Show lovers of music persons in whose hoso life it has been a tah human character not vital interest will say that 11 strengthened by music its influence for good must ily by ETHEL B HOWARD have been great in human b A antul pod 1 bation MUL mm experience generally those thoe to whom it has never spoken with the voice of authority whose spirits have been deaf to it can hardly believe that it has been a real force in the onward urge urae a of mens lives A third class of persons small in proportion and conspicuous for a I 1 vre Tire judice against the arts in general rather than for a hospitable attitude jo toward them have bave a certain mistrust of music except in a few of its more rigid forms against secular music for example they raise a barrier of disapproval as against an enemy of morality very seldom nowadays of course but very often of old music which was not sacred was regarded 0 aier er as idle or dangerous human progress is is a difficult thing to measure to trace any direct confection connection between it and the influence of music is not easy say that music has been the source of delight inspiration employment to millions af pf of people the case then is easily won for music if these thin things cover what bernean nean by progress one can pretty nearly gauge in terms of money the ibe increase of industry in a given time under the stimulus of a new invention but to measure the general progress of a people in a richly musical period is a matter for speculation can it be q said aid as aa a proved fact that art makes people better no 1 it t cannot but as human beings 0 progress they make I 1 believe allowing for all the mistakes failures and doubtful experiments art music I 1 suppose might be named the most potent of all the arts in ats is instant effect on the feelings when it is in any degree emotional and not a purely intellectual form as it was known and cultivated in the piddle middle ages music is in a sense highly utilitarian it will make m men en work with more vigor and in unison it will even make them go into battle with a sort of willingness it causes them to forget obstacles overcome restraints grow tender fierce or reverent in short it acts like a strong drug of instantaneous and rather transient effect upon the majority of human beings but acting thus on the emotions can it make for any progress except in emotional sensitiveness unless there results a strengthening of the character somewhere from the ex experience prience music is not elevating as it is sometimes called or used to be in everyday every day parlance those who hear it with significant results were elevated before they heard it they only listened and understood music may amount to a revelation to some it may be the key to open to them sew new worlds but music did not make such people what they are I 1 should eay say that music has had little effect on human progress though luman progress ss has contributed vastly to the enrichment of music what flowers in art is the vitality of the human spirit seeking to announce itself in many ways the arts do not make human progress but human progress 0 does everything for the alie arts which are va varieties of its expression what makes humanity progress fr W s xa 7 kaoo T C dont know by the way we re |