun to
recognize the significance of music in
an integrated program, and are urg-
inc teachers to include creative music
methods in their training courses.
This is particularly gratifying to
those who recall an earlier period
when music. if taught in the schools
at all. consisted mainly in running a
few scales to the syllableS Doh, Re,
Nj. Fab. Sol, La, I'll, Do and in sing
ing America" for the opening exer-
cises.
Because music teaching has un-
dergone many new and rapid changes
people often ask me What is Crea-
tive Music?" says Mrs. Adeline Nc
Call who for the third successive
summer is giving course in crea-
tive music for children at the Uni
versity of North Carolina
when l try to explain, l always
tell them of an incident at the Chi
cagO Fair, where, in an obscure cor
ner Of the fairgrounds, a crowd had
gathered around two ragged musi-
clans. The one, a blind boy, was
seated on a wooden box in front of
battered piano. He caressed the
keys with sensitive fingers while his
companion, a seller of kazoos, paced
small platform and amiably
haranged the mob.
An Incident in Chicago.
Step up, friends, don't be bash
ful.' he called out to them. every
one of you is a musician at heart. |
With this marvellous new instrument
Ga kazoo) you can play tunes that
will melt your mother-in-law and
make your boss raise your salary;
your sweetheart won't be able to re-
sist you"
Then he singled out a timid fig
ure, pointing the kazoo in his direc-
ton. And you, over there with |
the sour face-have you ever tried
to sing? l tell you there's nothing
like music to make you forget your
frO11h1nC 0v16
don't know any tunes-make up a
tune"
Now, folks, just listen to this. -
AT this point the blind boy began
to improvise softly on the piano and
the hawker raised his shiny tin in
strument to his mouth. Through the
kazoO, now concealed in the palms
of his hands, came melody like the
Wailing sweetness of an old violin
Music They All Liked.
Swiftly a ripple Of applause swept
through the audience Then every
body stood quietly listening, enchant-
ed by this Pied Piper, as he played
tune after tune And as they listened,
they forgot that a few moments be-
fore they had been milling around
with thousands of jaded people, lost
in a world of throbbing machines
and Whirling mechanical gadgets;
beWildered by stream-lined trains
and roller coasters and blatant loud
speakers.
THAT this seller of kazoos had re-
monstrated in his own fashion all the
fundamental precepts off, Creative
Music as it is beings taught in the
schools of today, he will probably
never know Mrs. Mccall comment
ed. But If we look at some of the
projects that are being carried out,
we can readily see that it. is so.''
In the first placI she pointed out,
the underlying philosophy of modern