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A Plea For The School Of Music

A Plea For The School Of Music image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
December
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
Editorial
OCR Text

Editor Courier: - Your article in a recent issue regarding the needs of the School of Music, must have com atended itselt to the judgment of all persons interested in the developuient of our city. There can heno surer way of adding to the prosperity of Aun Albor than by building up and sustaininx evcry legltimate eoncatlonal enterprise. The fame of the l'niversity of Michigan lias established the reputation of Ann Arbor as an educational center, and au increafec rn the prosperity of the untversity adds to tlie valne of all propert}', nul is i suurce of addeil w ealth to the city. The wond eil'ul growth of the High School ineans additional revenue to the citi.ens, for the InoreaN ta largely in itudenti from abroad, Would not a higlily protperoui Sehoo! of Hllfio be an Klraulagc to the community ? I it nol a tact that Ann Arbor migbt ba in a position to offer great Inducementa to Btudenti of inuaic? Can auy person point to a moteta] institution ihoruughly equlpped in every respect and conductedon business principies wliich is DOt lUCCPUful ! ClUJ anv One name a school wblcb is not conducted on such principies which does or ever can pay? In order to interest the iiiblic in tlie development of such an instilution the question as to the possible protits of i nu. ie s Miool in nst be thoroughly disnussed. There are in the west u larjje nmnber of wcll i-qulpped niusic schools, and any inptltutlon to Hiceeed must be able ti compete with the besr, fr the time has past when Rliythlng hut a purely local patronage can be expected for a school whicta Ij dlfféreot in ady particular. Ann Albor is DOt laiije enough or united enough, niusically, to support an nstltution eucb as we lonk forward to, ai.d patronage from abroad would lie eneatial. Cun Ann Arbor o (Vu r sullicient indDCemcntl to attract musical stuclents from abroad Í It niay be sui prisiiijr to liai n that t wnlil be possible to offer more in Ann Arbor than can be pff red in any city in the country for tlie fotlowIng reasnii-: Ut, 'l'he cost of living is very reasonabie in cotnparison with large eilii.'s. 8d. Tlie advantagc tor frener.il eullure is Mlcb that ;m ümbitious tudent would be stimulated to good work tremí the outaet. Sd. Tlie cutirse olleieil liy the Ilinh School in connuctton with tlie School of Muslo s a partí, ii ¦uIiHluu i'f ¦ vexed problem in edueation, and an increase In tlie ollicers of the School of Music would niake a complete solution possible. To sum up Ann Arbor coultl offer greateropportuniiies at a smaller cost than most cities. The only serious drawback is the lack of good musical entertainments, but a piosperous School of Music can be relied upon to inUuence and control music Ik re to such an extent as to make this problem practically solve itself. At present the School of Music can liardly hope to do uil this for lack of proper faeilities. But would it pay after all f Charging i price which would be somewhat smaller than in eaatern i-chools, viz. $25.00 per semester 2 semesters per year, on a basis of 150 pupils, it would on an investment of $15,000 for building and equlpment pay U per cent. on $000 and leave a sum sullicient to provide for salary and maintaiuance. On a basis of 200 pupils it would pay largely. Can it be" done ! It ha been done in coinmunities wiiich are not so favorably altuated and In connectioii with iiistitutions whicli are not to be compared with the University aud Higli School. Itcan not be done in the same way, for tliey started when there was uo competition, but a School of Music which could offer equal or greater faeilities for less money, would not be obliged to fear competition. From a business stani!point it would be a profitable investment, it would be a benelit to property holders, and linally t would be wortliy of the di;uity of a community and the intelligence and educational reputation of Anu Arbor.