Show k U. U 0 S. S Schools Building V a Nation of I Musicians t 2 HE public schools are building for America a nation of music musi- musi r i c cans clans ans This in a sentence is the s c explanation for the extraordinary Interest in music at present displayed by all ages and classes of society offered k by nearly a score of noted artists educators and other leaders included in a symposium compiled by the Conn Music l Center Elkhart Ind The Music Center was lead to secure the F opinions on the value value o of music to the public school pupil that N r follow by y the the publication of government figures showing a t large gain in In the number of professional musicians and further indicating that the sale of musical instruments throughout throughout the country has more than doubled in the past twelve years According to the published figures there are arc now in Other contributors 1 the United States as many musicians as there are and contributions to i clergymen or or- lawyers and five times as many as the music school symposium sym sym- there are journalists This of course does not take are count of t the te thousands of e semi-professional semi and ama ama- John Philip Sousa tear musicians who are doing time part-time work ti musIcIans teaching recognized as king of singing in in choirs choUs or r earning extra dollars by working band leaders What leaders What J 1 o ou Oll the side with violin and saxophone one Figures from I should like to see in inthis t the e s same me source also show that while the value of musical mu mu- this country what I instruments turned out in l 1914 l' l was only believe would do moro more in 1923 1928 the figure had risen to than anything else for s and is 15 steadily going up its musical development develop develop- Of the millions of boys and girls who are entering ment is the extension high schools in America this fall the Conn Music Center of the band idea along estimates that close to a million will have some sort sort- the lines de- de of musical training before they enter college d by organized baseball This game or commerce These will form the bulk of was once a purely local thing isolated the high school and university bands of teams dotted here and there in school tomorrow later turning to lodge and or village or factory We know what community bands and orchestras a afew it has become Why cannot the few into symphonic orchestras and American band be made as vital and still others to grand opera They universal a part of our everyday will take the places now being filled k life largely by musicians brought in v The musical of from abroad and them will willbe training children among i is a most of important part be the great soloists to any probe program probe pro pro- the represent 1 r for America v gram making more and Am America in the world councils of music tt 5 y more musical but I believe that like other education its place is in thoY the tho Y Young oung Boy Cant Can't Sing school and not in the tile home The reason why many children of past generations Three striking g viewpoints s stand md out in the symposium below Several of have found music drudgery is because it the contributors make the point that was made an extra task an infringement upon their playtime instead of a part of their Americans longer content with a are e no merely hearing music mUSIC but that they JOHN PHILIP SOUSA are showing unmistakable signs of Frederick Neil Nell Innes Innel director or of the C Conn nn wanting to take an active part in creating music National School of f Music Chicago A Chicago America America enca speaking it might be interpreted to mean i is is s destined to be be the leading nation of the the world In in the that the rising generation is tiring of watching a baseball base base- realm ealm of music It does not yet rank with Germany ball game when the opportunity is there to go out and trance prance Hungary I Italy al or En England lan But she l is climb climb- play golf Unquestionably there la is a growing inclination inclination ing g It is IS the music In in the public sch schools which will tion oil ort the part of Americ Americans ns to develop their musical of give of the Am America herh her supremacy ha ea Fully eighty p per r- r rent cent ent bump high schools h have some musical organization orchestra or band No other offers her Frederick Neil Nell Innes one the of-the gr greatest bandmasters country young people such opportunity to know to appreciate and to of all times tImos and now head of a unique Institution in play good music I Chicago which aims to train band men as well as band bandleaders leaders thinks that the present amazing popularity of I believe the band or orchestra is vastl vastly superior to instrumental music among young folk is a re reaction to the vocal cl class ss Why Because the boy in the adolescent the distress experienced by their parents in being forced cent stage simply will WIll not sing H He lie may be compelled to take tak vocal work in the schoolroom in their youth to go through the mO motions Ions but he will not actually sing The boy in the adolescent stage he says saya will not sing because be be- beHe He refuses