The talking machine world (Apr-June 1921)

88 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD April 15, 1921 A GREAT VICTOR EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE — (Continued from page 87) Under this subject she covered "Learning to List-en for the Little People," "Just to Hear Beautiful Music," "Training the Ear," "Instrumental Music for Adult Beginners," and "Cultivating Discrimination." Throughout she illustrated these points b} record demonstration. There was a luncheon at 12:30. Monday Afternoon Session The Mondaj' afternoon session opened with an address on "Songs for Home, Kindergarten and Primarj'^ School Use," by Mrs. Frances E. Clark. "Song remains the most convenient vehicle for the expression of musical thought," said she. "If you can begin cultural hearing two years before the child starts in kindergarten you will avoid the problem of monotones. You will have no trouble with a non-singing child. The requirement for a song for a little child," continued Mrs. Clark, Well-Known Jobbers Attending Conference Standing, left to right — E. ^l. Coleman, W. J. Dyer & Bro. ; Lester Noble, R. Wurlitzer Co.; R. C. Cron, Traveling Department \^ictor Co.; F. H. Putnam, Putnam-Page Co. Sitting — Chas. Womeldorff, Toledo Talking Machine Co.; L. C. Wiswell, Lyon & Healy; G. P. Ellis, Chicago Talking Machine Co. ; C. H. Grinnell, Grinnell Bros. "is that it should be short, preferably of one verse or even a couplet, such as "Jack in the pulpit preaches to-day. Under the green leaf just over the way." It is quite necessary, Mrs. Clark insisted, that the first songs of children should be those of which the words are already familiar, such as the 'Mother Goose Rh3'mes. The music should be good, and the lyrics too, but the thought of the song should be within the realm of the child's experience. For instance, it would be a grave mistake to teach a song about a threshing machine to little children who had never seen a threshing machine, or a song about geometry or the wars of Julius Caesar to infants of six or under. The song should be rhythmically strong and should not be pessimistic like the child songs of yore. Children are not interested, as the par ents of a couple of generations ago thought they ought to be, in death and decay. They do not even want to hear about the death of flowers. Some Interesting Demonstrations A number of demonstrations were then given of how songs are taught in schools with the Victrola. The song is first played for the children. Then its nature is brought out by suggestion and questioning. Then the children are asked to hum the tune more softly than the music of the Victrola, so that the music can be followed. After that they sing it with the Victrola. A thrill of sadness went through the audience when Mrs. Clark told her hearers that Jessie L. Gaynor, the famous writer of songs for children, many of which appear on the Victor educational records, died a few weeks ago. Probably many of the audience did not know that Mrs. Riley, to whose lyrics Mrs. Gaynor wrote such beautiful musical settings, lives in Evanston, Chicago's elite suburb. A number of the Gaynor-Riley numbers were played, together with selections from Mrs. Gaynor's delightful operetta, "The House That Jack Built." Miss Edith M. Rhetts gave her talk, or rather demonstration, on "Cultural Hearing," which had been postponed from the morning session. She demonstrated methods of teaching the children how to hear beautiful music. She quoted the epigram about learning to listen, and listening to learn, and explained the difference. She emphasized the necessity of flooding the consciousness of the child at home with beautiful music, just as it is flooded almost from birth with words. "Ear training'' was then demonstrated and the audience transformed itself into a "first-reader" class, telling Miss Rhetts whether the music she was playing was loud or soft and whether it marched or slept. Aliss Mabel H. Rich then finished her "Make Believe" talk and demonstration and pleased her hearers w^onderfully with her explanation of the methods she uses. As an example she took Nevin's famous "Narcissus," analyzed it, showed how it got its name, and so on. She also showed how she made the "Midsummer