MUSIC TEACHERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22504, 23 February 1935, Page 11

MUSIC TEACHERS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE The Music Teachers’ Association held its eleventh annual conference in Wellington recently, concurrently with a meeting of the board constituted under the Music Teachers’ Registration Act of 19.28. Mr Robert Parker was in the chair, and delegates attended from most of the districts. It was decided that representations should be made to the Government for a Society of Music Teachers, to consolidate the profession on the lines of other professional bodies. The. Act of 1928 had proved satisfactory as far as it went, but some difficulty was caused by the existence of local associations which had no constitution under the Act.

The Registration Board decided to subsidise summer schools for music teachers up to £l5O on condition that registered teachers were admitted without payment of a fee, and also tp continue the prizes offered .last year for essays, the subject to be “ Music Making as Distinct from Listening.” Mr Max Scherek, of Dunedin, was appointed judge. The conference recommended that choral societies should form junior choirs of boys and girls, who should later on become members of adult choral societies. It also expressed the view that better results would follow if the advice of conductors was more fully considered by the committees on the choice of works to be performed. It was decided to approach the Music Teachers’ Association of England with a view to affiliation with that body. An encouraging letter was received from Sir Hugh Robertson, conductor of the famous Glasgow Orpheus Choir, in answer to a suggestion from the association that he should visit New Zealand with his choir. Sir Hugh stated that neither he nor any member of his choir would expect any sort of remuneration. They would only expect to cover expenses, regarding the visit as a friendly gesture from the Mother Country to the Dominion. The conference gave unanimous support to the proposal, and decided that every effort should be made to bring it into effect.