The introduction of singing into the public schools of America by Lowell Mason marked an important epoch in the history of American education. The entire history of American education is marked by constant changes in the curriculum of the common schools; innovation after innovation has been tried, altered, improved, or discarded. There have been distinct changes in methods in all subjects, shifting of ideals, and at every stage progress has been the watchword.

In the history of public school music these same changes have taken place; the adherents of one camp have consistently and honestly contended with the followers of another camp. In the differences disclosed and the resultant discussions edges have been rubbed off, each has taken part of the strength of the other, so that to a large extent definite progress has resulted to all concerned from the fact of such differences. While the music profession has so largely been concerned with the problems of its own particular music garden, the ideals of general education have grown larger and larger, the vision of the leaders has become wider, higher and surer, more and more clearly have they seen into the hearts and minds of humanity and sensed the great necessity for our music work; the writings of educational leaders are full of striking and pregnant allusions to music; constantly we see great minds laying stress upon the great value and need for music, showing definitely that there has been and is a ferment of dissatisfaction with narrow ideas, a striving after greater things in education than can be given by mere intellectual processes, by utilitarian methods, by limited

vision.

In the past few years we have seen a wonderful awakening in every part of this great country to community interests. A distinct and powerful element in this community movement has been community singing and community music. Had the public school music of the country, as taught in the schools day by day, met the real needs of education there would have been no necessity for community singing as we known it. Somehow the music of the schools did not get across into life. The material and methods that had been in use did not get into the homes of our people, did not make of our people a singing people. This failure, marked so clearly by the necessity for great efforts to secure singing by the people, marked a distinct double fail

ure.

have

The general educator did not see that music

was a vital necessity in any social existence; did not see that along with religion and patriotism music is one of the greatest unifying forces in the life of any people. Hence they have not accorded to music its rightful place in the scheme of education. We of the profession were too largely occupied with method, with details of our presentation, with fighting to remain in the system of education, hence this failure of singing to get across into the homes. Entirely too much of our method and material has been of the exercise order, made to serve a purpose that had no root in life, that existed because we had set it up as a goal. To a large extent we have missed the larger vision of the great universality of song and music and its great service to humanity, and their need for it.

Hence let me plead for an enlargement of vision on the part of ourselves, to see the wonderful vital elements in music, its great usefulness in the civic sense. Upon the home must be founded the community and the nation; let us use music, Music, in our schools that is so real, so vital, and so well taught and learned that it will get across almost immediately and consistently into the homes, and upon this music will be founded a great community interest which will bind all together in the same manner as patriotism.

Let the general educator see that in music he will find the one subject that begins before the child leaves for the kindergarten, even while the mother sings a lullaby, through every phase of education, through life, even unto the grave. Hence we musicians must be accorded more time for our subject; it must not be pushed aside. because some manual training teacher, some modern language teacher, some domestic science teacher needs a few extra minutes to do something utilitarian that has no ideal above mere practicality.

Recently I saw in a great high school an equipment in manual training that cost $115,000. The entire number of boys taking the subject in that high school was less than a hundred; less than twenty-five from each year's class in the school. And what do you suppose they were making?

A necktie holder!

It is doubtful if the entire equipment devoted to music work in the grade schools and high schools of any city in the country cost $115,000, and yet the music is supposed, and actually does touch every child of school age in the city or community, and where the leaders have secured the

larger vision the music work affects practically every person in the community. Aside from that the $115,000 equipment taught no ideals, could not serve a great community purpose, but if used for the very best possible purpose could only serve to make a better wage earner, not a better wage spender, or a better citizen.

Hence I plead for a very greatly enlarged expenditure of money for music equipments, for teachers, as well as for time.

When music was introduced into the public schools the only possibilities open to the child in the way of music making or hearing was that which he himself or his class could do, that which the special teacher of music could produce, or which the more gifted regular teacher could give. The material, even in the best of such cases, was very restricted, hence the whole scheme was necessarily on a very low plane.

