already discovered their errors, and have adopted the broad course of making drawing correlate with every study possible, vying with language itself. We in Worcester still continue to teach clay-modeling; we have not thrown away our type-solids; drawing-books are still used by the children, and drawing manuals are found convenient by the teachers; and we still find the lead-pencil a good tool with which to draw. And now, in conclusion, let me quote the words of President Hall of Clark University, in relation to nature study. "Cast out," he says, "the things you hate and fear, and develop the things you love and are interested in." I would that we might respond to this great human note. I would that we might attack these subjects in a real joy-seeking, feardestroying spirit, teaching the children to love and protect the useful and beautiful, and perhaps destroy the noxious. In preparing our courses, let nature and art pervade them. The great diversity of life to be found in nature appeals to the young with all-absorbing interest. Let us recognize their natural interests, let us enlist their finest sympathies, let us cultivate in them the spirit of artistic appreciation, let us lead them to an intelligent discrimination between beauty and ugliness, between hateful things and things lovable; and thus we shall make the schoolhouse, not only a place of learning, but also a place where the very finest human interests and instincts are fostered. The awakening of the child's higher spiritual powers, the opening up of new avenues of enjoyment, the wise development of the sense-activities, will lead to enlarged observation of beauty in nature and in art, and the cultivation of better possibilities of usefulness to others. DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC EDUCATION SECRETARY'S MINUTES FIRST SESSION.-WEDNESDAY, JULY II, 1900 The department met at 3:30 P. M. in Circular Congregational Church, with President Herbert Griggs, of Denver, Colo., in the chair. Corporal David Cross sang a baritone solo, “The Palms," accompanied by the First United States Artillery band under the leadership of Professor Gustav Koitzsch. A paper on "Common-Sense as an Aid to the School-Music Supervisor" was read by Sterrie A. Weaver, Westfield, Mass. Music - a cornet solo, "Because "- by Sergeant M. Sullivan. Mr. Weaver's paper was discussed by N. Coe Stewart, of Cleveland, O.; C. H. Congdon, of Chicago, Ill.; Professor Ransom, of Charleston, S. C.; B. C. Davis, of Atlanta, Ga.; N. L. Glover, of Akron, O.; A. J. Gantvoort, of Cincinnati, O.; and President Griggs. The following Committee on Nominations was appointed: Sterrie A. Weaver, Westfield, Mass. A. J. Gantvoort, Cincinnati, O. Miss Mae E. Schreiber, Madison, Wis. Adjourned. SECOND SESSION.- THURSDAY, JULY 12 The session was called to order by President Griggs at 3:30 P. M. Miss Annie Hanley, of Charleston, S. C., was introduced, who sang a solo, "Asva,” by Rubinstein. C. H. Congdon, of Chicago, Ill., read a paper on the affirmative of the question, "Should Music in the Public Schools be Taught from the Song to the Exercise ?" Mr. Waitt, of Charleston, sang a baritone solo. Superintendent W. B. Powell, of Washington, D. C., opened the discussion of Mr. Congdon's paper, supporting the affirmative. Superintendent Aaron Gove, of Denver, Colo., followed in a negative argument. C. H. Congdon, A. J. Gantvoort, William B. Powell, N. Coe Stewart, and B. C. Davis joined in further discussion. The Committee on Nominations submitted a report recommending the election of the following officers: For President - A. J. Gantvoort, Cincinnati, O. The report of the committee was adopted, and the officers named declared elected for the ensuing year. Adjourned. H. W. GRAY, Acting Secretary. PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS COMMON-SENSE AS AN AID TO THE SCHOOL-MUSIC SUPERVISOR STERRIE A. WEAVER, WESTFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WESTFIELD, MASS. Many a frog, hard pressed for breath, and perhaps tired of swimming, has been lured by a sunlit stump to emerge from the water and, squatting upon the projection, voice his contentment in a guttural song. Alas! for the enjoyment of that frog. The small boy comes along, and, recognizing his inalienable right and pious duty to throw stones, ejaculates, “What a shot!" and proceeds to stone the frog. It is useless to read that strange animal called a boy a lecture upon the crueltyof stoning frogs, and just as useless to tell the frog to stone the boy. But the frog can slide off into the water and thus shield himself; next time rising to the surface for breath in a more secluded spot. In fact, might he not as well stay under water and die for want of breath as to come to the surface and be stoned to death? A certain percentage of small boys grow to be large boys, yet the irresistible impulse to throw stones when they get a good shot never leaves them. Perhaps one develops into a first-rate musician, and, plodding the paths of his professional duties, sees a good shot and shies a stone. Ever and again he is sure to find a capital shot in someone who has tired of the common walks of life, and has thought to arise to the surface, and has secured the much-coveted position of school-music supervisor. such a school-music supervisor fails to get results from his work he becomes a good mark for the musician's sarcastic criticism or out-andout attack. The supervisor who is thus attacked, and cannot defend himself by proving the accusations of his enemies false and undeserved, would display common-sense to slide off from his public position and seek seclusion in the private walks from which he came. The disposition of so many schoolmusic supervisors to show the white feather, and appeal to the public for sympathy which they do not deserve, exhibits more weakness than commonsense. Seldom, indeed, is the attack upon their lack of knowledge of music, but upon their dearth of sense. Would that a supervisor's exchange might be set up where they might barter knowledge of music for a reasonable amount of common-sense. If some large doses of the emotional and the