MUSIC LESSONS IN SCHOOLS

Southland Times, Issue 23345, 1 November 1937, Page 8

MUSIC LESSONS IN SCHOOLS

Movement In Canada And United States

POSSIBLE ADVANTAGES TO NEW ZEALAND The return to popularity of what he termed “self-performed” music strongly impressed Mr C. E. Begg, general manager for New Zealand of Charles Begg and Co., Ltd., who has just returned from a visit to Great Britain, the Continent, Canada and the United States, states The Evening Star, Dunedin. He was also struck by the extent to which music is included as a school subject. The view was expressed by Mr Begg that more could be done in this respect in New Zealand with advantage, and that more bands, orchestras, and choirs should be established. In the United States and Canada, he said, music was a subject which had been very widely introduced into the schools, and its development there could teach a lesson to New Zealand, which prided itself on being well ahead in educational matters. It was usual for ever l ' school in America to have at least one good musical organization, such as a band. Schools in New Zealand should follow this example, said Mr Begg, and give the children the opportunity to have graded lessons in the theory of music and to forr musical organizations. It would have to be done with Government approval and support, and not be merely an extra activity for those who wished to interest themselves in it. Children would thus'- become acquainted with music while they were still learning, and it would not be left till they were grown up and had little time to devote to it. Referring to the growing interest m music performed by people themselves, Mr Begg said that it had been thought that the spread of the radio would mean that pianos, violins, and other instruments would become out of date in the home, but this was not proving to be so. Factories producing musical instruments were working overtime to fulfil orders. The radio had educated people to appreciate tuneful music of the better type, he found. Jazz was giving way to this kind of music, and there was a definite movement away, from the ultra-modern, tuneless music of the type which had been composed in recent years.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Mr Begg was loth to discuss foreign politics, as he had not taken more than a passing interest in the subject, but he said he was much impressed by the stability of the people in Great Britain. The people there, he said, appeared to be, and were in a stable and contented position. . The United States was in the throes of strikes when Mr Begg passed through, and many business men were expressing concern about where they would be led by the policy of the President (Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt). Mr Begg was convinced that the publicity given to New Zealand abroad was inadequate. He had met widelytravelled people who had not known anything of the country at all, he said. He considered that too much emphasis was laid on the Maoris in the publicity. This was not likely to attract the mid-dle-aged, retired type of tourists, and he considered that more should be made of the scenic aspect of the country, and the fact that i' was highly civilized. The use of colour films on the ships would greatly assist this. “We should not get the idea that there is no othor country as beautiful as our own,” remarked Mr Begg, who said that the Eastern and New England States of America were very beautiful. He was also impressed with the beauties of the Canadian Rockies and the New Forest in Germany.