February 8, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
50
MUSIC AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
By GEORGE H. GARTLAN Director of Music in the Public Schools of New York City
ATMOSPHERE VERSUS DRILL IN MUSIC TRAINING
Edwin Huches
THE EMINENT AMERICAN PIANIST f
New York City
Stein way Piano
316 West 102nd Street
Coach' and Accompanist to
MARTINELLI
for six years Studio: 2231 Broadway, New York Phone Schuyler 6598
ROXAS
Vocal Coach
E
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The Question of Normal School Instruction for Grade Teachers as Discussed by Carol Holland, of the Geneseo Normal
School
"Above all else, the music department of the Normal Schools should heed the cry of hundreds of the best grade teachers of this State and other States in the Union. Make cur way plain! Your subject is complex! There are so many sides to it! It is very intangible—where—where— shall we begin ? What shall we do first ? And right here is where we supervisors have shed so much blood over the 'battle of methods.’ I believe that the matter of method really matters hot so much, my friends. The public and heads of schools are saying: ‘results—results,’ if you please; we care not greatly which method you may use, and any method which will result in a student saying, with flashing eye and contagious enthusiasm: ‘We have never had music taught in the school where I am to teach this fall, but I do so want to try it, even though there is no supervisor to help,’ cannot be so very wrong. We must surround the student with musical atmosphere, create a wish and a will to do, and make the way very clear, logical and tangible—placing their feet on strongly defined steps and giving them a vision toward which to travel.”
It is evident that experience teaches teachers, as well as pupils. The need for a more elastic plan of “teacher-training” is evident. The old fashioned days of “do-re-mi” school music, let us hope, have gone forever. What we need is more musicianship among teachers of music in the schools.
Hinchliff Planning Western Tour
James Hinchliff, baritone, and artist-pupil of Harold Hurlbut, is hard at work on his program for his prospective tour to the Pacific Northwest in May. Besides his work with students along the lines of voice production, he makes a speciality of training singers in that much-neglected essential—musicianship.
“Mr. Hurlbut has sent me a number of his own pupils for special musical training,” said Mr. Hinchliff, recently. “He demands not only talent, but also a desire for real culture on the part of his pupils, and holds that musician-ship should have an equal place in a singer’s equipment with voice, brains annd personality.” While at college, Mr. Hinchliff took a thorough course in piano, which is of great help in his work.
Guy Maier Recital February 20
Guy Maier, pianist, will “desert” the Maier-Pattison combination for a day to give a piano recital at Aeolian Hall on February 20. His program will include a group of Chopin and a number of modern compositions.
GRACE STEVENSON
Concert Harpist-Teacher
For terms and dates address
317 West 93rd Street, New York	Phone Riverside 7988
HARRIOT EUDORA BARROWS
TEACHER OF SINGING
Trinity Court, Boston	Conrad Building, Providence
MRS. FREDERICK SNYDER
2025 Broadway New York City
Phone Columbus 6441
MARIE STONE-LANGST0N
Mezzo-Contralto
Address:
411 North 36th Street Philadelphia, Pa.
HOTEL EUROPEAN PLAN
LATHAM
COMPLETELY RENOVATED
In the Heart of New York’s Business and Shopping Centre. Thoroughly modern throughout. Superior Cuisine. Exceptional Service. Rates $2.00 a day and upward.
EMIL H. REINERS, Manager
28til St. and Filth Ave.	New York
A a recent meeting of supervisors of school music, part of the symposium was devoted to the discussion of normal training for grade teachers. The expressions of opinion were widely different in character. One speaker flatly declared that the most important thing was drill in the reading of music—no matter what else had to be sacrificed. The emphasis was so strongly placed that many of the auditors afterwards declared that the statements were a decided step backward—at least unprogressive and a voice from the past. There has been no more deadening influence on school music than the dogged insistence that music reading was the most important factor in music education for the masses. Statements like this or of similar character generally come from people who are not able to do much else themselves. Music reading is important, but only in proportion to the entire amount of time devoted to music education.
The Ideal Normal School.
Miss Holland expressed herself on this subject as follows: “My dreams call for a Normal School equipped to furnish a thorough education, as far as time would permit, in voice culture, correction of all speech defects, and instrumental instruction; large organ on which to give recitals— especially on Sunday afternoons. I would have a large room furnished in such a manner that when I gave a lesson in music and appreciation the surroundings would do much to help emphasize the cultural. I would allow plenty of time for thorough preparation for the teaching of music and for practice with the children. More consideration would be given the student, who after being in school for a while, decides that she would like to do extra work in music with the intention of going on with the subject— possibly specializing. I would make it possible for her to substitute extra practice with the children for some other subject during the senior year. Supposing, after a year or two, she does wish to study to supervise, what other school can offer the advantage of so much drill with children ?”
