toward a change in existing conditions is necessarily slow. "You cannot hasten reform by edict any more than you can stay it by jest." I beg to read you some extracts from an article I wrote early in 1906: If disregard for accuracy were confined to any one stratum of the music profession— if public school supervisors, for instance, were the only careless ones in this respect-then the college professors, piano-forte teachers, chorus conductors, teachers of theory, and others might combine to guide the erring brethren into the path of rectitude. It is found, however, that the conductor of a great music festival is just as likely to correct his altos who have sung "G sharp" by saying that they should have sung “G natural,” the harmony teacher in college will tell you to "sharp the G in that chord," while the audience at a choral performance, not to be outdone, says: "the high 'notes' of the tenors were flat." Now there are certain errors so glaring that the offender admits his guilt at once, but says it is too great a tax on the memory to change a lifelong practice. He gets results, so why bother with a new line of statements? His pupils play or sing well and what more can be asked? We want him to be brought to a better frame of mind so that he will willingly undertake immediate reform in these more apparent violations of accuracy, and thus place himself in a receptive attitude concerning the more subtle distinctions which at first thought may not appear to him to be distinctions at all. The old saw about teaching "old dogs new tricks" is applicable here and it really takes a deal of study and effort to establish one's self in a new view-point. I am confident that it is only necessary to get people's minds working a bit on the very easy points in order to start an interest which will develop insight to penetrate, and momentum to override, the more obscure and puzzling distinctions which at first are not apparent. Here is the method pursued in compiling material for this report. A set of fifteen questions was prepared and submitted to each member of the committee and to others. These questions were couched in from two to five different ways and each person was asked to indicate the best form by canceling all others. The report of the committee will contain no recommendation which has not met the approval of four-fifths of the people who replied to the questionnaire. In considering this report, it seems to me that the points which have met the approval of four out of five thoughtful people who have taken time to apply their minds to the matter in hand ought to be disposed of rapidly and with little argument. When they are settled, I can assure any argumentative brother or sister that I have plenty of material in reserve for discussion. Just one word now to save time later; some one will say: "These statements and recommendations of yours are so simple as to appear ridiculous and therefore my self-respect will not allow me to vote for them." To such an one I can say that the committee, from its experience as a committee, is better qualified to know with regard to prevalent usage than any individual can possibly be. In registering an affirmative vote on any point the individual does not acknowledge himself an offender but taking the word of the committee that there are offenders somewhere in the broad land, he simply throws his influence toward the abatement of the offense. It may appear entirely unnecessary to him in his own practice, but I can assure you that every point has been well considered. Thoughtful men and women will become impressed with the untruthfulness of certain statements and little by little change their practice. Others will follow, influenced by example. The revolutionists will deride us for not moving faster while the conservatives will be suspicious of any change. And so, for the music terminology reform, I predict that it will spread, never swiftly enough perhaps or in such channels as to pacify revolutionists, laughed at in all probability by the thoughtless, but like the spelling reform, not materially retarded by any of its opponents. It is in the air. Will you not help to get the air in motion so that it will be made effective? DISCUSSION After some discussion following Mr. Rice's paper, the following points were formulated and a motion made for their adoption: I We should seek for a better understanding and teaching of existing terms rather than the invention of new ones. II Tone, as a distinctive term for musical effects, is better than sound. III Tone, as distinguished from note: "The high tones of the violin were both strong and pure." IV Tone, as distinguished from interval: "The fifth tone of the major scale." V Bar, a visible symbol as distinguished from measure: "I heard only the last few measures of the symphony." VI Scale as distinguished from key: "America is written in the key of G." VII A sharp or a flat does not raise or lower: (1) A given note; (2) A given tone; (3) A given pitch; (4) A given staff-degree. For example: (1) "The fourth quarter-note is raised by the accidental sharp;" (2) "The third tone of the major scale is lowered by a flat,” (3) “The pitch F is raised by a sharp in the key of G;" (4) "The third line is lowered by a flat in the key of F," are each and all incorrect. VIII There are no pitches named "B natural," "A natural," "C natural," etc. IX Any and all of the following: Tone, semi-tone, whole tone, half-tone, are incorrectly used as terms of interval measurement. X The chromatic scale is a progression upward or downward from a given tone to its octave by half steps. XI Chromatic is a term of ear. The characters: sharps, flats, naturals, double-sharps, double-flats, when used away from the signature-place, are not properly called chromatics. XII Among teachers the following is not uncommon: "I first let the pupils sing it thru by note" (meaning the sol-fa syllables). Syllable is the correct term in this connection. XIII "The unaccompanied chorus ended a half-step flat." The entire list was agreed to, and all but the fourth and thirteenth received the unanimous indorsement of the department. DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION SECRETARY'S MINUTES FIRST SESSION.-TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 9, 1907 The department met in Alhambra Hall, Los Angeles, at 9:30 A. M. and was called to order by President H. M. Rowe, Baltimore, Md. President Rowe delivered the President's address on "Courses of Study and Preparation of Teachers for Commercial Schools." Professor James Ferguson presented a paper on "Present Standards of Commercial Instruction with Present Requirements for Commercial Teachers." The next topic, "Available Means and Additional Means Required for the Preparation of Commercial Teachers" was discussed by H. B. Brown, of Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind. The last paper, "Ways of Improving Commercial Teachers Now at Work," was presented by F. C. Weber, Polytechnical High School, Los Angeles, California. These papers were discussed by E. K. Isaacs, president of Woodbury Business College, Los Angeles, Cal. The President appointed the following committees: ON NOMINATIONS F. F. Showers, of Wisconsin. W. E. Gibson, of California. ON RESOLUTIONS James S. Curry, of Ohio. H. B. Brown, of Indiana. James Ferguson, of California. Department adjourned until Wednesday morning. SECOND SESSION.-WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 10 The meeting was called to order by President H. M. Rowe. The topic, "Necessary Adaptation of General Practice in Teaching the Commercial Branches in High Schools," was discussed by H. B. Brown, of Indiana; F. C. Weber, of California; and H. M. Rowe, of Maryland. "Co-ordination of Individual and Class Instruction in Commercial Branches," was the subject of a paper by F. F. Showers, of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The paper was discussed by Thos. H. H. Knight, junior master of Girls High School, Boston, Mass. "The Relation Between General and Commercial Education," was presented by J. M. Green, principal of State Normal School, Trenton, N. J. The paper was discussed by J. H. Francis, principal of Polytechnical High School, Los Angeles, California. Committee on Nominations reported the following: For President-H. B. Brown, president of Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. For Vice-President James Ferguson, head of department of commerce, Mission High School, San Francisco, California. For Secretary-James S. Curry, teacher of commercial department, High School, Cleveland, Ohio. On motion, the report of the committee was adopted and the nominees were declared elected as officers of the department for the ensuing year. Committee on Resolutions reported, in addition resolutions of thanks to the retiring president and secretary, and the local committee, the following: Resolved, That as members of this department we will renew our efforts to the end that the effectiveness of its work shall be increased and its influence more definitely felt in the educational world. Resolved, That we heartily indorse the position taken by the Leland Stanford Junior University and other institutions of higher education in recognizing the value of commercial studies by placing them on the accedited list. Respectfully submitted, On motion the resolutions were adopted by a unanimous vote. JAMES S. CURRY. F. F. SHOWERS, Secretary. PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS COURSES OF STUDY AND PREPARATION OF TEACHERS FOR COMMERCIAL SCHOOLS H. M. ROWE, AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER OF COMMERCIAL TEXTS, BALTIMORE, MD. The Business Educators Association, which was organized in New York in 1878, became the Department of Business Education of the National Educational Association at the Saratoga meeting in 1892, and held its first meeting in 1894 at Asbury Park, N. J. At that time its members were mostly teachers in the private commercial schools. Of the original members who came in with the Business Educators Association only a few have since remained continuously active in the department, one of whom, I believe, is Mr. Springer and another is your president. Some of the achievements of this department are distinctive and notable. Almost continuously since its organization the policy has been followed of taking up the investigation and discussion of such subjects as would provide substantial additions to the available fund of authoritative information pertaining to commercial courses and commercial instruction. In pursuance of this policy, at the Denver meeting in 1895 a committee was appointed to prepare a suggestive outline of business-college studies. This committee reported thru its chairman, J. M. Mehan, president of Capital City Commercial College, Des Moines, Ia., at the Buffalo meeting in July 1896. The committee was continued and again reported at Milwaukee in 1897, when it was instructed to put its report in shape for publication by the United States Commissioner of Education, who, I believe, published it the following year. This report was a very useful contribution to the literature of commercial education in the private schools at that time, and, indeed, has since been practi |