With the passing of the years this entire condition has changed fundamentally. Now we have an abundance of the finest songs suitable for children, songs that are as artistic as the finest art song of the great lyric writers. Let us therefore enlarge the repertory of the classroom, giving this abundance of riches to the children, omit everything that is unmusical, the settype exercise, the manufactured song, the drill which leads to nothing, placing in the intimate possession of every child a wonderful art world. that is now open to every one who will open the doors. Let us enlarge our vision and know that every song which is not primarily an art song has no place in the schools, regardless of what ideals have falsely placed it there. Let us teach music, and nothing but music.

Again, when music was introduced, and for years afterwards, a vast world of beauty was utterly inaccessible to teachers, pupils, and the general public. The possibility of hearing an opera, a fine orchestra, the great vocal and instrumental soloists, the fine music for various combinations of voice and instrument were extremely limited. Now, by the expenditure of a very small amount of money this vast world, through the instrumentality of the Victrola and other such machines, and the vast library of great music listed in their catalogs of records enables us to place before every, child in the schools the world's greatest music. The world's greatest music means the highest form of intellectual and spiritual life, the one thing in life which touches the soul and spirit in its greatest heights and depths, the one only universal means of expression, voicing the soul as nothing else can. Let us. therefore, widen our vision along these lines, get entirely out of the walls of our constricted. rut, show the other leaders of educational thought the wonderful possibilities in this direction, make thorough systems of correlation between music. and other subjects through this means, and thereby widen the field of observation of the entire educational forces.

When the printing press was invented it began freeing the mind of man from superstition, from ignorance and worse, made the minds of man thinking, reasoning, and opened the gates to every form of freedom. This freedom primarily

took an intellectual form, for the printed word deals primarily with intellectual concepts; even when the writers wish to arouse the spirit and soul it must be largely done through intellectual appeals primarily. Now, the Victrola and similar instruments are to this great world force of music, in its spiritual aspect, the counterpart of the printing-press, only now music will primarily appeal to the sentiments of peoples, to their souls, to their "over-man," to that great heart of things which is not coldly intellectual. Now that the soul of the whole humanity can be so easily reached let all educators see to it that this wonderful new freedom is used wisely and well, and not wasted. Again, we must widen our vision in a truly wonderful manner.

In those communities where the work in music has taken on the proper enlargements the influence in the community is very marked. There the adult chorus is much alive; there the amateur orchestra flourishes; there the Sunday school, the church, the civic life, the social life, shows in a marked degree the potent influence. There the great symphony orchestra, the visiting opera companies, the great artists are all well and remuneratively received. All glory to the many leaders in public school music who are responsible for this condition, but too often this has been accomplished at too great a cost to the individual, for it is to the strength of such that these results have been accomplished, and not through the system of general education.

Suppose our superintendents and school boards should say to our manual training teachers, domestic science teachers, and sewing teachers: "Yes, your subjects are quite important; we fully recognize the fact, and are glad to have you teach the children of our community." "We will gladly supply you with a room in which to teach, free, and supply both heat and light; of course you must come after regular school hours, at 3.35 p. m., and naturally you will bring your own turning lathes, band saws, sanding machines, sewing machines, cooking utensils and stoves, supply your own goods, your lumber, your metal, the articles of food which you wish to cook." "Of course you cannot expect the public to pay your salaries, so you may collect from each child fifteen cents per lesson."

Yet with very few exceptions that is exactly what has happened to the enlargement of the music work along instrumental lines. Nevertheless, whenever the schools wish to make any kind of an exhibition of their work one of the very first things asked for is the school orchestra, etc. Yet the instruments belong to the children, they bear the expense of strings, repairs, lessons, etc., etc. I wonder what would happen if, when an exhibition of manual training work was given, or of cooking, we should see each child bringing a cook stove, a bundle of eatables, a saw, plane, hammer, lathe, printing press, etc. It is easily possible to picture the results, yet that is exactly what the general educator asks of the music.

Here again I earnestly plead for the enlargement of music work. Let the general educator see what he is constantly demanding of the music department, and provide instruments, teachers,