Let Washtenaw Lead

Six schools competed on Wednesday for the prizes offered bythe Ann Arbor Organ cornpany. They were: Fractional district No. 16, Ann Arboi, Rose E.Burke, teacher ;District No. 6, Northfield, Gertrude Leiand, teacher ; District No. 3, Freedorn, Anna Gynan, teacher; Fractiónal District No. 4, Dexter and Webster, Clara Schruid, teacher ; Geddes school, District No. 8, Ann Arbor townshlp, Mildred Trernper, teacher; Fractiónal District No. l,Dixboro,Alice Quackenbush, teacher. The condition nnder which the prizes were offered was 'that fifteen, at least, should compete, and as only six entered, the company decided to place all the schools on an equality and give each a dozen song books, "The Song Budget," worth $6. The jndges of the singing were: Prof. Frederick H. Pease, of Ypsilanti, Prof. R. H. Kempf, Miss Lucy Cole and Miss Elsa Liebig, all of whpin took great interest in the competitioh which has aronsed considerable enthusiasm. The work done by the Mills school south of Ann Arbor, of whioh Miss Mdlory is teacher, was a' great surprise. The progress shown in sight singiug resulting from but one hour's study per week for one year, shows that sight singing can be advantageously taught in every district school. Mr. Clement, manager of the Organ company, has some original ideas regarding the study of music in the public schools and the Argus heard him impressing them on a good ruany people Wednesday. He says that while in London last summer he was ' ubtujuiaiitíu íiiiu ueuguieu uy ntjaring at 1 the Crystal Palace a choras of 2,500 L children, all below the age of fourteen ' years, who sang by note under a com1 petent director, a cantata written especially for the occasion. The intelligence and musical conception evinced by those childíen, some of wiiom were 1 no older than six years, was so surprising that he niade inquiry as to how they had attained such knowledge of ruusic at so early au age. He was informed that children in European countries, particularly in Geimany and England, were taught music in connection with their daily studies, this being considered as essential and desirable as other branches. The little folks were very apt in learning to read music, and while a few lacked in musical ability, the majority showed great aptness and fondness for the study. On returning to Ann Arbor, Mr. Clement conld not forget the beautiful effect of those hundreds of children 's voices. "As I thought the matter over more and more," said he, "I asked myself, ' Why cannot our children hare the same advantages as those of other coun tries? Are they not as apt? Do not our little ones sing at play, ' and are there not many proud parents who rejoice that their children soon sing the songs they hear? Knowing that singing is taught in the city schools, I consulted Miss Colé and learned that in the graded schools of Ann Arbor this was one of the most enjoyable features of the daily work, but it was uot until Miss Cole gave a talk before one of the lecture courses ov. 'How we teach the little ones to sing, ' iilustirated by a chorus of about 200 children selected from the. city schools, that I realized how easily, quickly' and with what evident erijoyment they learned to sing. I later learned that through the efforts of Mr. Mills, secretary of tne Washtenaw fair association, Miss Cole had for a year taught singing in the district school, a few miles south of Ann Arbor. Mr. Mills said that the results had been so gratifying that Miss Cole had been reengaged for the ensuing year. "In conversation with the teacher, J learned that the ohildren enjoyed their inusic most heartily, and the few moments devoted to singing each morning gave zest to the children in their other studies. The work in other lines was also beneflted by the relaxing effect of the few moment's singing, and the children showed greater promptness in reaching school, that they might enjoy the monring's song. Further talk with Prof. Perry, superintendent of Ann Arbor schools, confirnied this . statement. Then why should not music be tanght in every district school? Why cannot Washtenaw county.which is known throughout the world for its advancement in learning, be the first to introduce the study of urasic in all her distriot schools? The result of this thought was the ofïering by our company of prizes aggregating in value about $120 to the schools showing the greatest proficiency in music. ' ' "How does it seem to strike the teachers?" we asked. "Those who have talked with me," said Mr Clement, "show that they are geatly interested. Several have stated that -since their attention was called to the matter, they have begun to sing a few ïnornents each inorning, and ar surprised at the virn with which th chiidren take to the work and the pleas ure it gives them. y et the teacher hurdly understand what we hope to uc coraplish. Learning to sing is mnol like learning to talk, and the child must sing to know how to sing. He must hear music, and make music, in order to nnderstand music, the same as he hears words, and say words , and by combining words, forms sentences. The child learns to sing ' Home, Sweet Home' by having heard it, much as he learns to speak a sentence. But we hope to go still further. We desire uot only to teach the chiidren to sing those songs they hear others sing, but to teaoh them to read the printed music, and sing what they read, as they read the printed page, and speak in words and sentenoes what they read. The child who learus to sing the songs he hears from others, does much the same as the child who to speak 1 piece which the niother teaches. But ;he child who learns to read music as it is written and to reproduce the sound shown by the printed note, is not coaflned to the enjoyment of the music he hears, but finds a vast open stoiehouse, fllled with the best songs of all time, which he can make his own bv merelv reading the printed rnnsic. Nor is this difficult ; it is so simple that it is amazing it has not been taught before. All rnusic is composed of eight notes, or degrees of pitch, known as the scale. These eight toies, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do, which are realy but seven, the eighth being only a repetition of the first,should be learned much more easily thau the twenty-six letters, which must be learned before -we can read. The symbols of pitch, indicated by the note and staff, are easily learned by the child, and a few lessons enable him to reproduce instantly any pitch indicated. What the teacher should do, therefore, is not alone to teach the child to sing by note, but to be able to reproduce the pitch indicated by the printed note, and sing as hey read. We find many books written especially for teaching music to children, written in simple style, easily taught by the average teacher and easily comprehended by the pupil. We desire to awaken such an interest in the teachers that they will investígate the methöds employed by others in this work, obtain the book suitable for this purpose, which cos but a nominal sum, and begin in practical way to teach the little ones t sing. "There is one obstacle of which th teachers in some districts complain which can scarcely be understood, bu it is believed, comes from lack of un derstanding on the part of the schoo offlcers. A teacher said to me las week, "The director stated to me tha he did not wish us to waste any tim with singing; simply open the schoo with prayer, and get down to work. ' believe could that director see the in oreased energy and enthusiasm evincec by the children after singing for a fe momentseach morning,he would admi that the time was not wasted, but tha time had been gained by a few moment of refreshing song. The experience o: every teacher with whom I have talkec is that better results are accomplished and more work done by the pupils in consequence of the little relaxation anc the refreshing influence of singing." Mr. Clement is enthusiastic over th prospects, and is filled with that enthu siasni that must bring results. H states that if sufflcient interest is aroused among the teachers, it is possible tha Miss Cole maygbe induced to visit som of the larger towns in the county, anc meet the various teachers of the district schools in that vicinity, and explain the methods she uses in our city schools. The company also state that still greater prizes will be offered next year to those schools which show the greatest proficiencyin sjght singing; while this year the prizes were for those schools showing the greatest proficiency in singing pieoes already committed. Mr. Clement stated he would be very pleased to hear from any teacher who might be interested, and that any suggestious which he might be able to aid in this work would be most gladly given. All those oreeping, crawling, stinging sensations thafc combine to make up the tortures of any itchiug disease of the skin are instantly relieved and permanently cured by Doan's Ointment. Take no substitute. Doan's never fails.