45
MUSICAL COURIER
April 6, 1922
MUSIC AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
By GEORGE H. GARTLAN Director of Music in the Public Schools of New York City
THE AIM OF SONG SINGING
The General Practice as Followed in Schools, and What the Net Result Should Be
Photo by Botto
ELIZABETH JULE EDWARDS, talented young daughter of Governor Edwards of New Jersey, ioho will make her dehut as a singer at one of the concerts of the New York Mozart Society neat season.
phone reports. Walter M. Dear, of Bentley avenue, this city, congratulated Miss Edwards on her fine recital and stated that her enunciation was clearer than any he had ever heard over the radiophone, and this coupled with the fine quality of her voice made her recital exceptionally pleasing.”
I ALICE GARRIGUE MOTT (
=	Announces
ANOTHER TRIUMPH
for	|
LoDESCA LOVELAND
Dramatic Soprano
=	chosen as	|
I America’s Representative Artist
|	to tour
I AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND |
OCTOBER, 1921 — MAY, 1922	|
| Management: Ellison-White Bureau, Portland, Ore. 1
the child is made to feel the great thrill of morning and the inspiration of light. The average spring song becomes a lugubrious performance unless the mind is properly directed and placed in a receptive mood. In addition to proper interpretation the song should be the basis for all technical study of elementary theory, ear training and harmony. Through such an agency the singing voice is better, the tone is better, and there is less likelihood of misunderstanding as to the function of music in the great educational scheme.
At the recent conference of music supervisors, held in Nashville, the above points were well demonstrated by William L. Tomlins, of Chicago. Supervisors are familiar with the tremendous power which Mr. Tomlins has in directing choruses. His whole effort is placed on the interpretation of the song, rather than on any technical skill in the performance of that song. It is true that there is an inspiring personality behind his work, which unfortunately is not given to all people, and we have no doubt that the success of his work is due largely to this personality. However, his method of approach is correct, and children respond readily under his direction, because he plays largely upon the emotional elements of the song, and derives the various tone qualities from the emotional elements. After all, this is a very much better way than imposing upon the child the commands of adult experience.
Telephone: Schuyler 7993
Studios: 172 West 79th Street New York City
Governor Edwards’ Daughter to Go Abroad
A tea musicale was given by Grace Whistler at her delightful studios on Tuesday afternoon, March 21, in honor of her guest, Flora Bradshaw. Among those invited were Marcella Craft, Miss Dillon and Miss Orner, who together with Miss Bradshaw and the hostess were students in Milan, Italy, under the same maestri. Others present were Miss Whistler’s talented pupil, Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of Governor Edwards of New Jersey; Mrs. Basler, Mrs. Lewis and Conrad Forsberg. During the afternoon a short and informal program was given.
Very soon Miss Whistler and Miss Edwards will sail for Europe, where they will spend the greater part of the summer. First they will stop in London, where Miss Whistler has many friends, after which they will proceed to Paris, where much time will be devoted to study. Upon their return Miss Whistler .will resume her concert work and teaching about October 1, while Miss Edwards will make her debut some time in February at a concert given by the New York Mozart Society, Mrs. Noble McConnell president. Mrs. McConnell is much interested in this young singer’s career and it was with the belief that she has a future that she has arranged her debut next season with the Mozart Society.
Recently Miss Edwards sang for the radio. According to one of the Newark, N. J., papers, “Listeners in, last night, had the pleasure of hearing a fine program broadcasted from Station WNO, including a recital by Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of Governor Edward I. Edwards. Miss Edwards was accompanied at the piano by Conrad Forsberg, pianist and concert artist. Miss Edwards sang four selections, all
MARY A —Soprano— »		n	1^■“^ Y Engaged for Fall concert tour of ten weeks. Under Direction of KINGSBERY FOSTER 66 West 38th St., New York.
ESTHER DALE •“־־ ÆÊ₪k Phone 8017 Columbu«			
William Drummond	l־*l	J® P* Scientific Voice Development NORMAL TONE — ARTISTIC SINGING 145 West 85th St ™ L R Macdonald, Sec’y Phone 10021 Schuyler, New York	
ELIZABETH QUAILE
225 West End Ave., New York
Assistant to HAROLD BAUER
EVENING VOCAL STUDY
Owing to the number of vocal teachers now studying—as well as other students who work during the day—Mr. Hurlbut will teach two evenings a week.
HAROLD HURLBUT
Latest disciple of JEAN DE RESZKE Endorsed by Edmond Clement
Mr. Hurlbut’s increased activities have forced him, recently, to take up his residence in the city.