efus s for the simple Imp reason that he has no voice cause he has no voice to sing with but given a trombone tram tram- to sing with But give him a trombone or a cornet conet or i bone cornet or any other instrument it Is 18 amazing any other othe instrument of the band and and watch his with what energy he will apply himself to it Mr Innes lanes ress It is IS amazing how he will work and stu study y There is a strong believer that band and orchestra are vastly is no question but th the public schools ls are wise In in devoting de de- de- de superior to the vocal class as a training medium and in inthis voting voting more more a time t to Ins instrumental instruction When this he is seconded by several of the contributors to the music occupies a pO position in In the school on an n eq equal al foot foot- I symposium ing lag with m mathematics t and history America will have haveA capable musicians A Another not h er new t thought h h t on music mUSIC In in t the h e sc schools h 00 1 s is IS a advanced ad ad- d by C C. C D. D Greenleaf for ten consecutive years ears Dr Her Herman an N. N Bu Bundesen dlen Commissioner of P Public president of the National Association of Band Bald Instrument Health Chicago Davids ChIC Chicago gO DaVI David's Davids s harp drove away S Sauls Saul's ul s ill ment Manufacturers He thinks instrumental music humor Music p plays ays a vital part today In in the mind and should be included in the manual training course of body of the nat nation on We have learned that tones can the school curriculum Our schools have been developed devel devel- play a vital vItal part In in the treatment of the mentally men men- sp that now a child can learn to be a carpenter car car- tally ailing Hospitals have learned t that at penter mechanic printer or a member of a with music they can ease the suffering number of other professions all at public patients cost says Mr Greenleaf why not The rhe effect of music on n sick children extend the same sort of opportunity to IS is zemar remarkable able Musical games game and children who desire to take up music calisthenics performed to music musIc not as a work life only stimulate but are disciplining agents in the tr of convalescent Y Youth e Its Ita training ining Blowing Horn V r cent and growing children Continuing Mr Greenleaf says Where there is life there is music Radio the phonograph and the and where there is music there is public school band are conspiring f life love love and and health to make the he Uni United ed St States tes the Thomas A A. Edison the electrical I most musical natI nation n in all the wizard wizard Campaigns Campaigns should be inaugurated world After hearing more music mUSIC V for the purpose of acquainting than any ot other er generation n has ever people with the advantages of musical heard America is expressing an sin ardent training Families should be induced to have wish to blow its own horn in the actual all nIl their children learn to play separate instruments sense Bense of the phrase The creative ments and to form home orchestras The ef- ef spirit is lifting its h head ad and to today ay DR DR- HERMAN N. N BUNDESEN feet of this on the musical life of our country the United d. d States is 19 developing would be immense One of the reasons children chit chil more musicians mUSICIans and embryo musicians than ever before dren should be taught music is that when they grow J No matter how far a short hort he may be from the accepted ac ac- acup up they will have a taste for it and a means with which standards of of his instrument the he player derives to occupy their leisure far more satisfaction and pleasure In in the knowledge that he is creating music than he could possibly feel Edward W. W Bok BoIe editor author and philanthropist philanthropist- from the strains of the modern masters artificially reTo raTo re re- To be brought up in a home in which there is no music produced is a terrible deprivation If I had my life to live again It is a serious problem with many parents arents the these e days daya I should certainly want to make music of to find wholesome methods of recreation for their chil chIl- a part my dren The band and orchestra furnish an ideal outlet early tr training My two s sons fortunately have a love for the energies of the gang which might otherwise be bo for music mUSIC One plays the piano and the other plays the expressed in ways not nearly so healthful It is pretty trombone It has seemed to me that American musical generally agreed that w while t the e child is growing up is ie training in the tho past has been far too superficial Music the best time to i imbue bue him WIt with a knowledge a and d love for music musIc The child has the time to devote to it and has done me a wonderful and invaluable service I learns music readily By not giving him a musical education edu edu- firmly y believe it is IS only y a matter of time when we wa cation in childhood we are probably deri ino h lun l o of shall become in this country a great music-creating music the tha joys of music forever people Joliet Illinois High School Band nand Winner of the 1926 National Contest A 4 jT v iii V g gS g'S I S |