The High School Music Teacher

10 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. 11, No. 1 THE HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC My work included two classes in music TEACHER appreciation and history, which alternated with each other during the week; an or- ACCORDING to mythology, the early chestra of fourteen pieces; a girls' glee club Greeks accredited the source of of thirty voices; and a boys' glee club of music to the infant god Pan, who is fifteen voices. I will attempt to give a brief said to have brought forth music from a resume of the type of work accomplished. reed, when he was only a few days old. The classes in music appreciation and Even if there be no truth in this myth, it is history took up a general survey of the two at least evidence that the Greeks thought periods of history—ancient and modern, enough of music to seek its origin among music both sacred and secular; the lives of the gods. the great classical and romantic composers, The public schools are beginning to re- including a study of the characteristics of alize more and more the great need of music the two periods; the forms of music used to each child. Music gives the child at the present time; a study of the instru- "promptness, decision, acuity of thought, ments of the orchestra by sight, sound, and tact in co-operation with others that aid in story; and the three schools of opera— every other study in the school curriculum." Italian, French, and German—the most out- The task of the teacher is to furnish ever- standing examples used being Verdi's "11 lasting inspiration, and the road to the music teacher is indeed beset with thorns. Trovatore," Rossini's "William Tell," My sympathy is in perfect accord with W. Wagner's "Niebelugen Lieder or Ring," H. Squires, of Hamilton College, N. Y., and Gounod's "Faust." As there was no when he says, "A tone-deaf soul is the available bulletin board space for posting meanest work of God. But the teach- current events, they were kept in notebooks, er's real ingenuity is tested when the child which proved interesting as well as in- of defective musical endowments comes to structive. The school furnished a large her hands. And worse than the tone-deaf portable orthophonic victrola, and a gener- child are the fond parents who will not un- ous supply of good records. The books derstand! Many a teacher has lost the used were: music in her soul trying to create a Strad- Music Appreciation—Katherine Stone ivarius out of a banana peel." What We Hear in Music—Ann Shaw Faulkner The preceding paragraphs are more a Victrola Book of the Opera plea for the music teacher who supervises Handbook—Instruments of the Orchestra—with color charts of Instruments—Victor Talking the grades and high school as well. My ex- Machine Co. perience during the winter of 1928-29 was Glimpse of the World's Music—L. M. Gilde- restricted entirely to the four years of high meister school, as I was also carrying two classes in Music Dictionary—Elson English and two in mathematics. That sim- Some helpful magazines were: plified my work to some extent, as the aver- age eighth grade child should read most Musical America—Sreune Musical Digest—Pierre Key music fluently. He should also be able to The Music Bulletin—New York City use his voice to the extent of producing a The Supervisors Service Bulletin—Educational clear, light tone. Then, too, the bass voice Music Bureau, Chicago begins to show itself in the seventh and eighth grades, though with a limited range, The orchestra used Jacob's Ensemble and this affords more opportunity for part and found it quite satisfactory. Of course, singing. the selection of an orchestra book depends January, 1930] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER 11 entirely upon the previous training and abil- While Bells of Memory Chime—Test—3 part— Girls ity. Even then there is such a range in the The Gypsy Trail—Galloway—mixed voices various reading and performing abilities of Lilacs—Cadman-Forman—2 part—Girls its members, that deciding upon a book to Carry Me Back to Old Virginny—Bland—Boys use becomes at once the most difficult and Recessional—Kipling-DeKooen—4 parts—mixed Little Bluebird of My Heart—Grey—+ part— most vital thing for the beginning of an or- Boys chestra. Among the instruments there were Dreaming Alone in the Twilight—Moore—3 seven violins, including two played by fac- part—Girls ulty members; three saxaphones; one trum- Calm is the Night-—Bohn—3 part—Girls On the Road to Mandalay—Speaks—4 part— pet; one alto horn, and a piano with two Boys accompanists who alternated at the prac- Mighty Lak' a Rose—Nevin—4 parts—Boys tice periods. The orchestra met twice a Barcarolle, "Tales of Hoffman"—Offenbach— 2 part—Girls week at the extra-curricular period, which My Task—E. L. Ashford—Tenor solo was forty minutes in length, as credit was Our Faith in Thee—Pauler—3 part—Boys given for all of these musical activities. Pond Lilies—Forman—2 part—Girls When they were preparing to play for a Little Dearest—Liftl—2 part—Girls special occasion, additional practices were Rosebud—Marzo—2 part—Girls necessary after school, but the larger part Grandma—Sachs—Girls Hissing's No Sin—Andrews—Boys of the work was accomplished during the Georgia Lullaby—Cordray—3 part—Girls period set aside for it. For some time we Just Smiling~We\ls—Mixed voices had no piano, which of course was a great Mali Lindy Lou—Strickland—Boys handicap, but we managed to carry on by Out of the Dusk to You—Lee—3 part—Girls practicing at private homes after we re- Whispering Hope'—Hawthorne—2 parts—Girls ceived a supply of music stands sufficient The operetta presented at the end of the for our numbers. year was The Pirate's Daughter, by Bassett The girls' and boys' glee clubs were run and Brown. After we rented a piano we as separate organizations, but they sang to- had only a month in which to get ready, gether very often. I was fortunate enough though I started teaching the dances and to have several quite exceptional voices, but choruses some weeks before the piano they needed careful watching, of course. came. We stayed on the key by means of In selecting their music I tried always to a pitch pipe! The operetta is a legend of give them only the best, but that does not Old Holland. The scene opens at a house necessarily mean the most difficult. In their party on the Hudson, where the main fea- part songs the second soprano and baritone ture of entertainment is a necromancer parts proved to be the hardest. They mas- from India, who offers to grant any wish of tered the other parts with comparative ease, the assembled group. They wish themselves and in a relatively short period of practice. in Holland three hundred years ago. The The only safe rule I know in selecting whole of the second act take place over music for school use is, "Use only music there, and many amusing situations arise. that ranks with the kind of literature you The third act brings them back to America would give the children." Music for any to be awakened from their trance by the grade should be of a character to appeal to same necromancer. The plot is very lively children of that particular age. The glee and the whole thing is a comedy through- clubs sang on all occasions in the school, in out. There were sixty in the cast, including the town, and in the churches. the chorus. Some of the most effective selections We drew a number from the rest of the were; student body who were not members of 12 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. 11. No. 1 either club. We had the necessary scenery mals ; they grow. We find many variations. made for the stage, and the Home Econom- They have genealogies, pedigrees, thor- ics Department made the costumes as part oughbreds, crossbreeds, mongrels, and often of their class work, so there was no ex- strays. pense there except for the material. They These songs came from The American also made a curtain for the stage. The Songhag, by Carl Sandburg. furniture was offered by private persons. The programs were mimeographed by mem- I. Outcome bers of the school, so the paper was the only A. To create a love for singing and an en- item of expense for that. The royalty on joyment of it as recreation and leisure. the operetta was waived due to the number B. To teach the children how Folk Songs of copies purchased. The operetta would were composed, how they were changed have been impossible in such a short time, and how they were preserved. when I had to do all the playing, had it not C. To give the feeling and atmosphere of been for the co-operation of the other mem- regions, of breeds of men, and of cus- bers of the faculty. It was put on two toms in the manner that only music can nights during commencement week, and re- give. ceived with interest and appreciation. D. To improve tone and rhythm. Though the path of the music teacher be H. Pupil Activities not strewn with roses without thorns, it is strewn with the joy and vision of great pos- A. The singing of songs. sibilities ahead. "We have hardly caught B.

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