VALUE OF MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 239, 9 October 1928, Page 5

VALUE OF MUSIC.

RELATION TO EDUCATION.

DEmOPIXO APPRECIATION.

WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.

"There is evidence throughout the Dominion that the value of music as an educational subject is being increasingly recognised, as it is in other parts of the world. The training of children in music is being regarded in a much wider wav than it used to be."

This- statement was made to-day by Mr. E. D. Tayler, Supervisor of Musical Education to the Education Department, who is visiting the Training College and primary schools in Auckland for the purpose of ascertaining the progress that is being made with musical instruction. Mr. Tayler will have completed his local inspection by to-morrow, and after a brief visit to Hamilton will return to Wellington on Friday.

"We aim at developing the child's rhythmic sense, his musical creative faculty, the correlation of his music to literature, history and geography, and the development of his powers of musical appreciation. In the latter direction the gramophone is of the utmost value and the supply of these instruments and pianos has- been subsidised by the Education Department during the past three years/' Mr. Tayler indicated that the important phase of musical instruction in schools was that, during the last three years, four whole-time lecturers in music had been appointed to the training colleges, and a scheme of school music had been published, which was to be a guide to the musical education in the schools. On his arrival in the Dominion some two and a half years ago Mr. Tayler was quick to realise that the training colleges were the centre to work from in developing musical appreciation, and it was necessary for teachers to give their whole time to their work. A uniform scheme had been formulated and all the schools were following it. The work, he explained, would be extended as necessary and when funds permitted, but the 'public had to be convinced of the advantages of developing the artistic and cultural sides of education. Music had its influence on the emotions and imagination, two of ! the most important factors in life, while it also had a profound physical effect upon one, having both constructive and destructive powers. Two of the lecturers who had been appointed under the Department's scheme had just recently taken up their positions, but Mr. Hollin Rake, who had been in Auckland for two years, had been doing excellent work, "it has been a matter of time in getting things going," concluded Mr. Tayler, "but already there has been a marked improvement in the work that is being done in the schools." °