Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
flUJIC TIRADE
V O L . L I X . N o . 17 Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman BUI at 373 Fourth Ave., New York, Oct. 24, 1914
A
SING
So CO p P E I R S VESvg ENTS
RE we doing our full share in the encouragement of a musical education for the children of
America?
^
If every piano merchant throughout America would use his influence and his energy
towards bringing about a stronger national effort in behalf of musical education, lie would
be performing spkjndid "work for the happiness of the race, and incidentally encouraging the busi-
ness future of a trade which is giving him a livelihood.
While we should be ever mindful of the present, it is only fair that there should be a reason-
able regard for the future and for those who are to follow, and who will control the musical
future of America.
The time to train people musically is when they are young and easily moulded, and not when
they have gone through the hardening process. Give the children an opportunity to understand
music, dancing and poetry. They all lead to happiness—to the prolongation of youth, and to the
beauty and charm of life.
I remember one celebrated musician told me that when a very small boy his father com-
pelled him to play a certain time each day. The work was distasteful to him and he rebelled.
The father had to use the strap to keep the boy at his lessons. This man told me many years after
that he thanked God that his father did punish him, because compelling him to adhere to his
lessons had opened the gates of pleasure, revenue and enjoyment to him through his entire life.
It is said that one noted American commenced the musical education of his baby girl when
she lay in the cradle. He had certain musical chords struck in the room, where she was lying so
that her ear could become accustomed to harmony.
Teach the young music.
Those who can play a musical instrument never need have a lonesome moment in life. They
are desirable as companions, because they give joy to others.
It was Darwin who said, "If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to
read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week; for perhaps the parts of my brain
now atrophied would thus have been kept active through use. The loss of these tastes is a loss
of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral char-
acter, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature."
Some men feel keenly the lack of a musical education. I know a very wealthy man who
said that he would give $10,000 if he could play a single piece. Yet he had won a distinguished
success in business life; but as he grew older he realized how r much of the beautiful he had been
deprived. He became conscious of his great loss—the loss of an education which meant the lack
of love for literature—the lack of a musical training, which meant that he was unable to play;
thus he had been robbed of something which meant more than money to him—human happiness.
And, after all, life was never meant for all of hard work—for all of stern duty, nor all of
the commonplace toil which keeps the world going.
Music and poetry help to sweeten life—prolong usefulness and enlarge the scope of human
enjoyment.
Then, there is the plainly practical side, if you will, which will appeal strongly to some.
(Continued on page 5.)