The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1916)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 45 CONVENTION OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TALKING MACHINE JOBBERS— (Continued from page 44) dealer. Do you realize, gentlemen, that your merchandise is not only Victrolas and Victor records? It is all that those things represent. It is joy, laughter, tears — whatever the need of the moment may demand. It is the inspired achievement of some great artist. A quality product? Mr. Chairman, that question has been answered — is being answered — North and South and East and West. Mrs. Frances E. Clark, of the educational department, then read the following paper: The Victor in the Schools By Mrs. Frances E. Clark For the third time, I have the pleasure of bringing to this wideawake body of thinking men the message of progress in one of the lines of the Victor business — the educational work. Emulating the phenomenal growth of the Victor itself, this youngest child of the organization may well take pride in its achievements. The story of the beginning of the work and the organization of the department are too recent and too well known to need recapitulation. Music is one of the vital things in education to-day, and only through the talking machine can it be adequately presented to the millions who can in no other way come to know real music. Pedagogy — psychology and human need are at one in this at last, and America is aroused a* never before to the value of music as a universal pleasure, a cultural avocation and. lastly, an education. It has in it inherently more elements of educational value than anyother branch — reading excepted. The use of music as an educational factor is a comparatively recent discovery. A speaker the other day read from early reports of proceedings of the school committee of Boston, enumerating reasons why music should be taught in the schools. Discipline, mental activity, invigorating of pupil for other studies, patriotism, etc., but never once for music itself. Reports of meetings of supervisors and other musicians are as barren of any suggestion of using real music itself. For fifty years after music was first introduced into the schools of Boston, sight reading was the only aim and object. Then came the singing of songs, and some little reaching out after better things, but not until five years ago, when our work began to crystallize the idea and to show how the Victor could carry the great music of the world into every school, did there come an awakening to the power and value of real music in education. The entire plan and aim of teaching has been changed. Many do not yet realize the cause of the complete overturning of ideals and aims in the teaching of school music. The impetus is. of course, a part of the general awakening of America in music in all lines and fields of activity, but the Victor has made possible the practical realization of the dreams of a musical America through the schools where rests the future of our national music. Not less sight reading but more is being taught because of the quickened interest and keener ear resulting from hearing much fine music. Not fewer songs but many more are being taught because of the easy, rapid and accurate learning of songs, folk, familiar and art songs, direct from the records, in perfect tone, rhythm and phrasing, enriched by instrumental accompaniment, wholly impossible in the old way. Music supervisors were baffled and beaten in their efforts in securing credits for music work and in producing a sufficiently artistic finish in their choral singing on public occasions as to command the respect and endorsement of musicians and boards of education, with the resulting appropriation of enough money to continue their meagre salaries for another year because there were no standards beyond the often pitiful efforts of the village choir. The Victor has opened up now a new world of tone values and interpretations which the pupils may hear, available for all, and which is being carried as fast as our efforts and years can do so, into every school in the entire country. Every large summer school is at this present moment presenting courses in music appreciation and most of them with Victor records. The three great book company summer schools being held in Chicago are each giving full courses with daily lectures and classes all illustrated with the Victor. At New York University, Chautauqua, Ocean City, N. J.; Boulder, Col.; Berkeley, Cal.; Emporia, Kan.; University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin, University of Arkansas, Worcester University, and in dozens of other such schools such courses are being given. Our folk dance records are being used at this moment on four Chautauqua circuits comprising nearly a thousand towns. Our lecturers are presenting the work in many other large normal summer schools, county institutes, district and State associations. The piano, which for two hundred years has been the standard purveyor of all forms of music, has been outclassed, wonderful as it is, as an interpreter of music. It can give only a meagre representation of the stringed instruments, the woodwinds or the combination of Mrs. Frances E. Clark strings in trios or quartet, or the orchestra or band. It is entirely barren in the wonderful tone coloring of the orchestra, and therefore inadequate in giving a student any conception of the great form of symphony and sonata. Even the player-piano, while excellent for extended study of form and piano literature, is still narrow in its scope and useless in any true representation of the larger forms. It is helpless in the great field of vocal music, which is by far the richest of all. The opera, the highest development in the combination of instrument, voice and dramatic action, and also the great choral works of the oratorio are closed to the piano. It is the once despised talking machine that is the open sesame to this great world of tonal beauty. By means of the Victor and the Victor only can the music of the world, properly interpreted by the greatest artists, be disseminated throughout the entire country for all to enjoy. If then to the Victor falls the privilege and duty to purvey the nectar of the gods to a thirsting populace, and we desire to build surely, sanely and safety for a well assured future, where shall we begin but with the children. Let us but educate the ears of the children to know music and the question is settled. The number of cities and towns throughout the United States placing the Victor as an integral part of every day school work, has grown with ever increasing ratio from one city in 1910 to 500, 900, 1,800, 2,700 and now, to nearly 4,000, an average of 800 added for each of the five years and our reports are far from complete. On the playgrounds one Victor reaches a large number of children whose school buildings do not yet possess an instrument. Our lecturers are reaching very large numbers of children a year in direct contact, while the little children below school age in the home are getting the message from their brothers and sisters. Some of these Victors are being carried around to many different buildings in country and small town schools. A conservative estimate would place the number of children being reached at nearly or quite 12,000,000. An authority in school matters recently said to me: "Does the Victor Co. realize what a tremendous thing this educational work is for future business? It has been demonstrated that 75 per cent .of the pupils use in after life the tools, books and equipment used in the school life." These millions of children who are to-day in the schools are soon to be the home-makers, the business men and financiers of the nation. It is therefore of no small matter to lead them with the Victor through records of special appeal, to a taste, love for and knowledge of good and lasting music. If we want to establish a large and valuable clientele for the next decade, reach the high schools and grammar schools of to-day. Everybody knows this and every nostrum and humbug tried to use the schools for free advertising, which has resulted in stringent rules being adopted in many places prohibiting any lectures or demonstrations being given where a commercial idea is attached. In spite of this our lecturers find entree and are almost always welcome as offering something of great value to the schools. We are working consistently showing the teachers better ways to secure greater returns from their investment, giving them real value and instruction in a little understood subject. We have played fair with the schools and have continuously tried to give them the records most useful -and most needed at the lowest possible rate. We have given out millions of copies of valuable booklets. Because of a clear understanding of the needs of the schools we have been able to offer service in many lines, and the school people have followed our lead with remarkable alacrity. At first there was but one thought — that of music appreciation. We soon added material for actual teaching of songs — then came records for marching, folk dancing, calisthenics, penmanship, stenotypy, American music, geography and many other correlations with school work, giving information and suggestions as to better ways to use the records. The great field of the rural schools lies almost untouched. Material is nearly prepared, both records and printed matter, to cover this — and we hope to inaugurate a vigorous campaign for this work in September. Our new edition of "What We Hear" is at last on press and will be ready to push a renewed effort in all high schools and colleges-a definite course of study with the book as a text in the hands of the pupils, and not merely a reference text as before. Our commercial work has been a revelation to all. The discovery that the appeal of rhythm to the motor activity of the fingers in the penmanship, and typewriting is the same as to the feet in dancing, has completely overturned methods in such teaching. Much greater speed, fluency, clearness and better form is obtainable when the motion is controlled and inspired by music. The use of our splendid new records in the study of English literature was adopted last week by the National English Teachers' Association. This is another of our new lines of work where the possibilities are boundless. We have had this year ten lecturers and hope to increase the number for next year to more adequately cover many sections yet but scarcely touched. The greatest danger now is not that we may not succeed, that is long past, but that we may (Continued on page 46)