Evening star., 1948-02-29


If it cannot it may fail next year,
even II it survives now.
The basic problem is to transfer
the burden Of the orchestra's fu-
ture from the relatively small
group who can no longer carry 1t
to the community as q whole. The
only way to do that Is vitality to
interest the community as whole.
Probably the best way OF reach
ing both the heart Of the problem
and the heart of the community Is
through the children.
This is the conviction of q group
of the city's educators and civic
leaders who now are advocating a
major educational undertaking by
the orchestra, in collaboration
with schools and colleges.
Their thesis Is that educational
concerts as part of the school cur
riculum can be an important factor
in q child's cultural development.
At the same time they can enlist
widespread civic interest and sup
port. Eventually they can guaran-
tee the symphony's future audi
ence.
Successful Tactics Elsewhere.
This has been proved in numer-
Gus other American cities. Some
have had children's concerts in
their schools for Is and 80 years,
They have been successful because
Of their frequency, careful joint
planning by teachers and the SYM
phony conductors, and detailed
classroom study before each con-
cert. Also important has been the
presentation Of separate concerts
for different age levels.
Outstanding among these cities
are Cleveland, where $4,000 to 10000
children hear the series annually
and Detroit, where the concerts are
broadcast to all the children unable
to attend in the concert hall. De-
troit's school concerts are supported
financially by a large department
store and there Is no charge to the
students.
Another city. st. Louis, through
its Board Of Education pays 5000
annually to it's symphony orchestrs
for public school concerts.
Particularly challenging are the
potentialities of radio. On the
model of the famed Damrosch hour
which during 16 years reached TO-
100000 children in 100000 schoo
class rooms annually, it has beer
proposed that the National Sym.
phony undertake not only loca
school broadcasts but a Nation-w wide
children's program. DR.. Franklin
Dunham of the United States Office
Of Education. predicted that the
entire country would welcome such
project.
Wanted: A Sponsor.
Financial backing, he suggested
should be secured from a CONNER.
cial sponsor If 1t is not otherwise
available. Most school systems, HI
said, have no objection to "innocu.
Gus" advertising, If 1t avoids com.
mercials." .....
Taking up the challenge, the twt
music directors of the District Public
Schools already have asked for al
ambitious school concert program b.
the National Symphony. They wan
a concert week for all elementar.
school children. with monthly con
certs for the older grades. All con
certs would be broadcast and al
81 900 school children would b
reached instead Of the 10000 eacl
able to hear only one concert
year. er .:-a
Such program would cos
money. But the teachers, and tn
interested citizens who are promot
ing this project, do not consider
visionary. It might have to see
sponsorship by Washington bust
lnessmen, on the Detroit model. Blu
the champions of this idea believ
the businessmen, as well as Wash
lington parents and the childre
themselves. may find 1t a bigger rea
son than they have ever had befor
Ito back their symphony, and max
lit, indeed, their own enterprise.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, pres
dent of the Board of Education
who has been the temporary chair
man of this group of citizens, but
this way:
1.-The National Symphony alread
has good educational program. W
in the schools know very well whs
1t has meant to the children. Bu
lit Is just not enough. We war
more concerts in the schools. TIL
|orchestra is a community affai
and we want to make sure it per
|meates the educational side {
Washington.
I'VE hope" she told the civi
group, that tonight has brough
all of you here to think again. an
look forward to the future develop
|ment of the orchestra, PARTICULAR
lin the educational field. 1t ha
made all of us in this room fes
anew that the orchestra must go o
land that It will 90 on"