The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-02

cO8nlZed as having one of the
best music programs in North
Carolina, the county's work in
the field Of music instruction
is outlined in the following
article, another of the Star
News series on little-publi- +
cized phases of the schools
activities.-Editor.
New Hanover county's schools
have one of the finest music pro.
grams offered public school chill.
dren anywhere in North Carolina,
That, isn't just a local opinion; II
is the opinion of some of the states
leading educators and music in,
structors. =
And Perhaps the remarkable
thing about the county's program
is the fact that it functions more
or less on a school-by-school basis
and not under a centralized county.
wide plar-. The day is not toe
far distant, in all probability, when
the music program will be. placed
under single supervisor. But even
without the obvious advantages
Of such system, youngsters from
first grade through high school are
being afforded excellent, we'll
rounded training in the art Of
music. That applies to white and
colored schools alike.
Teaching of music in the schools
here goes back further than anyone
now tea ching can remember. In one
form or another-rnaybe with just
a classroom instructor teaching
note-reading on a blackboard scale
music has been a part of the
schools carricula for more than
two generations. 80:
Today, however, music is far ad.
vanced from the note-reading stage.
A child begins to learn music
fundamentals in his first year Of
grammar school. All schools in the
county, excepting that at Carolina
Beach, have a full-time music tea
cher-a teacher qualified by college
training and, invariably augmented
by considerable private instruction
lin charge of the program.
Three-Phase Program
Generally speaking, the music
program in the, grade schools is
divided into three phases: music
appreciation, choral: singing, and
instrumental instruction. Apprecia-
ton and singing are .musts, first
through eighth grades; instrumen-
tai training is optional.
Appreciation affords the young
pupil with the rudiments Of music.
It's principal objective is to famili'
arize tie child with the tones and
rhpthms of the voice and the snstru
ments that make music. Class work
in appreciation is augmented by
recordings and sound films. Each
school has it's own musical library
with selections ranging from fami
liar folk songs to orchestra selec
tons as played by some OF the
worlds finest musical organizations
and artists. The pupil, at a re
latively young age, as a result, car
usually distinguish the various in
struments harmonizing in an or
chestration. It is not uncommon
for eight or nine year olds to be
discovered in discussion of tona
qualities of wind or reed or strins
orchestrations. They learn it early
and apparently learn it well, TO,
High school music teachers VI
tell you today that music-mindee
students have pretty soune
foundation by the time they be
come upper school freshmen.
The sound film library, available
to all of the schools, is a centra
one maintained by the county
school system in Isaac Bear school
Singing or voice work, which goe!
hand-in-hand with appreciation, i
popular with the grade schoo
youngsters. It begins with first
graders and is continued through
the eighth grade. Virtually ever.
grade school has its glee club TO
school and P. T. A. entertainments
The most apt music students from
each grade are chosen for thes'
clubs and in each school it is con
sidered no little honor to be a mem