Evening star., 1942-01-26
Music Praised as Aid
To Solidarity Among
American Nations

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Educational Project Due
To Run Two Years Muy
Continue Indefinitely
BY JOSEPH A. RAWLINGS.
wide world News. v
CHICAGO, Jan. 26.--Music Is sing
ing song Of Pan-American unity.
Through its medium, innumerable
staunch friendships between the
peoples of North and South America
are being built in steadily growing
numbers.
These observations were made to-
day by c. ". Buttelman, executive
secretary Of the Music Educators
National Conference, in an inter-
view. He surveyed the effects Of
more than . year Of work on q
music for uniting the Americas
movement, and announced the prof.
ect, originally planned for at least
two years, probably would be carried
on indefinitely.
Curiosity Opening Wedge.
Since the movement-one of sew
eral phases Of q general American
unity through music program-got
under way year ago last October,
Mr. Buttelman said he noted:
/. A sharp rise in the Latin Ameri-
can folk lore music being used in
the music departments Of the
schools throughout the United
States, as we'll as q steadily increas-
ing spread Of the popular or Tin
Pan-Alley" types in other places. in
Guiding the radio-and correspond
ing advance in the popularity Of
North American music in the other
new world republics.
2. The springing up Of . legion
OF natural friendships between
North and South Americans as re-
suit of visits to North American
schools by professors, teachers and
students OF music from the other
American republics.
Mr.. Buttelman attributed the
rapid growth of friendships through
music to the natural curiosity that
one musician has for another's
work. curiosity which becomes
the opening and unforced wedge to
mutual understandings In other in
| terests.
Because the curiosity Is not
forced" he said, 1T becomes much
easier to integrate interests through
culture than through commerce. A
salesman may be suspect. but when
one musician visits another musician
just for . visit, with nothing to
sell-their mutual curiosity leads to
understandings of other problems
and results in lasting friendships.
The original contact is all that Is
needed to establish these very fine
understandings.
Sympathetic Attitude.
Something that happened to me
illustrates the point. After I had
met Luiz Heitor Correa de Azevedo,
a musicologist from the University
Of Brazil, at the Pan-American
Union in Washington, I learned so
much about Brazil that for the first
time in my life I found myself
anxious to 60 to Rio.
Until then South America had
seemed as far away to me as Asia.
Literally hundreds OF other persons
making a musical contact with this
one man, have exactly the same
feeling, that I have. 1t would be
hard for me now to have anything
but a sympathetic attitude toward
all Of South America, particularly
Brazil" - -..-1 .
The Music Educators Conference
is a department Of the National Ed
ucation Association. Approximately
30 different musical organizations,
including more than q score Of
State associations of music teachers
representing instructors from
kindergartens to universities, are
affiliated with the conference.
When the conferences Board OF
Directors adopted its general Amer
lean unity through music program
in October Of 1910 the plan was SUBJ
mitted to the heads Of the organi-
zation's units for execution. The
results were so gratifying that Mr.
Buttelman ventured his prediction
it would be carried on indefinitely
In addition to the music for unit
ing the Americas phase, the general
program was designed to stimulate
music as q morale builder during the
defense emergency, promote the
consistent use of patriotic and ma
tional songs in the schools and COL
leges and extend the general knowl-
edge and appreciation for American
folk and pioneer tunes.
Federal Agencies Cooperate.
The unity for the Americas activ-
tiles have the support and cooper
alton of the Pan-American Union
the Institute Of international Edu-
cation and two Government agen-
cies, the Once Of the Co-ordinator
OF Inter American Affairs and the
Music Advisory Committee of the
State Department.
while our group is taking the
leadership in this movement" Mr.
EDUCATIONAL.