BANDS AND BANDSMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 149, 23 June 1906, Page 10

BANDS AND BANDSMEN.

i » _____ fßy Presto.) Correspondents are requested to adl dress their commmdeations to Presto. I An inqnirer from the country asks: ' "'What are some of the qualifications i necessary to a teacher of music !™ Wei!. j a teacher mast know that which he i attempts to teach. He most have as j a pupil one who knows less than himself, and above all must be able to im- | part his knowledge to others. The first j and second conditioES are always as- ' stoned to esist, but the third is. strange !to say. less particularly considered hy I many" who profess to teach. One may i sing "or piay well, but nevertheless be ! a very poor teacher, while many ordinary ! _performers excel hi teaching. The latf ter is an art in itself, and one for the 1 perfecting of which a Kfetime is not 1 too long. Mr S. C. Cope, writing in the j "'British Bandsman," says: Tbe tea- ' c-her who can teach no better this year ; than he did last year, has either passed '< the best point of his usefulness, or else ihe has perhaps never aimed to reach j | it. Even familiar truths, taught over j i and over, constantly find new forms of i expression when taught by one who is ; steadily growing and developing, and , the infinite variety of capacity and in- ; capacities among pupils calls for a I corresponding variety in teaching, both :in matter and in manner. One needs I special help in one particular, another jin something else, and ail must be ear- ! ried forward toward really aecomplish- \ in? something." A very large number of people at- | tended the Albert Park last Sunday I afternoon to hear the -plendid programme given by the First Battalion i Band in aid oi S-ergL-Major Morgan, who was wounded at the Rifle Range ; some little time back. The band fully sustained its reputation, their playing jj_ the. big selection. "Ua Ballo ia Mas- : ebera,'" being exceptionally pleasing. The collection amounted t.-« £1-5 12/3. which I think constitutes an easy record for a single band performance in Albert Park. During tbe Last month j this band has raised do less th*n i.'27 jin aid oi charity, and the public of j I Auckland have every rea.—">u to be , , proud of them. I understand that the ' movement of the band is to try I to rai=e money to take th-~iji to the i I International Contest in February, ar.d I j I trust They will receive the support j j they rieh'.v deserve. i Mr. Gibbons, secretary of the Hauraki ' ; Band, who is now in town, informs mc I : that his band is rather weak just now. I | but he hopes that by the time the* Waihi ! ! congest comes on they will have a few | more players and be able to make things I j interesting, as usual. Mr. C. Rowe is ibandmaster at present, and will most j i likely take them through the contest. ! The Ist A3UL Band have decided to compete at xh° Waihi con-en. and to i ! enter two or three soloists for each com- \ j petition, if allowed. To show how enthusiast C the members of this band are I I over contesting they are aii paying , j their own expenses, and can get almost | i enough players to make two bands. The I | band has been getting lately several new I { irinnber?. among whom are some very fair i ' plnyor-. and on Monday evening last Mr. j Geo. Simon, who is well known in orefaes- i I tral circl-s here, became a member. The j band already has a very reliable soprano player, and with the other cornet players I that wiii be here shortly they must sure- | 'ly prove a little tronbiesoms in the test \ ccm petition. j : Tt<=re i* a whisper that the City S.A. j ; Band will be competing, also the City i j Mission Band. Well. I on)- hope, for j iWjLihi"? sake, that ; t is true, for there | jis ac band in New Zealand that- deserves ', i our support more than they do. A I bandsman who has heard the "test piece" 'tells roe that there is nothing very stiff 1 it it. and he thinks the competing bands, a- far as he know-, will master it very ! well