The Hawera Star. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 18, 1927. MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 18 November 1927, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 18, 1927. MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera. Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa. Eltbam, Mangatoki, Kaponga. Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Oliangat, Meremere, Fraser and Ararata

The visit of Mr E. Douglas Tavlcr, Superintendent of Music in Schools, will be most heartily welcomed by music lovers in South Taranaki, and wc venture the opinion that he wall not regret coming to this district, where he will find many people whose minds will prove receptive to the message ho has to deliver. The creation of the office which Mr Tayler holds was one of the most encouraging things which have befallen music and musical people in this Dominion. When the opinion was first advanced by individuals that greater facilities should be given our school children to develop an early love of music, 'he idea was looked upon as' desirable, hut one unlikely of coming into actual being. It was recognised that it was not merely more ; nstruction that the children needed. The setting aside of a greater number of hours for the practising of scales and the shouting of a few schools songs as in the old days, was not what the advocates of the idea desired. They asked that someone should be appointed to visit the schools with practically a free hand to inspire the children with something of his own love of the art, but the more practicalminded .members of the musical community despaired of the ideal ever being attained, for who could hope to impress such a soulless organism, as a government department, with the desirability and the practicability of the scheme in the first place, and, granting that even that, wonder could be accomplished, where were they to find the right man to undertake the task? But happily the outlook in regard to education has changed tremendously during the last few years and ideas and-ideals have entered the realm of things possible of accomplishment. The result in the case of better music, in our schools has been most happy. The singing lesson has come to mean, under Mr Taylor’s direction, and under the direction of those teachers who have- most eagerly seized the opportunity presented by the change of view on the part of the department which his 'appointment signalised, abandoning the singing lesson as the older generations knew it in their school days, in favour of methods which make a greater appeal to the juvenile mind. Instead of attempting to impart a few hard and fast lessons by the old “hammering in’’ method, the modern idea is to introduce the child to some-

thing beautiful and allow him to appreciate its beauties for himself. In Hawera Mr Taylor will find that the pioneering has already been done, thanks to our good fortune in having in our midst a musician who has not spared himself in his efforts to pass on the gift of music to all within his compass. The Superintendent’s praise of the school orchestra will delight everybody who has taken an interest in the progress of those young musicians, and local musical people will bo able ro congratulate themselves anew on the possession of the enthusiast whose interest in music has placed the school so far in advance of others in the Dominion that the Superintendent considers the playing of its orchestra should be broadcast. Fortunately there are too many genuine music lovers in Hawera for there to exist any danger of their thinking they have nothing more to learn. Mr Tayler will find here, as he has found elswhere, audiences only too ready to listen to all he has to teach them and only too anxious to further the work that he has at heart. There is great scope for the inculcation of a knowledge and an appreciation of true music in New Zealand. Too often, in the suburbs of the larger cities particularly, do we hear children, moved to express their happiness in song, doing so through the medium of a melody 'that is trashy and of words that are vulgar. The pity of it is that many of our children know only the popular songs of the moment; they have lost the old songs ■which their grandparents sang to their parents. But there is hope of better things for the children who are at present in our schools and for those who come after them as a result of such work ns the Superintendent of Music in Schools is doing now.