Night's Dream" intelligible to children. Teaching Orchestral Music Miss Rhetts gave the attending dealers something to think about by showing how school pupils are taught to know the instruments of the orchestra by means of the Victor instrumental records. A record, featuring a particular instrument in solo, is first played, while at the same Ward's Khaki Moving Covers Distributors BRISTOL & BARBER. INC. 3 E. 14th St.. New York City Grade "D*' CoTCr with YAHR & LANGE DRUG CO. 207-215 E. Water St.. Milwaukee, Wis. COHEN &. HUGHES. INC. Washington. D. C. BECKWITH-O'NEILL CO. Minneapolis, Minn. STREVELL-PATERSON HARDWARE CO. Salt Lake City, Utah C. L. MARSHALL CO., INC. Beckman BIdg.. Cleveland, 0. Butler BIdg., Detroit, Mich. THE REED CO. 237 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. C. J. VAN HOUTON & ZOON 140 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, III. SONORA DISTRIBUTING CO. Dallas, Texas No. 3 Straps THE C. E. WARD CO. (Well-Known Lodge Regalia House) 101 William Street New London, Ohio Also Manufacturers of Rubberized Covers and f)usl Covers for the Wareroom KNIGHT-CAMPBELL MUSIC CO. I6U8 Wynkoop St., Denver. Colo. CHAS. H. YATES 311 Laughlin BIdg., Los Angeles, Cal. W. D. &. C. N. ANDREWS Buffalo. N. Y. SACHS & CO. 425 So. Wabash Ave.. Chicago SHERMAtT! CLAY 4 CO. 741 Mission St., San Francisco, Cal. JOHN A. FUTCH CO. 35 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia I50<l South Boulevard. Charlotte, N. C. 630 Washington St., Jacksonville, Fla. ORTON BROTHERS MUSIC HOUSE Butte, Mont. GRAY & DUDLEY CO.. Nashville, Tenn. ASSOCIATED FURNITURE MFRS. St. Louis, Ho. W. J. DYER i. BRO., St. Paul, Minn. AMERICAN PHONOGRAPH CO. Burlington, Vt. JOSEPH BARNETT & CO.. Cedar Rapids, la. The V 1 c t o r Victrola made its way by the way it's made. BRUNO time a chart with a picture of the instrument is shown to the children. Attention is then called to the character of its tone and its use in the orchestra. After the children have heard a number of records, featuring a number of instruments, and have learned to identify them they are asked to write stories, making the instruments impersonate various characters. This not only cultivates the child's imagination, but also tests its conception of the tone character of the instrument. F. G. Dimham and Miss Hobson Speak Franklin G. Dunham had for his topic "Readings for Intermediate and Grammar Grades." He told Eugene Field's life story and played a number of his records and told intimate facts regarding the artists who made some of the Victor educational records. For instance, Sally Hamlin, wlio gives such delightful renditions of the poems of Field and James Whitcomb Riley, is a young girl just out of high school. The audience was thrilled by a record of Riley's own voice in interpretation of his matchless "Out to Old Aunt Mary's." Perhaps Mr. Riley's interpretation was not so fine from an artistic viewpoint as that of some professional readers, but the record is a remarkable human document — the record of a voice long since silenced. Miss Caroline Hobson, who has charge of the Victor educational department of the Stewart Talking Machine Co., brought the first day's session to a close with her talk on "What Educational Work Means to the Live Dealer." She described many methods of going after the schools on the Victor educational work, told how large sales could be made through the medium of the circulating record libraries and other means, but emphasized the fact that far beyond tlie commercial value of the work arid the dollars to be gained is the satisfaction of doing real good in the world, helping the cause of musical and intellectual enlightenment. TUESDAY'S SESSIONS The Tuesdaj' morning session opened with a few words by Mr. Wiswell, after which Mrs. Clark talked upon the subject of "Rhythmic Songs and Games" as bases of study. Mrs. Clark then introduced Miss Streeter, who, with the aid of Miss Rich and Mrs. Clark, demonstrated how the sense of rhythm can be stimulated in the child through nursery songs and little singing games. In these last the assembled Victor people w ere soon joining, with some embarrassment and with considerable laughter, but with much zest. Miss Streeter then showed how music corre