It is evident that Miss Holland believes in the efficiency of musical atmosphere as the proper basis for instruction —the modern idea. But, more of this atmosphere.
“The Musical Atmosphere can •be so strong and permeating that the students of the entering class each fall shall feel the influence and wish to prepare themselves to be of the greatest help, musically, in the town where they are to teach. This atmosphere can be created by:
1.	Co-operation, musically, in all civic functions of the town.
2.	Membership of students in church choirs and other musical organizations with credit given at the school.
3.	Recitals by talent from within and without the school walls.
4.	Christmas and holiday programs of such force that they will influence the whole life of the student, and create a desire to go and do likewise in their own schools.
5.	Giving the occasional student-soloist a chance on special programs and the instrumentalist, a place in the orchestra.”
At this point the importance of required music must be considered. The following will explain:
“Required attendance at chorus period whether the student is musical or not. It is not a waste of time for the unmusical one, if we directors make it our business to instruct, in every one of the several avenues open to us, the minute we lift our baton.
“It is an education to them all, but especially to those students who expect to act as principals or heads of schools to see how a large crowd is managed, kept interested, and the music interpreted. They will have a chance to compare different types of music and the merits of various conductors—whether to our advantage or not. There will no longer be heard from the principals and those in authority the confession of ignorance as to what and !how grade teachers should teach the subject of music, and how a chorus should be conducted, or what music to use.
“The atmosphere is further strengthened by a thoughtfully outlined music appreciation course, but taking infinite care that the doing, and I might say the willingness to do of the individual student, is not sacrificed. There should be careful supervision of all music for school functions, the school setting a standard and keeping to that standard. Think, too, how the musical atmosphere would be strengthened if each member of the faculty were conscious of the wonderful possibilities for correlation of music with his or her own particular subject, and would use music at least twice a year in the class! This would result in the children of our school singing a greater part of the time than they do now.
“Music should not be an isolated subject assigned to a certain period and then forgotten, or like our best clothes— to be used once in a while. It directly concerns history, countries, ages, and conditions of men and their possessions. This correlation is, to my mind, vitally important, and if we supervisors will take the trouble to study the particular subject and outline a lesson or two for each member of the faculty, we will meet with no ooposition at all, but with the kindest co-operation. This will react on the student body to the advancement of music in the schools of our country.”
An important feature of all normal school work, however, is the actual detailed preparation of the future grade teacher for practical work in music. It must be remembered that these students are not preparinp־ as specialists in music, but are training for efficiency in all branches of teaching. After the musical atmosphere is created and interest aroused, it is important to impress upon the student the necessity for practical drill in interval study, rhythm and sight singing. Miss Holland evidently recognizes this necessity.
HENRY F. SEIBERT
CONCERT ORGANIST—Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity 65th Street and Central Park West, New York City
Alien McQUHAE
Tenor
Management MUSIC LEAGUE OF AMERICA 712-718 Fisk Bldg., New York
AIMIL DEER
Coloratura Soprano
Western Management:	Adolph Knauer	79 Central Ave., San Francisco
ALFREDO MARTINO
VOCAL XLACHER AND COACH
Phone 8743 Schuyler
435 West End Ave., N. Y.
Harpist
Management:
WALTER ANDERSON
ANNIE LOUISE
DAVID
Phone: 1212 Bryant ::	1452 Broadway, N. Y.
MRS. EDWARD MacDOWELL
Program, of MacDowell Music
Proceeds of these recitals revert unreservedly to the MacDowell Memorial Association.
Addres«: PETERBORO, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
STEINWAY PIANO
RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Organist and Director of Music, Euclid Ave. Baptist Church, Cleveland, Ohio.
Director, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, Berea, Ohio.
CONCERT ORGANIST—PIANO AND ORGAN STUDIO
For Recitals or Instruction Address, Berea, Ohio
Piano Studio, 707 The Arcade, Cleveland, Ohio.
!MACBETH
E	Chicago Grand Opéra
Management: National Concerta, Inc., 1451 Broadway, New York.
4ÜÜMcC0RMACK
EDWIN SCHNEIDER, Accompanist
Manager: CHARLES L. WAGNER
D. F. McSweeney, Associate Manager,
511 Fifth Ave. (Postal Life Bldg.), New York. Stein way Piano Used.
WITTGENSTEIN
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Tel. Columbus 29^1 Ampico Records
PIANIST
15 W. 67th STREET, NEW YORK CITY Knabe Piano
The Secrets of Svengali
by
J. H. Duval
The complete unveiling of the mysteries of song.
The untangling of the snarled knot of the jargon of the vocal studio.
An inspiration to work—an incentive to serious study.
Direct-—forceful—truth-telling.
No student or teacher can afford to be without this book.
$2.00 at all Music Dealers and Booksellers
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Publishers
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