THE PLACE OF MUSIC.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16815, 5 June 1926, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE PLACE OF MUSIC.

At a meeting of the British Music Society and tho Incorporated Society of Musicians, Dr W. G. Whittaker lectured on “The Place of Music in Education.” lie said the state of affairs in musical work was most discouraging. Music was looked upon as sometiling outside Hie ordinary school curriculum, and it seemed to he thought generally in schools that, whereas ability in other subjects was the result of brains, ability in music was the result of no brains. Too often the hoy jr girl who was good at mimic was suspect, where one who shnnp at any other subject was a favourite. Only recently a judge Haunted his ignorance of music in order to obtain laughter in court. The general attitude in this country towards music was expressed in lho phrase “fiddling one’s time away."

If music were not taught during the impressionable years of youth, there was a danger that the faculty for appreciating it would lie lost in later years. To-day, witli I lie spread of the community choir movement; with the gramophone in almost every home; and, lastly, with wireless broadcasting, the opportunities for hearing good music were immense. Were we going lo let them all run to waste; to allow our children to grow up blind to Iho advantages of all the music which was available? The essentials in Hie leaching of music were that it should be on a level with 1 tic other subjects in the school curriculum and be allowed a reasonaide amount of lime; that it be so designed as lo encourage people to take an actual part in the performance of music; and that it lie taught by qualified teachers in classes of reasonaide size. Sight singing was an essential part of musical education.