The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

4 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. A GREAT EDUCATIONAL FACTOR. How the Modern Talking Machine Has Developed in That Field — What It Means to the Student in This Age of Time Saving Methods — Permits of the More Thorough Study of Music in the Schools — The Interesting Address of Mrs. Frances E. Clark, Supervisor of Music in the Milwaukee Schools, Given Before More Than 1,000 Teachers Recently Arouses Enthusiasm. During the annual convention of the Wisconsin State Teachers' Association, held in Milwaukee, Wis., a short time ago, Mrs. Frances E. Clark, supervisor of music in the Milwaukee schools and prominent throughout the Teachers' National Association, gave an address before more than 1,000 teachers on the development of the talking machine as an educational factor. She said : "This is an age of great things. The last century was the most wonderful in all history in the invention of mechanical things — ways and means of doing the world's work in a better, quicker and more sanitary way. What the present century is to be is a very large interrogation point. Certainly not so great as the last in invention, but greater in the results that must come from those inventions. Many religious believers think that this will be the dawning of the millennium — a reign of 1,000 years of the domination of right over wrong, of Christian love and brotherhood. "Music enthusiasts believe that music is but now entering upon a second renaissance, and that our own America shall be the mother who will bring forth the genuises of the new age; and our own land and our own true hearts the cradle that shall shelter and nourish the infancy, youth and manhood of the coming kings of songs. "If this is to be true in even a partial sense, we of the public schools must of necessity assume, whether we will or no, the responsibility of fostering the musical geniuses of the nation. Somewhere in our schoolrooms of to-day are sitting the prodigies, artists and composers of the next decade. What are we doing to make it possible for them to find themselves? What are we doing to prepare an intelligent, music loving and discriminating public to receive and recognize the fruits of the genuis when they appear? "If music is to become the great force of the uplifting of this American people that I firmly believe that it will become, it must be brought about by the next generation knowing more about music and knowing more music itself. School music has taken on a national aspect— not merely the teaching of a few children to sing small repertoire of commonplace songs, but a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of reading music, and a taste and love for the best music in the world— and education of all the people is musical art, which spells a very real 'Musical America.' "This is an age of rapid change in educational ideas. The standard of twenty years or ten years ago are obsolete — music is not an exception to the general rule. We are all growing, and growth means change — an assimilation of material things around us. We are all changing our methods and our standard year by year. Things that we honestly believed ten years ago, even five years ago, are some of them fading into insignificance because of the coming of newer and better ideas. A few years ago we were all striving to emulate the ideas of Lowell Mason, Luther Whiting Mason, Holt and Jepson. Their work was epoch-making for their time, but were they alive to-day those pioneers with their active minds would be miles away from their own standpoints, and we, too, must move on. "For many years the battle has raged in school music circles as to how much time should be given to the development of the cultural songs and how much time to the teaching of fundamentals of theory and sight reading. Arguments pro and con have been offered on many a platform, and defenders of either side have waxed warm in conflict for their own particular hobby. Our courses . of study are so crowded that only a small portion of time can be given to music. How to get the most put of this small portion of the day is the problem of the supervisor. A wide experience in song is essential and a thorough knowledge of sight reading is absolutely indispensable. School music must stand or fall by the amount of power given the children going out from us to help themselves to get the things in music that they need for their life enjoyment. We must have the largest possible number of the beautiful songs of the world and yet must in some way find time to thoroughly teach the principles and practice of sight reading. "Modern science has come to our relief in the perfecting of the talking machine. It is necessary to reconstruct our old ideas of the wheezy, blaring, blatant, brassy thing we have known in the days agone. The new talking machine with its wood horn, its bamboo needle and the wonderful records obtainable is a joy and delight — an artistic success. It has come to be an added power in teaching music in the school, conservatory and the home. "The old was almost wholly given over to the lower class of music — the coon song, the ragtime, the cheap popular song heard in saloon and dance hall. The new talking machine is eminently respectable and worthy of a place as an educational factor in every school in the land. By its aid we can bring to the hearing of children thousands of the best songs of the world. It brings within our reach literally hundreds of the great things which are impossible otherwise for children ever to hear, save perhaps a few in the large cities. It furnishes the key to half our difficulties, in that it is possible to illustrate for teaching purposes every kind of tone, voice, instrument, style form, phrase and expression. By the use of the machine we may enjoy opera, oratorio, orchestra, band, violin, 'cello, folk songs and ballets over and over again as many times as we like. We may teach the beautiful old folk songs and ballads from the records of the prima donnas, whose voices thus become as familiar as their names. "In many schools where the supervisor is unable to sing well, or where the work must be done by the grade teacher, who often possesses a most un' musical voice, it is a priceless boon to thus be able to' teach the songs correctly. We may speak of head tone, but the children do not understand by telling; but let them hear a pure head tone as given by Melba or Sembrich, and it becomes clear. We speak of the opera — children have never heard opera — their parents perhaps have never heard opera — they do not understand what we mean. But give to an eighth grade or a high school chorus the story of 'II Trovatore' or 'Ernani,' then turn on the record as sung by our great artists, arias, choruses, duets, orchestra and all, and the whole subject is illuminated. "In our rural schools, villages and smaller cities it is impossible for children of even high school age to hear more than an occasional artist. The great singers do not visit smaller places. What then must it mean in the education of the youth of our land to be able to bring into every eighth grade and high school, no matter how remote from the great art centers, the reproductions of the voices of the greatest singers the world has ever known. "We are only just beginning to realize the possibilities that lie in a talking machine as a power of education. The ta;king machine was not invented for the public school, but so boundless seems the horizon in this particular field that soon it must become the great purpose for which it continues to exist. "Music has no superior in the entire curriculum in its power to reach the innermost springs of life in the growing boy or girl. This power can be measured by the amount and kind of music that he is able to hear and enjoy, and his skill and joy in giving again the music that he knows. The coming of the talking machine marks an epoch in the teaching of music in all schools. If the supervisor is wise, she will not hesitate to call to her aid such valuable assistance. Lest we fall under the condemnation of again talking about music, rather than hearing the music itself, we will listen to the records illustrating certain points, most of which have been used in our schools. "We have the talking machine in nearly thirty of our schools. They are giving entire satisfaction to the teachers and principals. The children have heard since their introduction last January more fine music than they ever dreamed was in the world before. We are using it as an important factor in social entertainment work. The parents in many districts come into school for an hour's concert in the evening, followed by dancing, under proper chaperonage — the music being given by the machine. "As yet there are few records made of songs suitable for classes lower than grammar grades. The need of having records made for songs suitable for kindergarten and primary classes is immediate. Could we have records of the little classics of child words it would fill the same place in the lower grades that it is now doing in the grammar grades and high schools. "The children are deliriously happy when permitted to come to the assembly hall and sit down {Continued on page 0.) We Are Iiv Readiness for the FALL *ivd WINTER RVSH ? ARE YOU? Prepare now to be in a position to deliver the goods and take the profits. Don't delay. You know what it means to say to your customer " I haven't it in stock, but will get it for you " — the other fellow gets the order. Our stocks of VICTOR and EDISON GOODS mean quick deliveries to you, and profits to both of us. If you don't know what EASTERN CO. SERVICE is, you don't know what makes the Talking Machine Business a good Business. Try Us. THE EASTERN TALKING MACHINE CO. 177 Tremont Street BOSTON. MASS. DISTRIBUTERS OF EDISON AND VICTOR MACHINES, RECORDS, SUPPLIES