INIMICAL TO GOOD MUSIC

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 5 August 1913, Page 6

INIMICAL TO GOOD MUSIC

EXAMINATIONS AND COMPETITIONS. CONDEMNED BY THE CITY ORGAN rST. Mr. Maughan Barnett. Auckland's city organist, is a strong opponent of musical examinations and competitions, and expressed his views in the course-of a paper read before the Auckland Society of Musicians Inst evening. He considered that the examinations held periodically in New Zealand were valueless, from an artistic point -if view, to both teachers and studcuts. Experienced teachers would admit that their pupils in any one term ditl'ered so much in the matter of ability that no two could be treated alike. Thus, if individual requirements were to be adequately met it was necessary that teachers should have absolute freedom in the choice of music for their pupils' use. Such freedom of choice was not possible while the pupils were being prepared for the examinations, fie had looked through some of the lists of piano music selected for the examinations, and not, one contained a combination of studies and pieces that could be given to one of his pupils without interrupting the course of study he considered best suited to the pupil. In addition, there was nothing in the examinations to justify the interruption. It was his opinion, too, that the examinations did not have the etTeet of correcting faults due to bad teaching It had been said that examinations did good, in that they compelled teachers to give their pupils good music instead of "trash." But against that he had to say that good music was a farce in the hands of those not competent to teach it. Further, he contended that cramming was harmful rather than beneficial, and practice under the impetus of an impending examination was not always lasting.

As to competitions, they were of no artistic value, and were generally injurious, and tended to remove amateurs from the atmosphere of loving music for its own sake. All public performances should be of the best, and considerable harm bad been done by bad interpretations publicly of good works. He bad therefore decided not to associate himself with the competitions movement.