LOCAL MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 844, 28 December 1878, Page 2

LOCAL MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.

A Gl'IM: To TliK S'iVI'EXTS OF SlXlilNC. [liY EN'HAKMOXIA.] NO. i. As to the importance of the teaching of music in schools there can be no two opinions. Physically, singing promotes a healthy ;;r:tion of the muscles of the chest and lungs; morally, it cultivates habits -of attention, and developes the powers of perception and invitation. It teaches us, when rightly cultivated, to associate good thoughts anu kindly feel-

ings with tho ordinary incidents of everyday life ; it makes the best of everything, and has been said to " oil the wheels of life's chariot on this jolty road." How good then for body and mind must be the song around the cottage hearth when the hours of labor are over. Our cheapest pleasures are often the best and purest. It is pleasing to see that the Council of Education has gazetted vocal music one of the ordinary subjects in the public schools curriculum, and affixed standards to it showing what the Inspectors will require from each department of the schools. I believe that teachers generally will approve of this arrangement, because it shows them in a business-like manner •what they have to do, and because it requires systematic and thorough work, and and not merely cramming. In the hope that they may be <>f service to teachers in schools where there is no regular music master these papers have been prepared, and, if they in any degree tend to help forward that useful branch of our national system of education, my labor has not been in vain.

P.KOtIRKMEXTS OF STANIi.WiD I. To sing a suflicient number of easy and suitable songs iu correct time and tune, and at a proper pitch:—-A few simple songs got up by ear, we presume, would satisfy the Inspector in this standard, bur I would recommend the teacher even in this simple srandard t>> begin a regular cousseof instruction, which will materially lessen his work in the following standards. The teacher will be careful to get his children to stand perfectly erect, heels close together, toes turned slightly outwards, and shoulders well back. The following physical exercises gone through cnrcfrilty at the beginning of every singing lesson will be conducive to the early formation of good habits. [•RKCUSSIOX OK THE CHEST. First, place the hands on the chest, with fingers below the Collar-bones, fort' arms horizontal. Take a deep inspiration through the nostrils. Hold the breath. St coiid, strike on the chest- rapid blows with the Hat of the tinkers, keeping the wrists slack. Time, four counts. Third, give out the breath through the nostrils—iwo counts. Inhale a dee]) breath •■ two counts ; repeat second movement. The blows should be light and gentle to begin with, but may be gradually increased in force, but should never be violent. i'II K.ST EXPANSION. First, elbows sharply bent, and close to the side, fore-arms horizontal, lists clenched, palms upward. Take a deep inspiration. Hold the breath. Second', extend the arms full length fo?-,vard. relaxing the muscles and opening the hands, palms downward. Third, bring the arms energetically back to their former position, endeavoring to expand the chest, as much as possible. Fourth, expel the breath through the nostrils —two counts. Take a fresh inspiration-two counts, and rep-eat from first to last. siion.iiKi: .".iovoiF.N :s. First, clenched lists at. the side of the .shoulders, palms forward, fore-arms vertical. Second, bring the open hands, palms forward, so as to touch each other about three inches in front of the chin. Third, throw the fore-arms back to the side, as in the. commencing position, fists clenched, palms outward. Repeat. Fourth, change the breath as in the preceeding. rIKi'TJ.AK MOVEMENT. Fourth, touch the shouldes lightly with the tips of the lingers. Second, bring the elbows forward in front of the body. Third, lift tho elbows as high as possible. Fourth, throw the elbows back, the fingers still touching the shoulders. Fifth, carry the elbows round to the commencing position, meanwhile expanding the chest. UK U> AMI NECK. First, the chin, without any change in the position of the body, is gently moved downward and forward, till tiie face forms ,-iii angle of iodeg. with the trunk. Second, raise the head slowly upward to the. vertical po.--.ii.ioii. Third, move ihe chin gently upward and backward till an angle, of 4oueg. is formed. Fourth, return the head to position. (live the time of two counts to each movement, and remain fixed during the third and fourth counts. The ages of the children in Standard 1. will be four, rive, to seven years ; their vocal organs are in a tender and undeveloped state, the lungs also are small, and the muscles of the chest and rib- arc not strong enough to control the breath properly. J low easily might the vocal organs of these little darlings be injured or destroyed by loud and coarse singing, or by srr.-iining at tones out of the region of their little voices ; and depend upon it if soft singing is insisted upon in the infant room, the higher classes will be benefited thereby. Tho teacher will hang up a modulator which is a (...riect pictorial representation of the scale of seven tones in key, the scale of all nations ami o£ all times, the scale to which the ear and soul ",? man arc tuned by the all-wise Creator.

FIHST F.XFJU'ISF.S IN TI'NF.. Let tin- teacher rake :m easy sound of tlio voice, .say C in the treble stall', which In.- :-.ili sing tn iliill. at the. same pointing lo it mi the modulator, and ask his children to listen, for they who listen most, ailelitivoiy always sing liest. After giving this soft pattern, he will ask the children t>> try and sing do]i, with heads civet, open mouths, and smiling faces. After getting this fairly done, the teacher will point- to soli, and, sing softly the fifth of the scale, which the. children will imitate. Then again tins me, or third of the .scale will he treated in the same manner. These three tones may then he treated as an exercise, tints, the teacher giving a soft pattern, the pupils singing hy themselves, while lie (the teacher) listens, d s d I d s in ■ d s m d S s d '. d in s m s d ; d m s s m d, the teacher all ilie while insisting upon Soft singing, and the body in proper position, with head erect. After these modulator voluntaries have hoe.il sung to the syllabus, the teacher will point aiul sing them to la, iniug the open vowel aa as sounded in h'her. giving the children a g.»'d pattern, villi mouth freely open, throwing the voice well forward so as to give it a soft round quality. The pupil; will now he prep,!red to d.. tlie.se exercises, lite teacher carefully correcting errors. These exercises may then lie written on the blackhoard, and simple sets of words sung to them. It is astonishing how interesting these early exercises may be made. The teacher may invent his melodies after the style of bugle calls, which are composed of the tones d, m, and s, and sing them to such words as " doh soh, tit. tat too, doh for me and soli for you," '■ Cherries ripe, cherries ripe, come and buy my cherries ripe." (T'i lif. continued).