MUSIC IN THE SCHOOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 107, 2 November 1939, Page 6

MUSIC IN THE SCHOOL

ORCHESTRAL TRAINING

A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT

; The increased attention being given? to music in secondary schools ' was brought to the public notice last: week at: the-annual display of work-at ihe Kutt Valley Memorial Technical Cok iege,!''Pet6ne. At this school, .four. months ago, group classes of .iastnic: tioii in the instruments of the orches^ tra ■ were"^^^commenced, and^^ about: fifty children took the opportunity toVmake; music for themselves. Groups, were established for strings, wood;Yfind, and brass-wind. By the -assistance of the Board of Managers, the-Parents' Association, and a special concert, enough money was raised to purchase, a number of instruments. , Those who wished to learn a stringed instrument hadto provide their own; instruments,- but all tuition is without cost to the patents. The master in charge of musical activi--ties, Mr. R. E. McLay, B,A.^; directs, the lessons and practices, and' is assisted by three part-time assistants;who give a two-hour lesson weekly to each group. Daily practices take place in the college. : y

Amazing progress has been made by all the groups, and this was proved to a large gathering of parents and the public generally on Friday afternoon and again in the evening. The instruments heard included violins,.";'cello, cornets, tenor horns, trombones, baritone, euphonium, bombardon, clarinets, and flute. The brass and wood-wind combined to give four .'selections— "Russian Hymn," Waltz ; "Semplice/ J [March and Trio "When Jesus Comes," and Waltz "Mello." '.: Theycombined I strings played three pie.ces—"Ribands," I "Rock of Ages," and "Rosary." All these, concerted numbers were played with precision and a due regard for rhythm and intonation. Those who [heard them were full,of praise for the [remarkable progress that had been [made in so short a time, and for the \ importance of the work as forming [part of a complete education." '::.--:- Another aspect of. the musical work [at the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College demonstrated'by Mr. McLay was musical appreciation. In the course of a few remarks; he empha-. sised the value of talks in musical ap-* preciation, accompanied by suitable re- j cordings, in helping people to under^ I stand good music better and so fitting them to make a fuller use of their leisure time., Not everyone can/become a performer, but all can become intelligent listeners with a little 'train;--, ing. This training in listening is being; developed as an integral part of ;the music course at the college. At the concert Mr. McLay demonstrated sonic miniature lessons in. musical apprecia- I tion and used for the -reproduction' Of■: the recordings a special plant made for the purpose by the electricity department of the college. The musical work above referred will be further developed next year, when it is expected that anything up to one hundred children will be learning to play instruments. Pupils \Vho learn and leave school will have an opportunity of furthering their know-' ledge and experience by joining a night school orchestra.

All this work has already been pioneered by Dr. Vernon Griffiths at the Dunedin Technical College, where most vr.luable and successful work has been carried on for a number ofyears. Mr. McLay has modelled his experiment on that work, and the success it has already achieved shows what value it will have for the community as a whole.