MUSIC DEGREES

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1930, Page 3

MUSIC DEGREES

CONSERVATORIUM PLAN.

PROFESSOR SHELLEY’S VIEWS,

Sympathy with the desire of Mr. Alfred Hill,'the New Zealand coni poser, to sec established in the ponunibn a Coiv servatoriuni of Music was expressed <by Professor J. Shelley, o£ Canterbury University College. Professor Srelley said that an effort had been made locally to do something on these'lines'years ago, but the movement had failed to reach, success. . " Spcakiu'g in Wellington recently Mr. Hill. said that “'ho had presented letters from prominent Universiity, men in Sydney commending the idea of self, help-in music in the. Dominion to the secretary/of the New Zealand University, with the result that the proposal had been turned, down, and that without any. deep consideration of the importance of tho idea.” In regard to this, Professor Shelley, who is a member of the Academic Boqi'd of the University of New Zealand, said that no .consideration had been given by the board to any. scheme: because there had never been anything before the boai’d whilst he had been a member. If anytring ‘had. been put. before "the board recently, it. would come up at the next meeting in February. Such a proposal certainly • would not bo turned down ■without serious consideration. In regard to the • suggestion that the University should create degrees to be gained by. competitive examination, Professor Shelley said that the University of New Zealand already had the degrees of Bachelor, of Music and ■ Doctors of Music. /Already music was one of the subjects for the B;A. degree. Degrees in music were not awarded by competitive examination, lie added, and they could not be'given unless there was an established institution as the authority to grant the degree. Dealing with examiners from overseas, in the light of Mr. Hill’s remark that music examinations could quite well be conducted, by local examina-. tion. Professor Shelley said that the tendency in tho University during tho last few years has definitely been to encourage the examining of all subjects in New Zealand as far as i«. possible.

Professor Shelley added that some years ago a meeting .was held in Christchurch, when the amount which is sent over seas for examinations was ascertained. in founding a conservaborimn in New Zealand was that of getting the teachers to work together and to acknowledge anti bo sympathetic to such an organisation. lie agreed with Mr. Hill that there were musicians in the Dominion who could examine as far as the needs of New Zealand arc concerned, but unless there was the assistance of sonic responsible institution, such as the University or a conscrvatoriuin established'with the backing of the Government, the University or the public generally, examinations would be sveithlcss for the lack of standard.

“There is certainly a very big need in New Zealand for such a coiiservatoriuni, and all musicians recognise that,’’ added Professor Slieiley. “The only difficulty is that of getting tho public together. Actually, Auckland has a school of music and a professor of music, but how far that meets tho needs, apart from the theoretical side, I don’t know."

What Profcsor Shelley thought was wanted by Mr. Hill was an institution which would award diplomas for the actual teaching of the various instruments. That would come, lie said, within the province of a. conservatorium.