The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

IMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIII iHdnliiitiitiiiiiHiitiirliiitiiiiiiniitiiiiiitiiiiilMiitlitiitc •..iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiintCMiiiiiiiii Records on Review MAa U, DiLUcK^kt iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiniii.~ • FOLK TUNES. Useful recordings for physical education are not too plentiful, but there are some outstanding discs intended for folk and square dancing. The Methodist Publishing House oflfers their World of Fun (MlOl M109) series of records, which will prove very useful in the upper elementary grades as well as in junior and senior high schools. The tunes presented are familiar folk music, the rhythms are intriguing and listeners need little further encouragement to respond through spirited dancing. Some of the tunes played are "Red River Valley", "Pop Goes the Weasel", "Irish Washerwoman", "Camptown Races," and many others representing Hungarian, Swiss, Austrian, Danish, Belgian, and English folk music. Although the calls are not contained on the records, there are simple directions for dancing to these tunes that small groups as well as class groups can follow easily. There is nothing in the performance or presentation of these recordings to detract from their high educational value and suitability to school use. They are intended for and will be most useful in dancing and physical education classes on all levels of instruction with children and young adults old enough to understand and to follow relatively simple directions. • POETRY. It is generally agreed by teachers of English that poetry, to be fully appreciated, must be heard. It may be and probably must be read as well; but for true valuation and understanding, the auditory impact, which includes feeling the lilt of the rhythm, is essential. RCAVictor's The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (DM 1055) is a worthy example of the importance of capable reading. Ralph Bellamy, as the reader, gives a fine, sensitive, restrained yet powerful reading of selected verses from the Rubaiyat. His excellent voice and thoughtful interpretation give added meaning to these significant verses. We cannot agree entirely with the offered rearrangement of the natural sequence of the verses and feel that the purposes of the rearrangement are not achieved. There is some sacrifice of continuity of thought for the purposes of dramatic emphasis, and this may tend to limit the value of the album for school purposes. Unquestionably this audio edition of the Rubaiyat is entirely suitable for school use and, barring the rearrangement of the verses, there is nothing to detract from the unique educational value of these recordings. Actually, the addition of carefully selected background music lends an Oriental air and contributes markedly to the presentation. Over-all, this is a very good album. It is suitable for use in English for upper classmen in the high schools and for college students. It is intended mainly for appreciation and should encourage the listener to turn or return to the Fitzgerald or other translation for further reading for appreciation as well as for information. • WHAT CHILDREN LIKE. There is more genuine difference of opinion about what constitutes an appealing record for children than there is in any other phase of the recording industry. The producer is constantly faced with the twin problems: "Shall we merely entertain? and "Shall we attempt to educate?". .And the adult responses do not always satisfy that most critical audience — children. Very often compromises are intended or attempted and very often these fail because it is impossible to secure valid criticism from the intended audience before general releases are made. Occasionally tried and true favorite stories are presented as they are best known and these are well accepted. On the other hand, embellishing favorite stories or changing them markedly is a dangerous prac 4I« tice and may result in the listener's indifference or rebellion. Such is the case with Little Black Sambo (Columbia MJ-28). The story is simple enough and a straightforward telling will interest children. But in this version, adaptor Nancy Sokoloff and narrator Don Lyon have taken liberties in the script preparation and presentation which appeal to adults but which children do not enjoy. The recording is an attempted compromise between adult listening pleasure and the child's enjoyment of the stcry. It is established that what the child enjoys thoroughly will generally appeal to the adults, but the reverse is not true. The album is suitable for school use, but the air of sophistication surrounding the presentation detracts from its educational value. A fair, mildly-interested response will be elicited from kindergarten and first-grade children, who may elect to tell similar stories or other favorite stories to their classmates. Three other Columbia albums more nearly achieve the desired balance. These are the "Let's Pretend" performances of Jack and the Beanstalk (MJ 31), Cinderella (MJ 32), and Puss in Boots (MJ 33). The "Let's Pretend" company, under the direction of Nila Mack, has an enviable history of more than fifteen years as a constructive and ever-popular children's broadcast. The records are performed by professional child actors exactly as they were broadcast. Each presents a well-known story without undue embellishment, without special appeal to adults or to the sophisticated minority. The musical background and accompaniment are entirely fitting. The albums are each suitable for school use, and nothing except the length detracts from their value as in-school listening experiences. However, perhaps these story-telling recordings, which consume twenty to twenty-five minutes in playing, will not be too long for the youngsters since the simple dramatizations hold sustained interest. How the Man in the Moon Lost His Face (Columbia J-1) is an Arabam Hall story produced by the Columbia Children's Music-Story Group, .\lthough it is intended specifically for youthful listeners, it misses the mark. It is well written, from the child's standpoint, and well produced from the adult standpoint. However, the presentation as a whole will not appeal because it lacks the essential quality of cohesion and is very poorly paced. Children find it slow moving and consequently boresome. The album is suitable for school use, does not contain matter which detracts from the educational value of the listening experience, but, on the difficulties already mentioned, must he rated as either "fair" or "poor". The recordings are suitable for use in grades one and two, but the teacher must anticipate a very limited desired response from the children. Needle Chatter . . . RC.A.-Victor's announcement that they intend to "plug" 45-rpm recordings at least until the end of the year has the trade speculating on what will happen after January 1, 1950. We've heard no "well-informed guesses". Some are saying that 45 rpm will be scrapped. Others predict that RCA will go to 33%-rpni LP records for albums but stay with 45 rpm for "pops" stuff and children's records. Some guess that recorded film or recorded tapes will be a surprise RCA entry early next year; and we've been told by other guessers that Columbia will go to 45 rpm for some recordings when RC.A-\'ictor goes to 33% for classical music and albums. The die-hards suggest that the status quo will be retained. We're just listening, and reporting— not prognosticating. If you haven't seen the August-September issue of "Audio Record" and if you're interested in tape recording and recorders, write to .'\udio Devices, Inc., at 444 Madison Avenue, New York City, and ask for a copy. If you're planning to buy a tape recorder, see this bulletin first; it is that good and very useful. .. .Westinghouse has announced a new AM-FM radio receiver built specially for classrooms. Advance reports indicate an undistorted output of five watts. — MUB. Educational Screen