Home Address: 319 W. 95th St., Riverside 4650.
(MYRTLE HALE TREADWELL, Assistant.	Morningside 5271.)
HURLBUT VOCAL STUDIO: 31 Metropolitan Opera House, New York
Bryant 1274
Whenever school supervisors are asked what particular problems present the most difficulties, the answers are invariably, rhythm and intervals. Careful investigation and research reveals that these two factors are largely minor details in the broad consideration of the subject. After all, it must be realized that to obtain success in school music, as in anything else in life, the whole must be planned and not half. It is unfortunate that we sometimes assume that the inductive method is better than the deductive method in teaching school music. Wherever the process of induction is used we find that interest in music is largely lacking. Any study of music which is not based upon the child’s experience has little practical value in education, and because of this reason the best thought in modern psychology requires that experience in music shall be gained through the singing of very beautiful songs.
The Old Fashioned Idea.
School music had its beginning long before any system of methodology was worked out along the lines of pedagogical investigation. It was largely represented through what was called the old fashioned singing school of New England origin, which included the parents as well as the children, and was conducted by the local school teacher going about from place to place. The idea was of sufficient importance to find its continuance in the classroom during the regular school session. Community singing was the big-issue, and, according to all reports, was frequently of a rather boisterous order. However, it served its purpose, and gradually well organized teaching took the place of local confusion. The introduction of various methods unconsciously distorted the original notion, that is, that, after all. good singing was the chief aim of public school music.
However, little attention was paid to proper interpretation of song. This naturally includes a perfect tone quality which should be the result of the literary content of the song. It is unfortunate that there are still directors of music wh'o ignore this fact and palliate the evils which may exist, on the grounds that children should be allowed to sing according to the particular mood they are in at the time, whether they convey the spirit of the song or not.
The Substitution of Mechanical Effort.
Method in school music developed rapidly, and was accompanied in many places by instantaneous success. It was discovered at an early stage that children would respond readily to mechanical effort, and as a result schemes were constantly being invented to provide for musical stunts. The work was comparable in many instances to the type of skill which is developed by mental arithmetic, but which did not m any sense make clear to the child the real function of music in his after life. Skill in sight reading made possible the development of rather advanced part music in the intermediate grades. Part music, after all, requires a fair degree of skill, and in order to get this skill it is necessary to expend a great deal of valuable time which might otherwise be devoted to better things. An appreciation of literature does not necessarily carry with it the requirement to be able to write well. There is still a field for expert writers, the same as skilled composers of music. Even where considerable creative talent is present the most intensive study must be pursued in order to develop the required technic. For the person who is not endowed with such talent insistence on mechanical skill tends to destroy a love for music rather than to develop it.
The “Warm Glow.”
Music is different from most subjects, insofar as it makes equal demands upon the emotions and the intellect. A purely intellectual approach robs the subject of its sweetest and most enduring attribute. On the other hand, the overdevelopment of the emotional content is equally destructive. There is a happy middle ground which brings the response known as the “warm glow from within,” and it is this element which gives to the child a real appreciation of the function of song singing. No one can appreciate what he cannot feel, and so, in school life, the greatest thought should be given to the selection of proper song material which will develop this response.
How Tone Quality Is Developed.
Modern tendencies are away from abstract voice training for school children. There are a few simple rules which must be followed concerning tone production, but the best results are obtained when the tone quality is appropriate to the emotion as expressed by the text. This is the fundamental idea of song singing. Directors of children’s choruses have not been particular in this regard, but have frequently devoted attention to the suppression of tone rather than its development. “Hushing” is a familiar error resorted to when a “piano” effect is desired. “Soft” singing has been encouraged by people who did not know how to get the proper tonal result without such a direction. On the other hand, “loud” singing has been tolerated because suppression was considered fatal to enthusiastic response. Let it be stated here that the most important problem in school music today is the song singing problem. In trying to accomplish a course of study in music we have hurried ahead, with preconceived notions of what the child should do, rather than what he could do, and so we have filled our curriculum with lots of useless information, and neglected the vital problem of song singing properly interpreted and directed.
What Song Singing Should Accomplish.
In the end song singing should accomplish what it started out to do, that is, give to the child a fuller appreciation of the best in music, and what music in turn can do for him.
It starts and ends with the song. The element in music which counts for the most is that which prompts the child to feel and do the great thing. There can never be a successful rendition of “Hark. Hark, thp Lark I” ״nip«־