MUSIC AND MODERN LIFE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17232, 11 April 1930, Page 9

MUSIC AND MODERN LIFE

DISPLACEMENT OF PERFORMERS SYDNEY, March 17. "Mass production is an excellent tiling when n enables us to produce cheaper bouts, clothes, motor cars, and other things, but when it enables a lew rolls to take the place of thousands of our own flesh and blood performers it ceases to he a benefit to humanity," said Mr. lloland Foster, of the State Conservatoriuin, in an address at the Lyceum yesterday afternoon. .Mr. Foster was speaking on "Music. in relationship to modern life." The gilt of music, hi' said, was unevenly distributed over the world. Some nations bad it only in a small measure, whilst, others were richly endowed In Europe and England it bad developed to a much greater extent, than in the East, and among the (Mentals it remained in its primitive and barbaric form. In Italy, Germany, and Austria it found high expression. The Welsh were noted for their fiiiD singing, and it might be said the national instalment of Wales was the human voice. "The national instrument of Scotland is the .bagpipes," said .Mr Foster, "and Scotland does not rank so high in the musical scale. The Irish are said to have invented the liagpipcs and passed them on to Scotland as a joke- and Scotland has not seen the joke yet. (Laughter.) The- national instrument of America is the. cash register; yet- the United States has done fine work for musical education." Thousands weri employed in the manufacture and sale of musical instruments, in the composition, printing, and sale of music; then there was transport and carriage and newspaper advertising. For every visible person employed there were hundreds of invisible workers, and if they closed up an important industry like this the effect would so farreaching as to he almost appalling. Tracing the educational advantages of music, which taught young people to read and think and to learn and appreciate the great masters, he said it inspired noble thoughts, noble, deeds, and noble aspirations. Jazz, on the other hand, onlv iepresenterl the commonplace and vulgar phases. Hood music taught young people individual energy and ambition. Lack of individual energy and ambition meant ultimately lack _of national energy and ambition. An important lesson that could be taught young people to-day was the need for self-improvement—the necessity for learning to do things for themselves instead of depending on others.