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THE
fflJJIC TIRADE
VOL. XXXVII.
No. 5.
Published Every Sal. by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Are.. Hew York, Am. 1,1903.
MUSIC TEACHING IN SCHOOLS DISCUSSED.
A T the recent convention of the leading
lights in the educational world, held at
the New England Conservatory of Music,
Boston, there was an interesting discussion
on the subject of music in the public schools
which was opened by Ralph L. Baldwin,
supervisor of music in Northampton, Mass.,
who very boldly criticized the methods pre-
vailing to-day in teaching music. He said
that the entire system of teaching pupils to
read at sight was at fault and most emphatic-
ally declared that until sweeping changes
were made the results would not be a bit
better.
He said that many things are done in mus-
ical instruction that are pedagogically
wrong, owing to lack of knowledge of the
real fundamentals of the subject and poor
discernment of the mental capabilities of the
child. Hours are spent at the outset in at-
tempting to teach the theory of musical nota-
tion, requiring analytical power to under-
stand, questions relating to keys, scale struc-
ture, time and rhythm, which later can be
grasped in a single lesson.
There is too much teaching of songs of the
rote song order and too little teaching of prin-
ciples and their application. If school music
is to result in sight reading of the language
there must be practice in sight reading. Too
many principles are taught in primary grades,
more than can be properly assimilated. Part
singing is introduced too early, before pupils
can even read readily a single melody. One
of the principal causes which prevents suc-
cessful results in reading is that which
teaches dependence instead of independence.
But over and beyond all causes is the failure
to teach music individually, as every other
subject is taught. Not until this antiquated
and uneducational method of class instruc-
tion and concert recitation is supplanted
largely by individual training can we expect
any considerable improvement in the results
of teaching the language of music.
Among the subjects discussed was "The
Training in Sight Singing and Song Inter-
pretation Which the Body of Normal School
Students Should Receive," by C. A. Fuller-
ton, director of vocal music, State Normal
School, Cedar Falls, la., who said in part:
"Investigation discloses the fact that over 60
per cent, of the students in all the State nor-
mal schools of the United States have, upon
entering the school, no previous preparation
in vocal music. In dealing with adults who
are beginning the study of music, special em-
phasis should be placed upon developing tech-
nical skill. Two-thirds of the entire time spent
in the regular class work should be given to
thorough and persistent work in note-reading
and in beating time.
"The Real Purpose of Teaching Public
School Music" was treated by Samuel W.
Cole, supervisor of school music in Brook-
line, who said: "If to sing music at first
sight, or to make music interpreters is the
real purpose of public school music, then it
has been a miserable failure, and it has not
been a miserable failure even if it has not, up
to the present time, been a commanding suc-
cess."
The discussion on "School Music; Has It
Made Music Readers?" was opened by Geo.
W. Wilmot, supervisor of music, New Bruns-
wick, N. J., who said in part: "School music,
as it has been generally taught, has not made
music readers. The proof of this statement
is found in the fact that our choral singers,
church choirs, and church congregations are
not music readers, although composed largely
of former public school pupils. The same
standard in reading vocal music should be
expected as in reading instrumental music.
"One reason that school music has not
made music readers is that music has been
taught almost altogether in classes, and not
to individuals, in spite of the fact that every
other subject is taught individually, and also
that the small child's efforts have been spread
over too much ground."
*
MME. GADSKI AND GORITZ ENGAGED.
expected has happened, and after
many weeks of more or less active ne-
gotiation Mme. Gadski has finally signed a
contract with Mr. Conried for the next sea-
son of opera at the Metropolitan Opera
House. As she has of late years been one of
the most useful and hard working members
of the company, an artist whose industry has
advanced her many degrees toward the high-
est standing, and one whose versatility and
obliging nature often got the management
out of embarrassing situations, it was almost
a matter of course that Mr. Conried should
re-engage her. She is undoubtedly an ele-
ment of strength to the new impresario.
Mr. Conried also engaged in Berlin Otto
Goritz, a baritone, who has never been heard
in this country. Herr Goritz, who is a young
singer of great promise, has been a member
of the company at the Stadt Theatre in Ham
burg. He was on the point of accepting an
engagement at the Imperial Opera House in
Vienna, where he was to take Reichmann's
place, when M. Conried heard him sing and
him for the Metropolitan.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
FRITZ SCHEEL IN SAN FRANCISCO.
A FTER repeated attempts to regain Herr
Fritz Scheel as conductor of their sym-
phony concerts, the guarantors and managers
of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
have succeeded in making an arrangement
whereby Herr Scheel can devote some por-
tion of his time to their orchestra without in
any way interfering with his duties as con-
ductor of the Philadelphia orchestra. In
order to do this, the San Franciscans have
had to change their season from winter to
summer, and Herr Scheel will leave Phila-
delphia this week to conduct a series of con-
certs in the Golden Gate city during August
and September, returning to Philadelphia in
full time to begin the rehearsals for the regu-
lar season in that city, which will open late
in October.
It is hinted, in connection with this new
arrangement, that in order to have Herr
Scheel conduct its concerts in the future, the
management of the San Francisco Orches-
tra will make a permanent change in the
season and give two months of concerts in
the spring and two months in the fall each
year, in this way not conflicting with the Phil-
adelphia organization.
Such a compliment
has never before been paid to any conductor
in this country, and it marks a unique inno-
vation in the annals of American music.
ft
EDWIN GRASSE COMING.
C D W I N GRASSE, the young American
^
violinist, who has won notable distinc-
tion in Berlin, Vienna, Leipsig, Munich and
London, will be welcomed on his first concert
tour of this country the coming season. Since
young Grasse graduated with highest honors
from the Royal Conservatory at Brussels,
where he was under the personal guidance of
Caesar Thomson, he has made brilliant ap-
pearances with the great European orches-
tras, and in recital, and he brings flattering
encomiums of his gifts and art from the
exacting German critics.
ft
PAINE WILL REPRESENT HARVARD.
""T H E Wagner Monument Committee at
Berlin has been advised by Chas. W.
Elliott, of Harvard University, that he has
appointed Prof. Paine to represent that uni-
versity at the unveiling of the monument, and
also one for the St. Andrew's University,
Scotland, announcing the appointment of An-
drew Carnegie to represent it on that occa-
sion. The monument is to be in Berlin.
Prof. John Knowles Paine, A.M., Mus. D.,
is professor of music at Harvard, and has
distinguished himself of late years as a com-
poser of classical music.