Show MUSIC IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS music is one of the greatest factors in our schools today and should be given more attention what percentage of the pupils in the alie grammar grades ot of our public ablie schools can sing an ordinary hymn at sight one hundred and nineteen tee schools out ot of say that 75 per coat cent of 0 their pupils can do this according to tho the united states dureau bureau of education convinced ol of the fundamental mental importance of music as a school subject dr P P claxton CI axton commissioner of I 1 education du cation requested mr will earhart director of music in the flie schools of pittsburg pa to make a thorough investigation of music teaching in the schools of the several states A bulletin containing the results of mr Ear harts investigations has just ben isred according to this bulletin about 90 per cent of the schools of the country require music and practically all of these have the course graded the weakness of the present system in mr earb Ear harts view is that only a small per cent UL of the grade teachers are required to pas an examination in music the work in the schools is done largely through supervisors ot of directors of music ten per cent of 0 the schools have pianos halt half that number have organs the order of popularity with the student in regard to music reverses exactly the order that the school authorities desire students regard music first from the standpoint ot of appreciation then history and finally harmony mr earhart finds that the less formal and academic the plan the greater the popularity in discussing mr Ear harts findings commissioner claxton declares good music Is necessary not only for enjoyment and recreation but bat also for inspiration and tor for salvation from death in the din and dust of trade and this music should be democratic in the truest and best sense although not recognized in the course of study of our earliest public schools music has within tha th last 25 or 30 years been introduced to some extent into the schools of most progressive cities and many towns villages and country communities though by many it Is still considered nu essential and a tad fad sooner or later we shall not only recognize the culture value of music we shall also begin to understand that after the beginnings of reading writing arithmetic and geometry music has greater practical value than any other subject taught in the schools |