æsthetic could be exchanged for the power to reason and employ practical common-sense, the results from school music might be larger. It has been insinuated, if not broadly asserted, that some supervisors have no more sense than frogs. If the insinuations and accusations are unjust, so much the worse for their author; if true and well deserved, let the guilty members of the profession tremble. Justice and right will eventually prevail. The senseless manner in which school music is handled must go to the wall, and with the downfall will go the schoolmusic supervisors who are wanting in common-sense. If music is so poorly managed that it brings little or no lasting results, the methods, or lack of methods, must and will be supplanted. The school-music supervisor who hears this paper and has not in mind an instance of one or many supervisors held in the clutch of some baleful influence that tends to the fattening of his salary at the expense of the best interests of the school children is blissfully ignorant of the machinations that predominate in school-music circles today. The battle is on, and tho the men and women of ability, fixedness of purpose, lion hearts, and breadth sufficient to lead the van are few and far between, God will raise up more of this sort, and school music will be emancipated. The fight for every vacancy will not be made by everyone who hears of it. Church solo singers, pianists, violinists, and orchestra leaders will discover that they need special training for the supervision of school music, and must not compete without the necessary preparation. Common-sense will prompt those within the circle, who mean to remain, to change their course and apply a small amount of this scarce commodity to their teaching. At this particular moment, could you have the opportunity of talking back, someone might inquire: "What do you mean by all this? At whom are you hurling these remarks ?" They are intended for whomsoever they fit. Let us inquire into the reasonable expectations and the actual results of music in the public schools. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are paid for the support of music teaching in the schools. This would be cheerfully done, and as much more appropriated, if results were apparent. In the aggregate the amount of precious time devoted, supposedly to the study of music, is something appalling, when it is realized that it gives so little in return. Compare music with other studies: Children come out from their school lives with the ability to read, write, and figure; with a knowledge of geography more or less extensive; and to these are added many accomplishments. When 90 per cent. will prove their ability in all these directions, will not the same percentage assure you that they cannot read music? Would not plain common-sense prompt every supervisor to shudder upon discovering that the results in his special line were so far below the average? It is something fearful to contemplate. Full well I realize how roughly the heavy sleeper must be shaken if he is to be awakened. In fact, the majority of school-music supervisors seem to be in a sleep so deep that they are virtually dead. We well know that it is God's prerogative to awaken the dead. Our hope lies in arousing those who do not sleep so heavily. If the men and women who make up the rank and file of school-music supervisors will rub their eyes and make a desperate effort to arouse and take an honest look at the method which they employ, or realize the lack of method in what they do, and the utter lack of results from their work, things will change. The shackles which many a supervisor has allowed some undue influence to bind upon him will become too galling, the blanket mortgages will become irksome, and the profession will make a mighty effort to emancipate itself. School music will sing a new song; a song of redemption from senseless teaching. Wherever music is taught in the public schools, results, and mighty results, can be obtained. It need not take years to show the results of common-sense teaching. When common-sense is allowed to aid the supervisor, the parents-even the children-will display enough common-sense to recognize a change for the better, and will enter upon a new era. Musicians outside the ranks of school-music supervisors will hail the improvement and stop throwing stones in order to use both hands in congratulating the supervisors for the preparatory work done in the schoolroom, thus lightening the task of advance teaching along all lines. Until such time as the general run of school-music supervisors employ common-sense, music will languish. The only substantial hope of America ever becoming a musical nation lies in educating the masses thru the public schools. The foregoing arraignment of the profession is based upon results actually obtained. To leave the matter in this way is simply to have uttered words of bitterness which only stir up strife. The very heading of this paper assumes that the root of the evil is a lack of common-sense in teaching music in the public schools. Its author begs leave to show some of the things commonly done that are utterly devoid of commonsense, leaving the decision with you. Attention is first called to the senseless use of books and charts. Does any teacher need to be told that the chart exercise, or song from the book, loses all its virtue as soon as sung thru a few times? Is it any wonder that supervisors meet in convention and discuss the problem of how to keep up the interest of the singing classes? How many singing lessons in the public-school room amount to more than a number of pages which are sung over by the class while the supervisor sings with them and for them, lugging them over all difficulties, then leaving these same pages to be sung daily until his return? Why was this particular lesson given to the class? Alas! simply because the pages designated were the next in regular order as given in said book. If the lesson be given from a chart, can any plausible excuse be given for the constant use of a pointer to lead the class along? Are the children learning anything but to lean |